Why Nike Sucks Right Now

[@micaelerykosoquila9575]

Nike’s MO for selling shoes 1. Sign all the biggest athletes 2. Make collabs 3. Rely on nostalgia

[@theinnocentturtle1236]

@@micaelerykosoquila9575 4. side with politics specially wokeism

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

I love when they re-release a dad shoe from 40 years ago in a _slightly_ different color combination and the sneakerheads slip and slide in a pool of their own jizz talking about how amazing, revolutionary, never before seen it is, and how it is a must cop, must bot, must Klarna purchase.

[@thepiratepenguin_]

@@theinnocentturtle1236 you like Jordan Peterson, your opinion isn’t valid.

[@theinnocentturtle1236]

@@thepiratepenguin_ Because maybe you're not smart enough to understand.

[@shuozhai3745]

collabs aren’t that good😅

[@itstoonbruh]

The problem is the 90’s kids grew up and realized that the product we’re getting now is trash. And don’t wanna pay double for a worst product

[@Shay416]

Legit.

[@rks5457]

Bought some vapormax/97's a few years back and moisture started building in the air bubbles then the right heel bubble popped within a month. Sent it back, got another and the right front bubble popped within a week lmao.

[@Bentleemedia]

100

[@itstoonbruh]

@@rks5457 and our OG shoes still perform

[@Soggy-Soy-Toy]

@@itstoonbruh I’d rather spend $600 on real leather shoes for (dress/work/leisure) than spend $100 every year for foam glued to fake leather

[@jaimeh8246]

Nike went downhill as soon as it stopped caring about pushing boundaries and innovation and focused more on trends and hype. Sad to see really.

[@murph6253]

Facts, Nike is more concerned will collaborations with celebrities then actually innovating and implementing technology into its products. Something else that bothers me about Nike is when they have tech that really works for a shoe line they abandon it the next whether it be materials, design, cushion, grip pattern etc it’s like they change it just to change it without considering if they should change it.

[@berlingray8058]

They had to do it bc Adidas was gaining too much ground too fast (2015-mid 2017) When Virgil dropped in 2017 that’s when they gained their influence back

[@Sambam1981]

Yea seems like they care more about the Travis stuff and retros, but they don’t know it’s killing the company if you just focus on that. They don’t make any good basketball or running shoes anymore. Shoes that you can actually wear for running and basketball and not to just look good

[@pwang33ece]

The thing is, they're big enough to do both; drive collabs, trends and build amazing products others can't. They chose to focus on hype and cut everywhere else thinking they can just phone it in and still rake in the cash. I'm glad they're getting a rude awakening now.

[@artjoeylarena481]

@@jaimeh8246 real😢😢😢

[@midispunishment]

It’s about time Nike got called out. Their shoes have been trash for years.

[@slidecontrol134]

I've been trying to for years but they've probably muted my twitter. Every prediction and jab became true.

[@securitybase3430]

​​@@midispunishment Nike is always coming with the same old played out technology. You couldn't pay me to wear Nike. I love the Old Skool New Balance Grey line & Adidas Boost. Nike is 🗑 🚮

[@Cooj11]

still pisses me off to this day that the kobe line is so hard to get

[@markflores6104]

@@Cooj11 Missed those days when Kobe is atill alive and playing those Mamba shoes are so awesome.

[@jordanhall8739]

It’s Nike’s fault. There is no reason they shouldn’t have been made widely available by now.

[@BabayaGuns]

Same man , I had to get my first pair through a reseller and only got to cop retail with the girl dad . I like the girl dad but the damn glue stain just pissed me off . They make it widely available but the quality is bad

[@long8888]

Product cannibalization….nobody would buy shitty Ja1, Book1, Tatums, Zions, so on and so forth.

[@DMVBLACK]

That’s because you waited till the man passed before you decided to cop a pair. Before his passing they were always in stock

[@arvincabugnason6728]

Nike is leaning towards more on, "f*ck boy" design trends rather than actual tech and durability for their shoes. They had become an expensive try hard sports shoes

[@biobelewilliam-west1310]

I think you hit that on the nail

[@ThomasWake1]

They’re more of a pseudo fashion brand now that poor ppl wear to look rich

[@bonzithefonzi]

Gotta respect the brutal honesty from you. Not many would share their critical opinions on a huge corporation like nike. Truly a sneakerhead og

[@thegameneededme5]

Agreed. Especially when he’s had products sent to him by Nike/JB before. Yet he still tells it like it is.

[@TituzzzD]

I watched for some reason a lot of those "Nikes Downfall" videos. And this is the first one, that actually explains the problem: dumping down because of margins. Thank you.

