There is no denying that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have an impact on today’s youth. The ex-power couple stirred the fashion industry for a decade until their split. Whether it was Kanye wearing Air Jordan 1s or Kim with her BBL, fashion warped around their trendsetting expertise.
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Air Jordan 1s had been on the decline for a while in the mid-to late-2000s until Ye showed up wearing Jordan 1 breds. During that time, people preferred wearing Jordan 3s, 4s, or even 11s. But one look at the rapper with his outfit, and the tide turned.
Since then, the Jordan 1 has become a must-have in the closet of any sneakerhead. Be it the original colors of yore or the many collaborative efforts of the recent past, one cannot ignore the classic silhouette. When Travis Scott announced a mud-brown Jordan 1 with a swoosh that was facing the wrong side, people went crazy.
Why rappers love earth tones is a thing to be studied because Ye’s Yeezy lineup became 50 shades of brown. Be it his shoes, clothes, or even sunglasses, everything had to remind him of earth. Nike saw a potential opportunity and released a “coffee” colored shoe—a repackaged version of their own product.
Because the price of T. Scott’s Jordans skyrocketed, this became an instant hit. Following a sneaker market correction, they were reduced to a more affordable but still expensive price range of $500-600 dollars.
With Ye going on a rampage and Kim cutting marital ties with him, the Kardashian family switched brands and jumped ship with Nike. All of a sudden, the Air Jordan 1’s prices seemed to rise.
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Are the Air Jordan 1 prices rising because of Kim and Khloe Kardashian?
This is more likely than not because price increases occur every year. Nice Kicks, the original poster is reaching deep into their bag to find logic. ‘Tis the holiday season and price hikes like this happen every year.
One look at Stockx pricing graphs should be enough to justify it. The graph steadily rises throughout the holiday season, sharply correcting itself right after the end. Macroeconomics should be considered; this rings true for every commodity.
Not just for the Dark Mochas, but for almost every single shoe. Spikes like these only happen in the off-season for marketing – for example, Kanye West with his Adidas Ultraboost 7 years ago.
But how would Nice Kicks profit from such boring terminology? Bringing in the Kardashians makes it sound spicier.
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Are Air Jordans dying – Do they need Make up moguls and unathletic Music Producers promoting them to maintain sales?
The answer to this question is more complex than simple. With the current state of the economy, people prioritize food and bills over artifacts piling up in their closets. As much as sneakers are essential, paying 180–230 dollars at retail for shoes is daylight robbery.
Nike, Adidas, and the rest of the brands have become greedy and have been pumping out the same shoes in different visages; the public is now saturated. Calling an orange shoe “starfish” does not make it more attractive to a general customer, nor do they want orange shoes in the winter.
Reselling has eaten into the happiness of a collector too. The purpose of buying a shoe is defeated if one has to pay hundreds of dollars over retail to get nothing special. This market only exists until there is a buyer; just like in crypto, if the buyer decides to lose interest, a billion-dollar industry can collapse like a house of cards.
