History of Air Force One Sneakers

Bruce Kilgore created the Nike Air Force 1 back in 1982. It was the first sneaker to use the now popular and patented Nike Air Technology. The shoe was simply named after the US president's aircraft the Air Force One. There are 3 styles the low, the mids, and the high-tops and they come in many different colours, textures, and patterns. In spite of the selections the Air Force One shoes are best known for their all white or all black versions.

There are now over 1000 color variations and Nike sales topped $800 million in revenue. The sneakers popularity began with inner-city youth and quickly spread among rap and hip-hop artists. Eventually basketball players came to relish the shoes as well. The shoes have even had their own song written about them. In 2002, rappers Nelly and St. Lunatics produced a CD called 'Air Force Ones'. Nike has also created the City Series featuring Puerto Rico, New York City, Detroit, West Indies and Tokyo. The shoes appeal to not only performers but atheletes like Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhousewho who wear them during games. The Air Force Ones are naturally in the hall of fame for shoes.

Nike Air Jordans

In order to keep their shoes in demand and command a high dollar the Air Jordan brand only releases shoes once a year. With a low supply and a high demand Nike ensures their shoes become collectors items. Air Jordans are still as popular now as they were when its namesake - Michael Jordan - played basketball. His shoes are rare and they are definitely collectors items which has caused the inevitable - people are creating cheap fakes in order to sell knock offs of the famous running shoe.

There are a number of ways to spot a cheap imitation Air Jordan - let's take a look at them;

The Shoe Materials

The most noticeable difference between authentic Air Jordans and the imitation Air Jordan sneakers is the plastic used. If you are buying a pair of Nike sneakers notice that the imitations use cheap plastic which is not as hard and durable as the one used in the original version. The imitation's plastic will come apart after a short period of time and even faster if you use them to play basketball. When you play a fast paced game like basketball you will test the workmanship and durability of the sneakers. Nike sneakers where specifically manufactured for Michael Jordan to use and they had to perform at his level - a level much greater than any one else.

Air Jordan Availability and Price

As mentioned the Nike Air Jordan division only releases the sneakers on a specific date of the year thus keeping a low supply in high demand. Therefor the amount of Air Jordans available will not be great and if you find a site online offering thousands of these shoes then you know you are dealing with replicas. Especially if they are selling them at a very low price. When these sneakers go on sale their prices range between $50 and $70 but can be as high as $300 like the Air Jordan III.

Photo: Air Jordan Miro

Of course the easiest way to spot a fake is when they use the term replica in the sales copy. If you have bought shoes online then you have probably come across fakes at one time or another. It is common to hear about replicas in the handbag and purse industry and it is now becoming the norm in the footwear industry.

As the saying goes - buyer beware.

Authentic Bape Crepes Shoes

One of the hottest trends in fashion is the emergence of Bape shoes and hoodies. If you haven't heard of Bapes then let us fill you in before your teenagers do. Bapes is short for Bathing Ape - a brand of clothing and footware developed by a Japanese designer known as Nigo. (Nee-go). Full name Tomoaki Nagao has designed a line of fashion that is becoming increasingly hard to get your hands on simply because the supply is limited and the demand is huge.

Wholesale Bapes consist of everything from clothing to haircuts and fast food joints. The success of this young entrepreneur is a direct result of his unique marketing technique. Nigo turned this brand into a hot-seller based on exclusivity. A Bape customer can only purchase one product at a time and the product must fit the buyer - no purchasing for others.

From clothes Nigo went into the shoes arena using a clone version of Nikes most popular brands. They became instant hits with the youngsters. They are brightly colored and non-conformist, which may be why it has caught the attention of the young generation. Rappers like Cassidy & Pharell, Jay-Z and others have been seen wearing Bapes and instantly became sought out by the entire young hip-hop crowd. This heightened demand has decreased the availability of wholesale Bapes and prices have soared with the growth in demand.

One of the hardest to get products is an authentic Bape Crepes shoe. The images below show the style of this shoe;



Nigo and Bathing Ape have taken the basic Puma "Clyde" shoe in a different direction. The Bape Crepe much like the Bape Sta 1 is done with a low top and similar outsole, a rich suede upper and they come pre-packed with fat laces. Just what the youngsters ordered. The only downside is that they are not yet available in two of the largest markets; New York and London. Plans are underway to make them available shortly but you can bet they won't last long.