[@SavNJ]

Nike for close to a decade now has been phoning it in and relying on retros/remakes of what has worked in the past. Even down to the USA basketball collection now is just screen printed shirts, some shoes, and shorts. Back in the day they released everything from bags, to socks, to the actual jerseys players wore.

[@jordanhall8739]

That’s true this year’s USA collection is terrible compared to what they released in 2012.

[@bzomeful]

Interestingly, I’ve heard that a lot of the times, it is very difficult to purchase athlete/player Olympic kits for any sport. The reason given is that being chosen to represent your country at the Olympics is such an honour that any uniforms/jersey designs worn are limited to the actual athletes that are going to be there.

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

​@@bzomeful Doesn't sound like Nike to miss an opportunity to monetize a happening.

[@TGFIFTY5]

@@jordanhall8739 I just got a Nike notification for team usa basketball and looked through the store and thought the same thing. It’s literally just a team usa shirt with ‘Paris’ on the sleeve in basic block font. Just no effort

[@warmongeryt1458]

Exactly I remember they had unique basketball shorts, the elite socks with cushions in them great innovative basketball shoes with unique styles, that had great benefits, string bags, back packs, Duffle bags, their own line of shorts and had different designs and textures now all I see is like 1 or 2 pair of dry fit shorts, the rest are super short cotton shorts same bland shirts, basketball shoes all literally look the same and are all low top Ja 1s, Lebrons, KDs, Booker 1s, and the rest of them no ankle support, simple designed shoes, no foam or special insoles, no boost on the outsoles, they just ice them up and slap a nike sign on the side along with a 200 dollar price tag not even worth Buting their product

[@rantsofedub]

It's been years since I've walked into a Nike store and actually spot something I want to buy. It's a complete waste of time browsing their shoe shelves because anything remotely interesting is not there.

[@IblewuponyourfaceIII]

Cause they sell all the good stuff to resellers & backdooring with the employees. By the time the average or even the up to date consumer walks in, all you have are the undesirables 😂 Literally the Nike story in Manhattan is a joke. We’re talking about 5th avenue & they barely have anything worth buying it’s crazy. I remember some KZbinr talked about that Nike story was backdooring & selling above retail to resellers so they can sell it for even more to morons to buy.

[@DevinPosey20]

Nike sucks because there a greedy ass company that has been nothing but reselling the same shoe but in worse quality and hasn’t really been making good colorway outside of a few collabs

[@mingchi1855]

And all the good ones are super expensive and limited quantity and bought out by resellers who jack up the price even more.

[@airtec87]

U think the quality is bad today you should have seen retros from 2004-15. They realllllly didnt give two shi. back then. The only time retros were good as or close to OGs was 1994 - 2001. Starting with the first run of Jordan 1 highs, all the way to the bred 11s that retroed for the first time.

[@12Messenger]

Don't give your money to them. I haven't since the KD 14s. I mean I bought some compression pants and shorts since but shoes, no. We're rewarding them for not giving their all.

[@airtec87]

@@12Messenger the last modern nike bball shoe i bought brand new retail was the lebron 7s.

[@futureguy]

Similar things happen to a lot of large companies. Once they become large enough, they lose the motivations and initiatives to innovate since they already have large market shares. And typically the CEOs are not domain experts but good at "management". They care about stock prices, making more moneys, etc. much more than pleasing customers.

[@vonald]

mentioned straight facts. I would love a pt.2 where you give your opinion on them pushing towards to hype instead of innovation. SNKRS app/Resellers have completely taken the fun of out being a sneakerhead for me.

[@binswap]

I’m glad you’re using your platform to bring awareness to this problem Nike has had for a long time

[@morgan8514]

I’ve been seeing it at the gym too. That people are going away from Nike for workout clothes and running shoes to brands that specialize more in those areas.

[@nesto42]

This is why I appreciate your channel. It goes beyond fit looks, material conversations and close ups. Your channel is for people like me who love the culture as much as the product. OG talk. Keep doing what you do, man. I am thankful for you and your girl.

[@C-Thunder]

Add on to this, never ever change Chris!

[@MrAbstractj]

The other problem is the nice shoes that you want to buy and wear are all cornered by the after market resellers that uses bots to gobble them up for resell. The regular consumers are pushed out of the market or aren’t willing to pay the markups.

[@jakej722]

Nike annoys me. Their artificial scarcity strategy with the Kobe line has never made me want to chase them down for some crazy aftermarket price- it just makes me look at other brands because I find it to be a cheap marketing ploy.

[@tunaparfait9278]

@@jakej722 resellers 😅

[@juventus6245]

Big respect to this channel to call it out. Nike been doing this for maybe a decade. I’m looking to other sneaker brands to shatter Nike in this industry.

