I have been wearing and buying Nike products ever since I can remember. Growing up, everyone around me, myself included, was drawn to the brand, and it was always everyone’s “go to” for sportswear. As I got into high school, I became very interested in the buying, selling, collecting, and anticipation of shoes from their “releases” which originated from Jordan. When waking up early to tap on a phone or stand in a line for a pair of shoes to then not get them, there was never any sort of frustration with the brand, only jealousy towards those who did get the shoes.
I was associated with Nike through every bridge possible, especially as I became fascinated with the world of sneakers. I engaged with written articles, magazine ads, billboards, retail stores, commercials, and especially social media. I don’t even follow Nike directly on a single platform, but every time I open Instagram I still see the next pair of Nike’s to come out. Even when you aren’t looking at a Nike advertisement, you’re still being subconsciously reached through the sneaker hype, the athletes, and the swoosh printed on the clothing of everyone around you.
For the past 7 years or so, the Nike brand has had me by the throat with engagement. At this point, I never feel I am being advertised to by the brand, but seek out their products constantly without even thinking about it. Everyone keeps returning to a brand for a different reason. For me, it was because of the shoes. I am fascinated by the art of them. The fact that you walk in them every day, and out of all the shoes in the world, those shoes are the ones you decided to buy and wear. Some come from stories, some are designed by interesting people, some were worn by extraordinary athletes, and some have those athlete’s name right on the side of them. Nike is one of those brands that, from the beginning, has consistently impressed their worldwide audience, coming out with new and interesting colorways, materials, technology, silhouettes, special collaborations with artists, musicians and athletes, and can make a person’s mouth water at the thought of owning a certain pair just by selling them in limited quantities and making them hard to get.
I don’t personally see an advertisement impacting me, but rather the brand itself. I don’t follow Nike on social media to see what campaigns they’re running, or go to their website after seeing an ad. Instead, I follow sneaker accounts to see what Nike’s people are wearing and what is about to come out. I’m not triggered by outreach to go to Nike, but wake up at 6:55 and get on my laptop, because I know a new pair of Air Max’s release online at 7. That’s when you know a brand has you by the throat. And to be honest, when it comes to Nike, I’m okay with it.
Nike designs, produces, and sells shoes in every sense of the world. Some cost $30 and can be found at the mall, some cost $215, were designed by Virgil Abloh, can only be bought by the guy that spent the night outside the store in line and then won a raffle to buy them. Then, suddenly cost over $1,000 when he turns around and sells them to someone else right away after realizing he could make some easy cash. I don’t exclusively own Nike shoes, some of their products I would never want to put on my feet, and sometimes I get bummed when owning that cool pair of shoes would cost me an arm and a leg to buy, but I will always be interested in what the brand is doing, and will continue to buy their products of all kinds. I’ve learned that they’ve taken a lot of money from me over the years, and they don’t necessarily need to sell a pair of shoes for hundreds of dollars when it costs $30 to make, but they can, because they’ve owned first place in the sneaker game since the beginning of time, and everyone wants to be on the winning team.
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