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Kicks Analysis 2014 #1: Shoe Sponsorship

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Wait, wait, wait, what’s going on here? On the surface, the kicks sponsorship of this year’s NCAA tournament looks favorable for Nike.

ka14-team-sponsors

Seventy percent of the dancing 64 are adorned with the swoosh, followed distantly by Adidas’28%, and the single team (Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks) with Under Armour. Seventy percent of the teams is darn good right? Hold up NKE stockholders, let’s check the trend over the years.

ka14-annual

With a high point in 2011, Nike’s numbers have been dropping year after year, slightly, but dropping nonetheless to Adidas’ gain. A concern or a just the craziness of March Madness?

Baylor’s Sheer Uniforms Inspiring Next Generation Kicks?

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I gotta hand it to Adidas and the Baylor men’s basketball team. Come Tournament time, both rev it up. Gold and green become an ultra bright neon yellow. Attention getters for both the basketball program and the Adidas brand.

From Getty Images
From Getty Images

This year though, Adidas went lighter, not just in color hue but in material opacity. Supposedly, Baylor’s unis for this March Madness run is sheer. It’s difficult to tell how sheer from pictures, but if you have the luxury of being up close and personal (or get a tight zoom via HDTV), you may notice some previously unnoticed bulges and bodily parts.

But really, never mind the transparency of the uniforms. How does this affect the kicks world? Well, how about making sheer kicks. Strong enough and supportive enough but yet have some kind of see-through aspect. You’ve seen the explosive growth of colorfully designed socks, right? Why not take that to the next level, by showcasing these socks through your shoes. A Nike sock with a huge swoosh on your foot that peeks through your shoe? The sock can become another canvas to incorporate in kicks design. Maybe Nike Flyknit technology is headed that way.

All I know is that I’d prefer sheer kicks compared to sheer uniforms.

May the Infrareds Be Ever in Your Favor

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You know that line from the Hunger Games, “May the odds be ever in your favor.” Believe it.

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Case in point. The Air Jordan 3 Retro “Infrared 23” launched on March 8, 2014. As expected, this well-hyped shoe sold out in no time. Although sites showed inventory, trying to add a pair to your cart was impossible. So that was that…or so I thought.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014. A day off to do errands including a trip to Ala Moana. On my way out, I stop by Champs Sports downstairs. Yes, that revitalized spot where shoes aren’t displayed against a wall (I’m still getting used to that). But there it was, a display of the Infrared. I inquired and was told their shipment finally arrived that morning. Size 10? Last pair. May the odds be ever in your favor.

NikeBots, Of Course

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Were you out-botted?

While I never had looked into this, it should have been obvious. Whenever Nike (or any retailer) releases a new popular shoe, it sells out in seconds. It’s crazy trying to get a pair online. Why is this so? Bots, of course.

Via software shenanigans, these bots scour the online site, snatching up all the good stuff as they’re released. Spending a few hundred for this bot software to get high demand kicks for your personal collection or for resale? I can understand the appeal, but still, that’s an unfair advantage. Just be warned that all bots are not equal.

So Nike is attempting to remove this advantage with the implementation of access codes. Not sure how or when these codes kick in, but obtaining an access code does not ensure you have a pair, just the ability to order the shoes.

Here is Nike’s official policy of the Access Codes.

Unknown Nikes

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I admit I’m stumped. I cannot identify these Nike shoes I found at Ross Pearlridge. They’re some kind of cross trainer featuring a Free sole. The laces are off-centered like the Nike Air Max Shake Ndestrukt worn by Dennis Rodman. The triangular pattern reminds me of shark teeth.

What are these Nikes?
What are these Nikes?
Looks like shark teeth
Looks like shark teeth
unknown-nikes3
Nike Free sole

As the case with Nikes at Ross, they could be an import from Asia. Good thing never have my size.

Gotta Love 10 Signs You’re Out of Touch with Sneaker Culture

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Are you showing signs that you’re out of touch with sneaker culture? I am, or at least I don’t want to partake in some of the insanity to get new desired kicks. No, I ain’t camping out overnight at a store though I will wake up early to try for an online release. I will buy my size since I will wear my purchases. I’ve pretty much stopped going to Foot Locker to find the latest and greatest although I have signed up for their release raffles.

