By Brian Freeman II
With the rapid growth of demand and diversity in the fashion world, there has been proportionate growth in the publicity and buzz placed on sneaker releases. From Air Jordan's to Air Yeezy's, people are caught waiting in lines all across the nation for days at a time. Camping outside of stores for exclusive sneakers may seem to be extreme, but some of these crazed sneaker heads take it to a whole new level. Watch here as police have to patrol lines to prevent stabbings and robberies. Check this video out.
Nike and Air Jordan Brand come out with the same sneakers every couple of years. in spite of the lack of new material, somehow the shoes uphold high levels of demand. The sneakers have undeniable value in the streets, which explains the never-ending lines and the need for crime prevention at major releases. The question is, why do people want to risk getting hurt or potentially not getting a pair of sneakers while waiting in line?
Does Michael Jordan actually care about the safety of his fans or does he just care about the money he is receiving?
Jordan can't be oblivious to what has been going on between his sneaker releases and violence. My personal opinion is that he does not care otherwise he would have done something to change it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe the entire idea surrounding the 'Sneaker Craze" is unimaginably ridiculous! With regard to your point about Michael Jordan and his assessment of the violence that has become characteristic of his sneaker releases, it is my belief that the responsibility of the 'safety' of these fans does not lie with Jordan but with these fans themselves. A common business decision evaluation practice is the cost/benefit analysis. These shoppers, before deciding to submit to sacrifices to attain these sneakers (ie. camping out for nights on end, assuming the risks of violence, etc.), should assess the benefit or value generated from their possession of these sneakers. This analysis should be the guidance of their decision-making process. Their awareness of the violent acts that are common during these events should be taken into consideration when making this assessment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thavon when he said "These shoppers, before deciding to submit to sacrifices to attain these sneakers, should assess the benefit or value generated from their possession of these sneakers." Many people who spend their money on these sneakers don't have enough money to provide for those that depend on them; or instead of being responsible with their hard earned and much-needed money, squander it on these ridiculously priced sneakers.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot possibly blame Michael Jordan for the violence and extreme behavior that has resulted from the demand generated by his line of sneakers. It is not the goal of the brand to incite fierce competition amongst its consumers and the street value of the shoe is completely out of the control of of the company. It is understandable then to expect Jordan to make some sort of statement asking his consumers to please stop hurting themselves and others over his product however let us look at the consequences of doing so. So lets say that that Mr. Jordan holds a press conference in compliance with the thousands of requests to say something regarding the violence surrounding his shoes. What is he to say? Asking his consumers to devalue his product and not react so drastically to new releases from the brand may negatively effect sales. He could begin to loose customers and value of his brand. Yes it is true that he does not need the money so loosing a few people wouldn't hurt anyone but think for a second if the proverbial jordan was on the other foot, would you want this to happen to a company that you have worked hard to build and maintain?
ReplyDeleteOf course Michael Jordan cares about the safety of his fans and admirers. He is a human being just like us and doesn't with death upon innocent people. The violence piece is way out of Michael Jordan's hands. The real question that we should be asking is are the shoes worth all of this time wasted and death. That is something that we as consumers and society can control ourselves. When people stop waiting in line for days at a time for a pair of shoes that they might not get is when the sneaker deaths will stop. We can not blame Michael Jordan or Nike for putting out shoes and wanting to make money. If blame is placed it should be placed on us consumers for giving these companies so much power.
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