[@airtec87]

The reason why bball shoes were more popular then in the 80s and 90s is simply due to the fact that they could be worn off court casually. You cant do that today with todays plastic shoes, they look way too bball focused, and cheap.

[@heybrowhatup]

I agree. The designs got too sporty over the years and only look like a court shoe.

[@kingjulien9525]

I remember those days... The same sneaker was worn from school, to the court, to party. 😷🤣😂.

[@rantsofedub]

Yes and no.. I mean running shoes are super techy too but managed to thrive in the fashion space with collabs with fashion brands.

[@airtec87]

@@rantsofedub depends on what running shoes you are speaking of, a lot of those "running" shoes are actually considered lifestyle and are seperate from that companies true running line, in example the 99x series from New Balance.

[@misanthropist3]

True, they don't use real leather or quality materials anymore.

[@Chris-zn1qg]

You're so right! Also the thing you said in another video, that all Nike's tend to force the big toes in an unnatural direction really makes me mad. Apart from the Sabrina 1's i can't wear any Nike hoop shoe because of that. It feels so uncomfortable.

[@WhatevrNevrmnd]

I have over 10 years (2006 -2017) of working Foot locker and Nike retail and I could see the quality in all products drastically drop while prices are going up. Their whole "technology" push is BS... They don't even embroider the swoosh on their clothing anymore. So tell me...if my heat pressed Nike Swoosh falls off my $200 Tech fleece...is it even worth it? They're trying to rely on nostalgia and retros, meanwhile Adidas is at least taking creative chances. New Balance is kicking their ass in lifestyle and companies like Hoka, Asics etc are on their necks for running. It's over Johnny!

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

A $200 tech fleece is never worth it, embroidered logo or not. It's a bunch of plastic that cost them pennies on the dollar to produce.

[@WhatevrNevrmnd]

@@Mister_Phafanapolis true…. But at least let me have a logo that’ll outlive the life of the garment. They’re doing the same with MLB jerseys. Nothing premium about that thin ass material.

[@GasMarijo]

So True! I totally agree, that embroidery thing is outrageous!

[@coreywharton6494]

Facts just bought some running gear from their site and the swoosh fell off like a week later. I had to press it back on!

[@RayLindberg-y9v]

couldn't agree more, I have Nike apparel from 2008-2012 still going strong, with embroidery and the like, and the stuff bought within last 5 years is complete trash. Shame what they did to the ACG line.

[@natek8424]

Nike’s reputation is built upon being at the cutting edge of performance. Anything that strays away from that history and culture is a disappointment to the consumer!

[@ahmadlittle-hannibal7153]

WearTesters stay with the archives on deck. This is Nike Nostalgia that early 00s to the mid 00s was so creative for Nike. Shaped me into my steez till this day

[@veryfewrealleft1405]

Book 1 & All Nike Basketball Right now is uninspired & completely unimaginative. We talked about this in comments or typed about it one day. Chris Nike is the biggest reseller with the biggest profit margin.

[@deejaay]

replying to @veryfewrealleft1405 "Book 1 & All Nike Basketball Right now is uninspired & completely unimaginative. " We talked about this in comments or typed about it one day. Chris Nike is the biggest reseller with the biggest profit margin." Also, with Nike they're over killing it with these "inspiration" designs, collabs and releasing limited quantities only to find the shoe reselling 300% above retail. I'm like fuck it, I'll just get Reps (Kobes), Li-Ning and Anta......

[@static1217]

Book 1's are clean. But to each their own.

[@veryfewrealleft1405]

@@static1217 They’re very clean. Just very familiar.

[@WalkingWallet]

​@static1217 it's a basic shoe bruh

[@Dmac4Ever]

@@WalkingWalletI like how it looks basic it just doesn’t play as well, but the Giannis 5’s and some of the other ones just aren’t very imaginative or as technically impressive for sure so I kinda agree with both statements tbh

[@boomslapp]

I’m not a huge sneaker head but I did grow up in the 90’s really poor and would have to save up my birthday & Christmas money to buy my shoes (CB34, AF1, Pippens air max teardrops etc) and when they get rereleased and get a breakdown of the modified tech or get tech striped from the shoe really sucks for the kids to experience. Nike is really dropping the ball. Screwing over this new generation consumer and now corporate bullying shoe surgeon. All this is starting to inspire me to learn how to customize my own shoe so I feel I have value in them like I felt I got in the 90’s. Keep up the great work I always learn new things when I watch your content. Peace fam.

[@samaantree]

My biggest issue with Nike is that all their innovative “cool” designs come at an exorbitant cost especially the clothing, if I want to spend £300 on some casual trousers (pants) I would buy from Dolce Gabbana. All the cool things you can produce are supposed to be done to keep you ahead of your competition not rob customers of their money. Those book 1’s look boring as hell.