Air Jordon Sneakers

Air Jordan Limited Release - Fusion and Esterno Sneakers

Jordan Brand has released an exclusive Wine and Grind pack in honor of the Parisian Streetball Tournament, Quai54. This so called Wind & Grind pack will contain an Air Jordan V (AFJ5) - Fusion (the Wine) and an Air Jordan Esterno (the Grind). This pack was only released in 3 cities. In Paris on July 4th, 2008 in limited amounts and Opium and Colette. Only 170 pairs of the Air Jordan V Fusion and 155 pairs of the Air Jordan Esterno were released at Footlocker in Paris. While these sneakers are not available to the North American market it probably wont be long until a few pairs show up on ebay.

Photo of Air Jordan Wine and Grind



Air Jordan 7 Mir - Olympic Games Edition

A while ago we posted some pictures of the Air Jordan 7 Miro - the Olympic Games Edition. The sneakers were inspired by the colors of the Olympic Games and will drop in the form of a special edition Air Jordan 7 to commemorate the games. These were the same shoes Micheal Jordan wore while taking the Gold in the 1984 Olympic Games. The Air Jordan 7 Miro will become available to the public on July 3rd at the Opium store in Barcelona. Hopefully, a few of these will also surface on eBay.

Photo of Air Jordan Miro



Photo of Air Jordan Olympic Games Edition



Air Jordan Force III

When this Fusion Force popularity will wane is anyone's guess but it appears that the Jordan Brand has plenty of colors and methods to keep the Fusion campaign going until next summer. These Reed-Dark Oak-White Air Jordan Force Threes are scheduled to be released sometime this September. The sneakers are made of a hemp and canvas upper featuring a brown elephant print design. The shoes come with brown laces, an air unit and a clear mid-sole. The blue Jumpman logo on the shoes tongue doesn't quite fit into the color scheme though.

Photo of Air Jordan Force III

China Loves Bape Hoodies

China's Growing Clothing Market

Following 30 years of economic reforms, China has achieved remarkable success in economic development. Now few economists and marketers doubt that China will evolve into a nation of spenders. Along with the rising of income level, the purchasing power of Chinese consumers has been increasing rapidly. Clothing expenditures have also been growing fast. The retail sales of China market in 2007 reached US $ 2970 billion with clothing's contribution of US $ 150 billion, according to official figures by National Statistics Bureau. Kurt Salmon Associates forecast that by 2020 total clothing consumption of China will be about 120 of Japan. It is this market perspective that has attracted many overseas investors. Many international clothing manufacturers and retailers are increasingly viewing China as a huge potential market.

Bape Hoodies and Shoes

However, the apparel market is very competitive and challenging both in manufacturing and in retailing. To conduct effective marketing, it is necessary to understand the consumption patterns of the people, and important to have appropriate market segmentation. Some research has been reported in the literature. For example,Gallup conducted a geographic analysis and suggested that in China the urban market was much more important than the rural one. Urban residents have higher income and hence higher purchasing power, and are more sophisticated than the rural people. Cities trend setters and testing grounds for future marketing strategies. On the other hand, demographic analysis indicated that the most promising consumer segment in China was the young people. It was also found that the younger consumers (aged 15-35) had more experience with western products, compared with the older ones (aged over 35). Regarding the influence of gender, it was reported that young women were least concerned about price.And they love the clothing such as bape hoodies, bape shoes, lrg hoodies, 10 deep hoodies, ed hardy hoodies etc.




In order to touch the most active clothing consumers, a questionnaire was designed for respondents aged 15 to 45. Questionnaire survey was carried out in six cities of China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Harbin and Xi'an. These are among the largest cities in China, and are relatively evenly distributed geographically: Beijing in the North, Shanghai in the East, Xi'an in the Northwest, Chengdu in the Southwest, Guangzhou in the South, and Harbin in the Northeast. They are the most important cities in each of the regions respectively in terms of economic and societal life, and are regarded as fashion centers of die region. These cities are considered to be very influential in patterns of consumption for other cities in China, thus an investigation of clothing consumption may give a good indication not only of the current situation, but also future trend for the entire nation.