Anyways, read 10 Signs You’re Out of Touch with Sneaker Culture.

Keeping the Griffeys

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Thanks to the Seattle Seahawks’ victory in Super Bowl XLVIII, I’ve decided to keep the Nike Air Max 360 Griffey Hybrids I found at Ross. The Seattle win was a sign since Ken “The Kid” Griffey Jr. starred for Seattle’s baseball team, the Mariners, for years. Seattle win, keep Seattle player’s shoes – that’s how you rationalize in the kicks world. 😉

Retailing for $170 at Nike.com, this tonal grey colorway appeared at Ross in Kaneohe for 50 bucks. Yeah, so it’s heavy and on the bulky size, but this cross trainer has Air Max 360 and Flywire, and did I mention $50?! I’m liking this “dark grey” version compared to some of the other crazy Griff colorways.

Thanks for helping with the decision, Seahawks!

Back to the Structures

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Not so long ago, I declared Nike’s LunarEclipse my running shoe of choice. That didn’t last long. After a painful stint with Nike LunarGlide 4 and seeing parallels with the latest LunarEclipse 4, I went with the Zoom Structure 17.

Here’s the longer story…

The Zoom Structures, LunarEclipses, and LunarGlides are part of Nike’s stability series of running shoes. I’ve had a few Structure models over the years, the 12, the 14, and the 15. On the 16th revision, I had heard Nike abandoned the stabilizing foot bridge and instead started using different densities of Lunarlon foam. Scanning reviews of the Structure 16, runners were upset at this change. About this time, I picked up a pair of discounted Nike LunarGlide 4 and hated them. Running in them started off okay, but then the soreness came and got worse fast. The pain in my upper foot and ankle made running almost unbearable. Often times, I stopped mid-run and also wore an ankle brace for protection. I finally abandoned the LunarGlide for the LunarEclipse 3, and the pain quickly subsided.

So why go back to the Zoom Structure line instead of sticking with the LunarEclipse? From the product pictures alone, the sole of the new LunarEclipe 4 reminds me of the sole of the painful LunarGlides.

Nike LunarEclipse4 sole
Nike LunarEclipse4 sole

Nike LunarGlide 4 sole.

Nike LunarEclipse 2 (bottom) and 3 (top) soles.

I didn’t want to risk the pain again, so instead I took a chance with the foot bridge-less Zoom Structure 17. Runner’s World reviews the Structure 17 favorably so I’m hopeful.

Oddly enough, I just realized that three of the four Structures I’ve owned are black. Here’s my latest Nike Zoom Structure 17.

Nike Zoom Wildhorse Reviewed

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I submitted my mini review to Zappos for my recent purchase of the Nike Zoom Wildhorse, and it goes like this:

Lightweight and great looking but very snug. After a few wears and runs, the shoe still feels tight. It’s okay for short runs, but I’m not sure if the snugness will affect longer runs. You’ll notice the 4mm differential, but it’s not extreme. You do feel closer to the ground compared to regular running shoes. Keep in mind, these are not Nike+ shoes and don’t have space for the running sensor.

Yeah, I don’t know why but these shoes are bordering on tight. If you’re running with thicker socks, then definitely go up a half size. These trail shoes talk about the height difference between the heel and forefoot being 4mm. You can tell these shoes feel flatter and lower than traditional running shoes, but they don’t feel that different.

The rounded anatomical heel seems gimmicky especially with the angular lugs, but it looks cool. The Wildhorse isn’t well cushioned to keep that lean 4mm differential, but the tradeoff of feeling what’s underfoot is worth it. The outer layer hides dirt well so these shoes won’t look trashed after a few runs.

My only misgiving with the Wildhorse? It’s not a Nike+ shoe. There’s no space for the Nike+ running sensor that works with diminutive iPods. So if you want to track your runs, you’d need to use an iPhone or something else.

Some pictures of the Nike Zoom Wildhorse in black spruce, total orange, and flash lime.

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