[@elusana]

d&g is worse

[@andyscoming4919]

@@elusana that’s what I’m saying 😂 so many better things you can spend $300 on than D&G or some Gucci/LV lol

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

Dolce Gabbana is a deep cut. Rappers can't pronounce it and therefore don't put it in their songs.

[@cassandraclark5499]

I hate them ugly 💩’s

[@Fab5Hill33]

FACTS DON'T HAVE FEELINGS 💪💪💪

[@cuthomas4664]

I'm a hobby runner, don't understand much about basketball shoes; but I think you are the best in shoes review in general. Keep going!

[@rellswrld]

Nike needs to go ahead and hire you as a consultant. Never understood why they don’t tap into the real world in this way.

[@jesussinaloa9300]

The channel would loose credibility if he was hired by a sneaker brand. He got to get partnerships outside of shoes but still related like shoe cleaning utensils that are applicable to any shoe brand

[@rellswrld]

@@jesussinaloa9300 fam if he gets a Nike deal he should put his channel on ice or work on other things. That would be a huge deal for him and his future

[@nickalbenga9750]

I actually used to bring up this channel all the time during meetings at Nike/Jordan. Not to consult, but as a barometer of authenticity in the community.

[@SpiritualSeeker12x12]

Old news they won't do it, especially if they are firing those who have great minds like 😤🤦🏾‍♂️Chris and those who care about the brand they love

[@nikchris69]

You can’t be serious.

[@KROMO50]

I'm not even a sneaker fan, but you are making some good points. Good video

[@isaiahfernandez4162]

Wow Chris you really cooked on Nike in this video. Great editorial video: your passion as a sneakerhead and your encyclopedic knowledge shines through here. Props!

[@klozher38]

I have over 20 of these 25's and have hyped them up since Kick's On Court Days so very cool to see the shoe being showcased. These are craze comfortable with the Max Heel unit and full length Zoom running atop the heel unit. Those kicks saved my legs

[@mainsourcery]

Wow the AF25. I had like 4 pairs of those. What a time.

[@MrRashad8869]

Such a great shoe. The color ways were so good combined with comfort

[@vikramreddy6001]

picked up an AF25 colorway on eBay a few years ago that I got at the outlets when I was 7, to this day one of my favorite sneakers

[@emwebb10]

Had a pair, would love if they retro these

[@jp86jp]

had never seen them before today, but now I think they're gorgeous

[@sidvicious647]

Still got a pair in Storage NEVER WORN ! Was a helluva shoe !

[@hiratiomasterson4009]

Nike simply has too many MBAs who look at immediate ROI - that worked for a time, but when you over saturate a market with products that have been built down to a price rather than up to a standard, you leave yourself open to people eventually waking up to reality.

[@javierlandaverde4108]

I always think of it as profit margins. Nike simply wants to reduce the expenses and cost of manufacturing the shoe while driving the cost up so they can compensate the loss and make a solid profit off from the shoe. If one cost you $40 to make from sourcing the materials and cheap labor where they are made while putting them to retail for $140. They are making a good $100 profit from that shoe. Just an example. This business model won't last you long and you start to decrease your brand value as consumers will end going a different route and brand.

[@deejaay]

Nostalgia when I saw the Eastbay page with Penny

[@cdm386]

Quality is pretty bad too. They spend too much on advertising and apps but the leather is low grade or synthetic, glue stains all over the sole and they won’t last even a year.

[@juwanhowardhll8019]

I bought a pair of emb low 2020 af1s and they already started yellowing from just sitting on my shelf but my af1 between 1992 and 2019 are not these new nikes are trash and poor quality

[@gerichorico7836]

This is spot on! Nike has been hiring designers handcuffed by budget and profit margins. The quality and innovation is gone. I have had to return two Invincibles running shoes cuz the glue won’t hold up just after 4 months. Everything today feel like the $64.99-$74.99 shoe lines of the 90’s and early 2000’s, but priced at $150-$200! It’s ridiculous how they would release a lot of these shoes today!

[@brandonyttri459]

I had these EXACT AF 25's back in the day, absolutely loved them. Moved to New Balance Two Wxy v3 last year, had N3xt L3vl3s before those....can't see myself going back to Nike anytime soon.

[@qchang09]

Thank you for the shout out for the Nike Air Command Force. I bought those in '91 and they are still my favorite shoe in terms of quality materials, more than any Jordan model

[@peterookotai6965]

Grails for real ones (not sneaker posers)

[@chrisfournier6144]

Nike used to make sports shoes. Now they make pop culture footwear with a sports theme.

