LeBron X Nike Plus Sneaker: $315, Most Expensive Sneaker in Nike History
By Jason McIntyre
"the world’s largest sportswear maker told sporting-good stores that they will not be allowed to pre-sell or take reservations for new shoes. The retailers, which include Foot Locker Inc. and Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., will also have to give up midnight releases of shoes that had prompted customers to camp outside and stampede stores"
Why is NIKE jacking the price up so high for a pair of sneakers?
"As labor, materials and shipping costs increase, Nike is raising shoe and clothing prices by 5% to 10%, analysts say … The price leaps come after Nike’s gross margins dropped to 42.8% from 44.3% in its most recent quarter ending May 31, the sixth-straight year-to-year quarterly decline."
Dropping margins means the customer loses. But the good news, everyone, is these aren’t just ordinary sneakers – they come with motion sensors!
"The coming $315 LeBron X Nike Plus, due in the fall, is expected to come embedded with motion sensors that can measure how high players jump."
Man, I can’t wait to find out I really do have a 24-inch vertical leap. [WSJ]