From the analysis, we can conclude that the clothing expenditures of Chinese urban consumers are increasing rapidly along with the development of China's economy. And, how much money the Chinese consumers are able to and willing to spend on clothing tends to be influenced by several factors that originate in social, culture and economic forces. The geographic differences in clothing expenditures are found significant. Significant demographic and socioeconomic influential variables include age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation and household income. Furthermore, the interactive effects of geographic location with age, gender and occupation have significant influence on clothing expenditures. It is believed that the era of "one style fit all" has been history and the Chinese consumers are never largely homogeneous. For example some young people like bape hoodies, bape shoes, lrg hoodies, 10 deep hoodies, ed hardy hoodies etc. It is important that apparel manufacturers and retailers investigate the effects of the determining factors on clothing expenditures and make effective segmentation marketing strategies.

Air Force 1 Sneakers are Hard to Get

Nike Air Force One

Where to Buy This Sneaker In todays market?

The Air Force 1 sneaker is popular thanks to its inherent "hippness" especially in music circles. Trendy music artists like Nelly, a rap artist, even produced a song which paid homage to this popular running shoe. Unfortunately demand is high and the supply is limited.

Fortunately, these running shoes are available in select footwear and shoe stores that cater to sneakers. Air Force One sneakers are also found in retail stores affiliated with Nike Inc - the parent company. These stores have been authorized to sell Nike products. In addition, some versions of Air Force one sneakers may be found online and through independent sources.

Air Force One Sneakers will cost approximately $80.00 - & $100.00 in its most basic design. Available for both men and women in athletic and casual wear styles, these sneakers are easily available from Nike Inc. authorized dealers. Niketown, Foot Locker, Footaction, and Finish Line stores. These are all officially authorized to sell the Air Force One sneaker.

Air Force One Sneakers

Air Force One Sneakers

The Air Force One sneaker was named after the plane which carries the President of the United States around the world. This basketball sneaker was first released to the public by Nike Inc. in 1982. Interestingly, years later, the Air force one basketball sneaker continues to remain in high demand. This sneaker utilizes the patented Nike Air technology that is known to elevate the amount of available cushioning and comfort.

Nike, Inc. has produced Air Force 1 basketball sneakers since 1982. Twenty-five years later, this athletic footwear is still as popular as ever. The appeal of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers has not diminished with time. In fact, sales of this particular sneaker model have risen with its popularity among famed celebrities. This growth in the sale of the Air Force 1 sneaker has also stimulated interest in the verification of sneaker authenticity.

Air Jordan Sneakers

Jordan the famous brand for athletic shoes was first launched 21 years back. Can you believe this? No. The word impossible comes to the mind first when such a statement is made. Because the craze for Jordan is ever increasing. With most things the craze dies after sometime but same is not the case with Jordan shoes. The craze kept increasing with every generation, with every new launch. What is so special about Jordan shoes that you just have to love them. Actually nobody can define what is special about Jordan. Just one look at Jordan or the feel of Jordan in your hand will make you understand the reason for it being so special. Nobody can help you understand this feeling. When it was first launched nobody could have said this shoe was going to be a great hit. It looked at that time that this shoe had no future. It will never have any market. But all such predictions proved to be wrong.

Everyone wants and needs a pair of cheap Jordan sneakers. But if you are thinking of starting your own business then you will also want to get your hands on these cheap Jordan sneakers. But the difference will be that you want to purchase in bulk amounts instead of just the one pair. There are websites willing to offer you the chance to start your own home sneaker business and the greatest part is that you will not have to pay much in order to buy a bulk amount of Air Jordan sneakers. The world of cheap Jordan sneakers is available on the web. And there is one website that has taken full advantage of peoples love for these Air Jordan sneakers.

Air Force One Sneakers

Bapes Review

What are Bapes?

Bapes or Bathing Apes is a brand of shoes first established in 1993 but didn't release its first shoes, a sneaker identical to Air Force Ones until 2002. Bapes are similar to the famous Air Jordon sneakers but they come in many more colors and materials.

Here are some examples of Bape Shoes.

Photo of Bape Roadsta Shoe

Photo of Bathing Ape Shoe

Photo of Bape Crepes Shoe

It is interesting that rumors abound that it is hard to get an authentic pair of Bapes as there are only a few stores that sell A Bathing Ape and they limit purchases to 1 per customer.

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