[@d1214tgdadaw]

This is why I love this channel- the truth. Nikes gotta stop this “hunger marketing” and “shrinkflation” before losing it all, people care and are tired of not able to get the best ( or at a ridiculous price) yet settled for the worse.

[@tylerdurden6335]

1000%

[@javierlandaverde4108]

Too late, people already switching up soo fast now. Nike fans went to Adidas or New Balance to ASICS now to some going to Under Armour now.

[@ownyourmasters7890]

Resale market has done major damage to the sneaker retail game and these sneaker companies have used that to raise the value of their merchandise.

[@taivo2520]

The greed got them good! I have relative who is working in Nike’s Manufacturers in Vietnam…She told me every shoes from Nike, especially her department is responsible for “Premium Line”, a final already for sale and labor costs. Total is around $20 - $30 to make. This is “Premium Line”, I don’t know how low the cost of “Budget Line” will go…

[@MilkInTheBowl]

@@taivo2520 that’s the production cost though. The majority of clothing companies money goes into marketing and also in Nike’s case; player acquisition. The markup is still crazy I agree. I’m just pointing out that the cost of production for shoes and clothing is always the cheapest part. Marketing is where the real expense lies and of course R&D isn’t cheap either even though they seem to be phoning that in lately.

[@taivo2520]

@@MilkInTheBowl I know, but with $20-$30 cost and the materials are not hard to source like they were back then, why Nike lower the quality of their products like what we’re having nowadays? Greed is the best answer.

[@carlosdcpcg]

1:32 Oh brother you hit all the nostalgic tingles from the good ol days comong home from school login & checking all the heat that was to come. Good Days. ❤

[@ll1ll1ll1ll1ll]

Damn. I thought I was the only one who remembered the AF25. Godlike shoe. 2006 was the same year we got the Jordan 21, the LeBron 4, and the Kobe 1. And the next couple years would bring the Jordan 22 & 23, the LeBron 5 & 6, the Kobe 2, and the Soldier 1. Nike was absolutely cooking in the 2000s, to a level they've never cooked since.

[@Organic_Lindo]

Great video, I remember I bought the all black suede AF 25’s with the crocodile textured leather pattern on the back… complete head turners, I shelved high end shoes like Pradas to wear those to stunt because they were so stunning with great craftsmanship and more importantly, because they were incredibly comfortable. Wore them joints into the ground lol, would still wear them today because ALL THE MATERIALS HELD UP but they squeak and are pretty much biscuits at this point.

[@TheDDA]

All Nike is is the most over priced REP company. They make knockoffs of OG shoes that never live up to shape, material or innovation. Overpriced plastic leather aint the stuff dreams are made of.

[@kaorunootaku]

Chris being a hoop sneaker historian giving us lessons from the past

[@darwinmoresco7724]

That is why I purchase Nike shoes when it is in the outlet shelves not to purchase on its original price or srp.

[@lionelgrisbane]

Yep. Almost never purchased Nike anymore but I recently got Lebron 21 because it was $80 instead of $200. They’re worth $80.

[@nikchris69]

This is why I purchase new balance and adidas.

[@DanielLopez-po9cj]

This is by far one of my favorite videos, Chris. Not just from Wear Testers, but from all sneaker related videos 💯. The only good basketball shoe Nike has released in the last few years IMO has been the last 2 Lebrons. However at $200 a pop, not many people are willing to spend that much. Before those two, it was the Kobe 1 protro. Adidas, NB, Puma, Li-Ning and others have been killing Nike in tech, performance, and innovation. Only thing keeping Nike afloat now is the swoosh and nostalgia.

[@brauprx]

This is the kind of videos that only Weartesters gives us, spitting facts and talking straight. I used to love Nike Basketball products, specially in that timeframe from the 90s and early 2000's. Just as you said Chris, all first signature shoes back in the day were packed with tech, the Flight Fives, the Shox VC, the Zoom Generation, The Zoom Kobe 1, and the "team" models were elite as well: Air Max Uptempos, both Zoom Huaraches, Shox BB, and the list goes on. I guess the KD I was the first when they got cheap and from that point we got bad performers with almost no tech, like the Kyrie 1, the Zoom Freak 1 (I'll give the PG 1 a pass because at least those had a regular size oval Zoom unit and a few colorways had decent materials). Nowadays with this trend of making shoes ready to go right from the box (for consumers only) and with lighter (but flimpsier) materials, they justify their cheap approach not giving us quality products, supposedly inspired by the greatest players. Chinese brands grew from copycats to innovative amazingly, and most of the times (with some exceptions like the WoW main line or the JB) those are at least at the same price with better tech and materials. Just as you said, Nike has turned into a retro (almost knock-off of themselves) brand with no innovation at all. For the QoTD: Sadly I sold my AJ3 black cements from 2018 because of a need of money to pay meds, but If I have to choose one cement only, it would be the white cement 3s. I really enjoy a lot these videos man, thank you!

