Little1

Ethan Little

Mrs. Cramer

Comp Period 8

Date

The Shoe with the Big Swoosh

Before Nike, sneakers were produced by the same companies that manufactured tires,

meaning running shoes were clunky and prone to cause a runner’s feet to bleed after a long run.

With the help of Phil Knight, co-founder Bill Bowerman sought to change that, launching his

own brand of athletic shoes that would forever change the industry. Today, the Nike brand has

become a fashion staple and a sports industry giant. Nike easily produces the best sneakers based

on the company's wide range of collaborations and shoe silhouettes.

To start, Nike has produced a menagerie of shoe silhouettes that appeal to a variety of

consumers. Going back to the Jordan 1, we can see how this shoe has progressed and evolved

over the years. Starting as a simple collaboration with a famous basketball player, the Air Jordan

gained huge popularity from being banned by the NBA. Due to the mass appeal and simple

design, the shoe has further transformed to something that is more commonly worn casually than

on the court. The Nike Dunk also underwent a similar genesis to the Air Jordan 1. Rotman

explains in his article “A Brief History of the Nike Dunk” for Grailed, “...it was a college-centric

basketball shoe.” Intended as a shoe for NCAA athletes and their fans, Dunks were released the

same year as the Air Jordan Instead of falling under the shadow of Jordan’s, Dunks diverged

from their intended goal and appealed to a much larger audience. Being a very simple silhouette,

the Nike Dunk is essentially a canvas for endless designs. They have huge potential and have
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also transformed into a casual shoe. Simple shoe silhouettes produced by Nike have expanded

past their original scope, demonstrating the universal appeal of the shoes.

By contrast, it is suggested that Nike is stuck in the past by being so reliant on retro shoe

silhouettes, like Jordans, Dunks, Blazers, and Air Maxs. While this may be the case for many

shoe releases, the retro designs appeal to both the new and the experienced sneaker enthusiast

(Rotman). Furthermore, the Blazer Mid has made a huge comeback this year, a shoe originally

released in 1973! The Dunk Low, as mentioned above, exploded in popularity, far beyond

expectations and its intended audience. Simply put, Nike continues to keep its brand fresh by

reviving various classics.

Next, Nike’s artistic collaborations with a menagerie of celebrities and athletes have

gained popularity for the brand. Air Jordan, a Nike-owned brand, was birthed through

professional basketball legend Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan 1 was produced in 1984 as an

exclusive prototype shoe for Jordan to play in, but they were quickly banned by the NBA for

being “too colorful” and not containing enough white. Insider writer Steve Cameron eloquently

explains in “Why Nike Air Jordans Are So Expensive”, “Nike recognized this unique marketing

opportunity and footed Mike's bill as he went on to win Rookie of the Year, playing every game

in his banned namesake sneaker.” This controversy propelled the fame of the prototype shoe and

the Air Jordan brand. The Air Jordan 1 was released to the public in 1985 with a variety of

colorways and Nike even released Jordan’s exclusive shoes, referring to them as the “banned”

colorway. Today, the Air Jordan 1 is a highly recognizable shoe which is still released in limited

quantities. More recently, Nike collaborated with Off-White designer and founder Virgil Abloh

to design “The Ten”. This was a limited release of ten reconstructions of some of the most

popular Nike shoes. These shoes are all street fashion staples and highly sought out. Due to the
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long buildup and low stock of these shoes, they now resell for over $1,000 each. They retailed

for around $150. This shows that extremely successful Nike collaborations have propelled the

popularity of the brand and its shoes.

Alternatively, some people contend that the Air Jordan 1 has lost its spark over the years

and noteworthy collaborations are produced in too low supply to appeal to the average consumer.

Although the limited supply problem is true to some extent, the Air Jordan 1 has aged like fine

wine and only improved over time. Consistent releases of new collaborations and redesigns of

old colorways have kept the public interested in the shoe. For example, the Nike SNKRS App

builds hype around new collaborations by giving specific dates that shoes drop weeks in

advance. This gives everyone the chance to buy a pair of limited-edition shoes before they sell

out. The shoes are usually limited stock because of basic supply and demand: these shoes are far

more sought after because there is a much smaller supply (Cameron). Many shoe stores in major

cities will also only receive a handful of pairs. These are generally intended for raffles, where

people buy tickets for a chance to purchase a pair, further increasing hype and value for the

shoes. These methods of supply and demand are effective in promoting Nike shoes, and

consistent releases of the Air Jordan 1 have allowed the brand to thrive.

Nike masterfully creates the best sneakers on the market through their wide range of

collaborations and iconic shoe silhouettes. Collaborations with public figures such as Michael

Jordan and Virgil Abloh and the wide appeal of Nike’s many shoe silhouettes are what keep the

brand thriving. To conclude, Nike has proved time and again that they are the leaders in shoe

culture, and we should continue to support the brand so that it may keep producing amazing

sneakers.
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Works Cited

Cameron, Steve. “Why Nike Air Jordans Are so Expensive.” Business Insider, Business Insider,
24 Dec. 2020, www.businessinsider.com/nike-air-jordans-sneaker-culture-basketball-
collectible-expensive-2019-6.

Rotman, Asaf. “A Shoe For Every Subculture: A Brief History of the Nike Dunk.” Grailed, 10
Aug. 2020, www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/nike-dunk-history.