August 17, 2006

Let My Bucket Swerrrrrrrrrrve, I'm Takin Off From The Curb

Say what you will about Steph, and lord knows my counterpart has said plenty (mostly things like "I heard he sits down to go pee!" and "He cried when he lost at Golden Tee!"), but this is pretty awesome.

The sneaker industry is like the diamond cartel DeBeers. There is no supply issue. There is no labor issue. The demand is simply CREATED. Nobody on earth needs sneakers. It's a unique marketplace in which the manufacturers drive up demand - through channels such as athletes and advertising - and then they basically challenge consumers. "How much are you willing to pay for these?" The answer is a lot. And it goes up every year. Stop and consider it: yes, Nike makes decent shoes. Most of the Nikes I've owned have been high quality kicks, most have not failed me in years of use. But do you honestly think there is 120 dollars worth of craftsmanship in those sneakers? No, they cost a few dollars to make and a few more dollars to ship. The cost is strictly a who-will-blink-first game of big dollars. And kids keep buying these shoes, because of the image and because they see their favorite stars rocking them on the court.

That brings it to Steph. Adidas could sell the KGs for 20 bucks. Nike could have sold the Jordans for 20 bucks. And they STILL WOULD HAVE MADE A PROFIT. But no, they had to be greedy, had to push the pricepoint, and kids shot each other for those fucking things. The point is that it's a good thing, endorsing these sneakers, and I hope that it catches on as a trend.

It won't. But I can hope, right? Just like I can hope that Buckets has a breakout year and that Marko learns how to pass sometime soon.

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