With the first good look at the Nike LeBron X coming after the 2012 Olympic Games in London this summer, everyone in the sneaker community had an opinion about them. Some vocally dismissed the pair right away citing the resemblance to current Nike Basketball models as a deal breaker while others applauded the first silhouette to have an exposed Zoom Air unit as colorways seemed to pop up online overnight. The price is what is mainly being discussed now.
It should be known that the $315 price tag includes compatibility with the basketball-specific Nike+ technology as well as the two required transmission chips that are needed in each sneaker to work. This move comes directly in the shadow of the $250 Nike+ Sports Pack edition of the Lunar Hyperdunk 2012 which dropped toward the beginning of the summer. Just like the 2012 Hyperdunk, there is also an option to just by the sneakers themselves. Without the Nike+ options, the standard Zoom LeBron X carries a more reasonable, albeit steep $180 price.
While I might find ways to justify the purchase of a $180 quicker than most, that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand exactly how much money that is. With Nike seeing a decline in the sales of sneakers under $100 and a double-digit percentage increase in $100+ kicks, its no wonder the company is giving this high price a chance.
Keep in mind that the Foamposite One/Pro went up $20 to $220 and the standard Air Jordan Retro priced is also scheduled to jump up to $165 in 2012. During the NBA Playoffs, Nike introduced the Elite series which took three current Nike Basketball models and reconstructed them as well as raise the price to either $200 or $250 a pair. I remember when the Retro price went up to $140 in 2008 and now I find myself wishing I could pick up a pair of ‘Photo Blue’ Jordan IXs or something else dropping soon for that price.
The value of anything is only determined by the price that any given person is willing to pay at that time. Does the demand for a line of $300+ basketball sneakers? Nike thinks so, and is acting accordingly.
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