Nike SB has been in the skate shoe game for a while now. I can remember when they just started getting back into skateboarding after numerous failed attempts and everyone was doubting them. Now they are common place at almost any skate session.
Nike SB are smart. They are probably the smartest company in skateboarding right now. They made a brand of shoes popular by basically fooling everyone into thinking that they are legit by throwing around some money and “supporting” skateboarding.
They started off as a small branch of Nike and devised a plan to infiltrate skateboarding. Now that they have an incredibly high market share in the skate industry and they have power over the consumer they are on their way to putting actual skate shoe companies out of business because they want to succeed. There’s nothing wrong with making money and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to better your business, but Nike doesn’t care about skateboarders. The guys in the offices in the glass towers have never touched a skateboard. They have never hit tile in the deep end of a pool , let alone tried to skate down the sidewalk in their neighborhoods. They have never been chased from a marble ledge by a security guard. They hired genius marketing guys to tell you that Nike was cool. They hired a team of skaters with street cred so the normal skater wouldn’t think they were in it just for the money.
Are they really supporting us or are they just cleverly marketing to “core” skate events and the real skaters? They threw down shitloads of money to be the main sponsor of Tampa last year, the most legit contest of all contests. That’s supporting skateboarding right? Well, it’s supporting Skatepark of Tampa and the dudes that were in the contest, but not you and me. Basically, if you win Tampa you are a legit skateboarder in many peoples eyes. By having the Nike logo emblazened on everything on the course they legitimized themselves even further in the eyes of the average skater.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know that Vans is owned by the same company that owns Wrangler Jeans. But Vans were supporting skateboarders since the beginning. Nike is still trying to infiltrate skateboarding and that’s why they teamed up with companies like Active and other online retailers so they can get their shoes into every corn fed mid westerner that wants to look like a skateboarder.
In closing Nike makes kick ass shoes. They just have no place in skateboarding, they don’t care about us. They only care that our money will feed their corporate empire.
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Nike is here to stay, shut the fuck up.
jordanh must not have taken his medication…
Nike is bullshit, they are trying to make money off skaters. That’s it, they want to make money. They don’t care about skateboarding.
every brand is trying to make money off skaters, if Nike keeps making these nice skate shoes they can take all my money.
who really gives a shit. If the shoe is good than get it. Why you hating on nike trying to make money? sure they dont care about skateboarding but who does. so you think vans does because theyve been it longer, bullshit. They built a skatepark and charge the shit outta of it for two hour sessions plus wear full pads and charge to wear them too. If they really cared then they would make a skatepark free for everyone.
nikes are sexy
i have a pair of peacock sbs
and i still skate too
and im white
Air Jordan 1
That was some time ago, one of the best skate shoes of it’s time, not intended for skaters but the three layers of leather right smack dab in the ollie area of the shoe was awesome. Not to mention I good high top was a good skate show back in the day. I’m from the N.W. and have always liked the nike to skate in, air force ones were as close as I could get to a good nike shoe…. but now? Shit, I can grab any style nike I want and it’s suede!
Nike will never die, and if SB fails I’m sticking with my nikes.
ollie is right. nike dosnt care about u. So y buy from them when u can get a better shoe from like fallen owned by jamie thomas who cares about skaters. And in my town if u wear sbs u get ur ass kicked
nike has always done that. they did that with soccer and hockey. they dont care about anyone but nike. nike should just stick with running, basketball and football shoes. you should always be down with the people that got u started. vans, dc etc. u dont see vans or dc coming out with basketball shoes. keep it G and stick with what got u there.
But Vans and DC have both made Snowboard boots…That’s not really keeping it true is it?
The people who say f*ck Nike are stupid. If different companies didn’t get into different avenues, there would be virtually no innovation. And for those touting Vans as the start of skatewear, Vans didn’t even start out as skateboard sneakers. Check your knowledge and stop acting high and mighty.
Nikes are good sneakers to skate in and this is bullshit because all the sneaker companies that support skatboarding really dont every one trying to make money. if they care about skateboarding they would make skateparks free but they dont they charge you because all they care about is money. nike SB are nice shoes and are going to continue to sell because a lot of kids like them and see there favorite skater wear them so of coarse the youth is going to wear it. nike is here to stay for a long time
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