[@carlbowles1808]

Vintage Nike styles are very popular with the young crowd. Your technical analysis is brilliant and I respect that. The young crowd only seems to care about looks and social status. I enjoyed this video immensely thank you. 👏👏👏

[@kirbyaugustine761]

Sign of the times. Most of these corporations today have made the decision of choosing profits over people. Simple corporate greed.

[@AyjayAlleyway]

Nike’s net profit margin is unchanged for over 20 years. Stop talking out of your @zz.

[@jermainejackson2179]

Bro, you came at this with facts. This one of the few channels I follow for kicks. No hype just a genuine fan of the culture. Sidenote...I wish they retro them air force 25s

[@deemoney1054]

I give you your props!! You have been able to keep my attention for years!....others copy you to no avail..... especially the Instagram dorks...... you're the Champ!...... Thanks!

[@dustymetzgar3006]

It'll stop when we get over the FOMO and stop buying. But it ain't going to happen in the year that Jordan turns 40.

[@jcolley82]

2025 is gonna be nuts with all the Retros coming out

[@Thatboygtmike]

It’s happening hopefully. Slowly but surely imo.

[@DanielJamesEgan]

I love going to thrift stores and getting sweet vintage-ish basketball shoes for like $8. The only problem comes when you actually try to ball with them and the entire sole comes unglued.

[@DK_Raiders117]

Chris and the Weartesters family is THE go to source for sneakerheads. 🙌🏼👍🏼💯

[@giorgosapo4508]

Chris I remember those days like it was yesterday, everyone was hyped about this Second Coming project and even the Soundtrack by Juelz Santana was amazing. I remember having the Premium All Leather version of these bad boys. We used to be buying all the Sole Collector magazines, getting anxious with every release not only on the Signature lines which were innovative with designers like Eric Avar , Tinker Hatfield, Ken Link and D'Wayne Edwards but the Team shoe lines like the Hyperdunk back in 2008 were pushing the boundaries as well with tech like Lunar foam and the OG Flywire. We all miss those days , we lost our passion and interest!

[@WHITEPERSUAS1ON]

Maybe its just me getting older but I dont really care about sneakers like I used to. I bought at least a new hoop shoe every year but havent really even wanted to anymore. Idk if its the price or more competition or what. Harden 7 and 8s have been the only thing I've found interesting lately

[@yeshuarc]

What do you think about the AE1s? Those are the only basketball shoes besides Kobes that have been hyped crazy

[@johncarolina4950]

@@yeshuarcI disliked it at first but I've come around. I'm getting the low model that comes out this month. The only thing I dislike now is the weight.

[@m3rvs]

Bro! Your history about these shoes are crazy 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@tonygonzales8139]

06’ Nike battleground was so great and there was so much parody in the game back then Reebok had AI and the above the rim shoes, Adidas had a great line up of players T-Mac, KG, Duncan, Billups eventually DRose, Converse had DWade, and Nike/Jordan the pinnacle of greatness! I noticed when the countdown packs the shoes seemed to look cheap and were flimsy AF then The 09’ Space Jam came out then I knew Jordan were expensive Payless shoes

[@bananatheish]

You got it exactly right about Nike. Leadership is tanking Nike basketball.

[@BobbyObado]

I love this video so much, I wouldn't know where to begin. If I could pick any video for a totally brand new sneakerhead to watch in this age, it would be this one. Thank you Chris for what you continually do.

[@bball3048mm]

Been done with basketball shoes forever since I tried to be like Mike in HS and sucked. After that basketball shoes especially Nike are nothing but a nostalgia based collector's item I wear on my feet.

[@City-iD]

Nike executives need to watch this video and take it seriously! Everything that was said in here is 100% spot on truth. Big up Chris.👍

[@imacat123]

I was travelling in Japan, walking around in my Nikes, and I love em but I couldn't help but notice foreigners and travelers there and the locals wearing brands such as QC or Hoka. I sold my Nike stock once I returned.

[@SingaporeUntold]

For sure. I’ll be getting hoka next to replace my new balance.

[@mike_b777]

@imacat123 QC? Do you mean On? It's a running shoe brand.

[@theONLYxlv]

I agree with you Wing. The tiered signatures and veering away from packs i.e. the All Star, Xmas are also why. As far as the tiers i remember when the signature hoops athlete had a great looking silhouette with tech for that playstyle. Now Nike does "price-point" marketing where you get cushioning in either the heel or forefoot but rarely both. In the 90's Nike was at its peak when they had to try to overtake Reebok. It seems like they dissolved the Alpha Project line and then coasted and they got too comfortable. Then they strip away the tech when they retro the beloved models. The cost cutting they do is costing them.

