Talk around town is this that the major sneaker labels are getting a little anxious…you know…calls are being made on vacation time with the “911” prefix.
Why you ask?
Two words: Lavar Ball.
Once consider a Jester sent to amuse the pundits -who for the record rely on shoe.sponsor money to eat – is now leading the band and having back room conversations with opportunist who now have not only tasted the Kool Aid, but are requesting the libation in different flavors.
Or shall we call in Tang. Because of right now, the business model that has provided generations of over stuffed pockets for owners like Phillip Knight whose net profit is somehow 24 times that of Michael Jordan, is now being exposed as a over-grossing licensing fraud.
Article: Owner of Nike Worth 24 Billion // Air Jordan 1 Billion / Huh?
Yes…fraud. I won’t get into how the NCAA is the muscle behind this border-line illegal cash cow. Not yet. But I will state a couple of facts as plucked from a very reliable source.
Article: How the Big Baller Brand is trying to disrupt the entire sneaker industry
The marriage between athlete and sneaker has a long history. Julius “Dr. J” Irving was one of the premiere athletes to have his name associated with a shoe: The legendary Converse All Stars. As Converse snowballed it’s brand into the 80’s they began to merge the teams brand elements into the industrial design of the sneaker, although a boiler plate structure was utilized so it wasn’t really unique design per se. Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s legendary rivalry with Larry Bird propelled the company’s reach to new heights with their shoe becoming the forerunner for the sports ascension out of it’s dark ages.
Air Who?
Right about the time when a triumvirate dominated the NBA finals: Philadelphia 76s / Boston Celtics / Los Angeles Lakers, a young man was literally jumping up out the gym. His following was growing and companies were watching with a keen eye on how to increase his visibility and their bottom line.
Article: The Creation of a Marketing Genius: Air Jordan
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