There has been a lot of noise recently concerning the new LeBron X shoe that will hit stores this fall. The shoe is rumored to retail for a price close to $300 and has raised questions concerning whether any basketball shoe is worth paying that amount of money. To clarify the shoe will be sold in two versions – the regular version of the shoe will retail for $180, while the version with the new Nike+ technology will retail at a higher price. The Nike+ technology consists of “pressure sensors” that will track data about the users movements and will transmit that information wirelessly to their iPhones. The basketball shoes are meant to track a player’s movements during practice and games, including their quickness and how high they jump, to name a few.
The Nike+ technology opens many doors for basketball players and its users. Nike recently introduced the Nike+ Basketball Dunk Showcase. The showcase is a nationwide and global event where participants can compete in this dunk competition using the Nike+ technology and the Nike + Basketball app. Also, using this technology, users can upload their statistics to be shared and compared with friends and other users on social media sites.
Gamers spend hundreds of dollars on game consoles, video games, and online subscriptions. This new Nike + technology allow basketball players to be the controller, wear the game console on their feet, and share their results with the rest of the world. Will anyone pay $300 for a pair of basketball shoes? I think that answer is a resounding yes.