[@uptodatenba]

I FULLY agree. As a nike diehard basketball player i recently went out and bought a pair of DON 4s, of which would have disgusted me 2 years ago and they are now my go to shoe on the court. I love nike, and will still continue to spend my money on kobe drops but i really dont understand any of the hype around the book 1. And other people back me, seen in the immediate and rapid success of the AE1. Im just dissapointed by the clear drop of quality, and just wish i could have lived in the golden era of nike basketball

[@TheFlako323]

Couldn't agree with Chris more! I almost hate that I work at one of the retail stores and I have to try and sell Nike shoes to customers knowing that there's better options out there

[@cavevillian]

They just realized that all these "techs" and "systems" are nothing more than gimmicks. However they increase production costs. After time you just realized that even an 80$ Nike shoes, like precision give you everything you need for daily life. Why to pay for the things you don't need?

[@veryfewrealleft1405]

Even the Air Jordan two had a take down model , with the python. Barkley 180 Olympics had on 4th great shoe.

[@MrRoda8143]

Great minds think alike! I wore mine too last 4th lol

[@veryfewrealleft1405]

@@MrRoda8143 💯 It’s crazy bro, how many people 40& up & under at Picnic “what are those , they’re 🔥” I’d love to see more 180s , I still have the not signature, but we know that the Air Force 2 before the Alpha Force was Chucks go to. I still have those with Liberty Bell 🔔 on rear panel/heel. I went with more comfortable of the two. I wish they’d pay some more attention to those, & the Pippin 2. I went to buy pair of Red/White Pippen 2s, lol they were like 500. Smh

[@elijahdelacruz3204]

You can also fastforward to 2003 and 2006, when Lebron’s and Kobe’s first signature shoes with Nike released. Both offered Nike’s best at the time. The Lebrons had quality leather and full length zoom plus a double stacked zoom unit in the heel if I’m not mistaken, and a carbon fiber shank. The Kobes also had quality leather, a zoom unit in the heel, and a zoom met bag in the forefoot, and a carbon fiber shank plate

[@sunnyfallq]

Cannot agree more. The quality has dropped so much while the price tag continues to go up.

[@rpardo23]

They need to hire you man! You know the shoes, tech and culture. I totally feel the same way. Cheap ass shoes dont sell we need quality over quantity!

[@sherronthejedi]

Air Force 25! So many kids in highschool had these 🔥🔥

[@danielabdelmalak3211]

Beautifully said. It’s not just the basketball shoes, the apparel is lack luster as well. Shoes skimp on tech and performance clothes only get worse as more iterations come out. Nike tech fleece looked so good when it first came out, it’s been milked dry. The fit is terrible and it’s played out.

[@charleskiser2468]

The Air Force 25 Rasheed Wallace shoe he had many pairs I wish they'd bring them back

[@retromike1]

You’d think with the abundance of different e-commerce companies who make workout/clothing gear, Nike would step their QC game up with their clothing. Playing the lottery every time I order a Nike product these days. I don’t know if the size will be off, clothing quality, fabric, etc.

[@johnhender]

Nike is a marketing company That makes shoes

[@jonathanbush2946]

TBH bro this is your best video to date!!! Can’t hate at anything you said…even if you clicked on it wanting too…All facts and so spot on!!! The retro helped killed the quality and creativity of the shoe minds as well…NIKE has always been my favorite brand and I’m 43…grew up in them golden yrs, sad what’s happening there. Their outlets suck now too…just had to throw that in there. 😂 Also BC3 and WC 4 to be worn forever!!! That WC 4 is 🔥 CW.

[@AddOnKicks]

Li-Ning: let's put at least some Boom in every offering over $100 and typically in more than one zone. Nike: people like these Zoom strobels too much, let's put them in LESS models each year and take them out of the series we introduced them in. 🤦‍♂️

[@wn5364]

Amazing video, shows the depth of your expertise 💯💯

[@karubml]

they are no longer a brand with identity, they are now simply a business.

[@greyhawk4911]

I been realized that Bro Bro after we wasn’t able too buy releases no more…the shoes fit different they not comfortable….only Jordan’s extremely comfortable are the new retro 4’s made in that SB form which means great material

[@omarmac1]

4s for life ❤

[@marcusjonesathletics]

I’ve always been a Nike man and this really hits home. I’ve gone from collecting Nike shoes to selling a large collection of my shoes and not caring about shoes anymore. They don’t care about us, so I’ve slowly gone to not caring as well.

