Michael Jordan is the greatest sneaker salesman ever. But Dame Dash says Kanye West (and Michael Jackson) were always slated to sell more.
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The Air Jordan 1 sneaker revolutionized the casual, streetwear shoe culture and took it to hitherto unseen territories. People began sporting sneakers to places where they’d normally walk to in flip-flops. But curiously, they also began replacing formal-looking shoes with them.
The appeal of the shoe was based on its design by the famed Tinker Hatfield. It looks so rad when you don almost any kind of clothes, even in its retro releases today. It was the aestheticity of the shoe itself that made it a big seller, though MJ certainly had a role to play.
Michael Jordan became a brand unto himself because of the groundbreaking success of his first shoe. And it seems that Kanye West has cracked the same formula with the Yeezys. The difference between the 2 is that Kanye West legitimately has more appeal and penetration into our lives.
That’s because he’s a musician. And normal people, who don’t partake in sporting activities, tend to relate more with the flawed physiques of artists. The chiselled physique of a world-class athlete might take a bit of charm away from the product he’s marketing.
Dame Dash contrasts Kanye West and Michael Jordan; spins hypothetical built around Michael Jackson
Dame Dash, one of the co-founders of Roc-a-Fella Records along with Jay-Z, was recently a guest with Pro Football Hall of Famer and FS1 host Shannon Sharpe on the Shay Shay Podcast recently.
The music mogul made several deep observations regarding sports, lifestyle, music and other domains of life. He also made a very crucial observation about marketing: crossovers tend to work better than the usual stuff.
This principle, he believes, is the reason why Kanye West and his Yeezy brand are now competing with MJ and Jordan Brand:
“[Michael] Jordan was known for playing good basketball. Kanye is known for something completely different. If Michael Jackson had sneakers and they were designed well, he’d have made more money than Michael Jordan.”
Dame Dash on Kanye becoming a billionaire and rivaling Jordan Brand with Yeezy:
“Jordan didn’t make music. If Michael Jackson had sneakers and they were designed well, he would’ve made more money than Michael Jordan.” pic.twitter.com/fTF02MJphK
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) March 1, 2022