[@jeffhicks8428]

No offense buddy but "air" was nothing but another shoe industry gimmick that added absolutely zero to any shoe in terms of objective quantifiable empirical improvement over any other cushion technology like standard EVA or any of the other brands and their gimmicky technologies like say Asics gel. There is a reason it doesn't exist anymore. Because it was pure marketing and hype. None of those shoes had anything special about them aside from massive marketing budgets and buzzwords.

[@TseStanley23]

Take a queue on the late 90s and early 2000s eastbay catalog - and how much stuff they created and innovated.

[@johnneyjohnson8607]

I also blame being too dependent on exclusivety. I haven't been able to buy a shoe I've wanted in a year.

[@jonathanchin3396]

Great X-Men T-shirt, man! Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, I fell in love with Jordans and Reebok Pumps in the early '90s, it really sounds like Nike is much more interested in coasting than innovating nowadays.

[@walker2101]

Not a shill for Nike or anything, but sometimes the consumer needs to look at themselves in the mirror. When Nike tried to be innovative & gave us the 720s and the Scorpion’s, everyone talked trash. When it comes to basketball shoes, the LeBron flagship model each year has EVERYTHING Nike has to offer tech-wise in them, and they go straight to outlets on the back wall. Maybe that has to do with people not rocking with LeBron the person more so than the shoe. Who know? But I see Nike doing an adequate job pushing technology in an ever changing sneaker industry. The entire basketball shoe market has changed and in this economy, everyone looks for more lifestyle type shoes that are versatile.

[@Drew.Whitcomb]

The 720s and Scorpions aren't innovation, they're casual shoes. Nike calls them running shoes, but they're not. Nike is actually doing fairly on the high end of performance running but that's not translating to other categories. Nike also tries to play supply and demand games with performance running which doesn't work with runners. They HATE it because they can't get the shoe they want when they want it. Many runners have fled to other brands like Asics, New Balance, and Puma because of Nike's strategies.

[@walker2101]

@@Drew.Whitcomb when I mentioned the 720s and Scorpions with regards to innovation, I merely meant the design and size of the Air unit. Up until that point, Nike had been accused of being boring and stagnant in their designs. To your 2nd point: I 100% agree with you about the supply and demand games that Nike plays with their consumers. It’s ridiculous and in my opinion, is the #1 reason loyal customers are now venturing out to other brands that offer similarly priced items with better & more premium materials. I believe that this coupled with their seemingly unwillingness to seriously address the botting community has caused a significant mistrust among consumers leading them to buy reps/UAs. Loyal customers are asking Nike a very simple question: Why should we be loyal to you, if you won’t reward that loyalty with fair and transparent selling practices?

[@javierlandaverde4108]

@@Drew.Whitcomb I disagree lol.. I just think running shoes now are very techy and evolving. It's a good time now to buy running shoes to run or lifestyle or to recover. I go on about NB, ASICS, Hoka's, Adidas running shoes about how their tech has change and modernize or the materials but to stick simply Nike. Alpha Fly were innovated that they got banned from marathons legally due "Offer Tech Enhancements" to make you run faster. I don't personally use Nike for running. I gear towards ASICS, Mizuno's, Hoka's or New Balance for running but people still get Nike Running lines and they are still up there in terms of innovation and modern tech like there competitors. .

[@garthmckenzie3962]

“Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, Chris ****’em up!!!” Fantastic piece of work here. 🤜🏽🤛🏽

[@veryfewrealleft1405]

Great time for this vid.

[@Turbokitten643]

Chris hit the nail on the head. They are going for just looks. It's sad to see such a great brand go this way.

[@abrahamdoubleg]

Those 25th anniversary actually look so good. I never knew about this drop. Thanks Nightwing!

[@by_run]

I agree with this vid. It’s not just Nike, but most big corporations are all about the profit margins today. It’s sad to see this type of mentality in corporations. Awesome review as always. 👌🏽 Cement 3’s. 🔥🔥🔥

[@styrojeff]

Man, you're so right. I really wanted a pair of those AF25s back in the day. And it's true that Nike is just a shadow of what they used to be back then, and just cashing in on our nostalgia... I hope they can turn it around sooner rather than later but until then, other than buying a pair or two in outlets at heavy discount, I'll be buying NB from now on

[@snackplisskin]

great video, you really show how nike is giving us less than they used to, prob not a coincidence that they are struggling to retain customers now

[@gordonwalser7184]

Nice job Chris. It be great if we could find solidarity within the sneaker community and storm Nike with a unified message of we are here but we are not suckers. Nike thinks it’s much more important to give to the millionaire athletes instead of the people that support them. If you figure it out let us know. Boycott with a strong message!