Why signature shoes matter even when they’re not selling

Signature shoes are important — most often in basketball. From Jordans and Iversons to Kobes and LeBrons, the NBA has been defined as much by its signature players as their signature shoes over three decades. Brands have competed as fiercely for top-tier NBA talent as teams have because fans have traditionally followed in the style footsteps of their favorite players whether it be at a party or playing pickup at the local recreation center.

That was tradition, but trends have changed. Signature shoes are on sale, but consumers aren’t buying in the same ways they used to. Though Nike still towers over just about every other brand, both LeBron James and Kevin Durant struggled to move the LeBron 14 and KD 9 last season, according to Forbes. After looking like a fast-growing upstart in basketball, company data shows Under Armour and Stephen Curry’s 2015 gains behind the Curry 1 and Curry 2 fell through last season with the struggles of the Curry 3.

This isn’t a phenomenon uncommon to any major apparel brand. Nike still has the top-selling signature shoe behind James’ line with Kyrie Irving’s line right behind it. But sales are dipping across the board in basketball where signature shoes are most prevalent.

People just aren’t into them right now. They perform well and help you play the game better, but they’re not in. Casual fashion takes precedence over performance and, from a fashion sense, basketball shoes don’t have top billing anymore.

“They’re just not being seen as street fashion,” Matt Powell, a market analyst for the NPD Group, told SB Nation.

Kanye West and his Yeezy line, Pharrell Williams, and other entertainers along with Adidas have increased the popularity of the casual running shoe and streetwear among even the most hardcore traditional sneakerheads. The Yeezy line isn’t close to being Adidas’ top seller because of limited production and high prices, but its influence is undeniable. And it’s halo effect has shifted those who used to only rock the best Nike basketball sneakers to Adidas’ most popular lines like the Ultraboost and NMD running shoes.

They’ve doubled their sales numbers over the last year, overtaking Jordan Brand for second place behind Nike in terms of sport footwear sales, according to data from the NPD market analysis group. Adidas’ basketball sales have also increased in the last few months, and they’ve made major gains in other growing areas Nike has yet to find a way into.

Jordan Brand’s retro models still sell, Powell said, but they’re not enough to make up the difference for newer performance sneakers that aren’t selling. And basketball for other brands like Under Armour and Jordan Brand remains a work in progress.

One of the reasons for the shift is that most performance basketball sneakers and signature sneakers are less exclusive than they’ve been in the past, Duk-ki Yu, the owner of MAJOR, a sneaker and steetwear boutique in Washington, D.C., told SB Nation.

Jordan sneakers have always had limited releases in terms of quantity — it’s traditionally been difficult to grab a pair of retros from your local Foot Locker or Finish Line. But that’s not the case anymore.

“When customers get a perception that the shoe they like is available everywhere, the sense of urgency to purchase, and the cool factor associated with obtaining exclusive models get completely eliminated,” Yu said.

That “cool” factor now rests in running shoes and more casual looks.

That’s a tough question to answer. On one hand, brands need endorsers to back their products. People want to feel connected to their favorite players and celebrities, and buying a shoe is one way to do that.

But on the other hand, shoes are ending up collecting dust on shelves with people uninterested in buying them. Because of the dip in the market right now, sneaker free agents like John Wall and C.J. McCollum may have to settle for player exclusives rather than looking for signature shoe deals.

Brands won’t avoid signing new endorsers, but they should be more cautious about who they sign and the type of deal they’re signing them to. Not every player needs a massive sneaker contract.

“Given the marketplace, I’m going to bet these brands wish they didn’t have the contracts they do right now,” Powell said.

Remember, alongside signature shoe deals we have player exclusive contracts, which allow a player to promote their own personal brand without the costs of a signature.

Performance always matters, even if people don’t recognize it. Making shoes with the latest technology is not a mistake. People love boost technology in Adidas’ top models. They love the comfort of the new Vapor Max soles and how light the shoe is.

People are into the running, casual wear look right now. But all it takes is a good looking basketball shoe to shift that trend, and we’re not too far removed from the last ones to do it.

It’s possible to do and we know because we’ve seen it before. In the late 2000s, the LeBron 8, LeBron 9, and Kobe 6 were very popular basketball shoes built for both performance and fashion.

“There are trendy looking sneakers that are also performance driven, but right now, people aren’t really into that, and no one is highlighting the fact that both function and fashion can be combined together in a basketball shoe, just like how it is in running category,” he said.

Nike seems to be teetering the line of fashion and performance with the new LeBron XV. James debuted a new floral print colorway at a Kith Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week. This is the first fashion rollout of its kind for James with a sneaker, and the shoe certainly has elements that can be considered fashionable.

It comes with a zipper on the tongue all the way to the tip of the sole — that is unconventional for any shoe, let alone James’ own Nike line. The floral print accentuates Nike’s new Battle knit material the shoe is made of and the shoestrings come with golden aglets. (via @MavCarter)

“He wants to be able to wear it on and off the court...You’re looking at a guy who’s at the pinnacle of style and performance, and you’re adding a big piece to his wardrobe with the footwear,” Jason Petrie, Nike’s primary designer on the LeBron line and the designer of the LeBron XV, said in an interview with Nice Kicks. “Keeping up with the high end fashion houses is not easy, but it’s a great challenge to have.”

Will this shoe be the one to reverse the trend of signature shoe sales? Who knows. Signature basketball shoes aren’t the wave right now, but for nearly 30 years they’ve been dominating sneaker fashion. It’s hard to keep that up, and impressive that they actually did.

What we do know is this: The pendulum will shift again at some point. Will it be the LeBron XV that changes things? Maybe not. It’s Yeezy-like rollout is encouraging, but reviews on it have been mixed to this point, at least.

What the LeBron XV does show us is this: Brands aren’t blind to the struggles being presented in the basketball market. They’re going to work to find a product that fits new tastes while building performing well on the court. It’ll be difficult and there’s no guarantee things will shift back to the way they were. But it won’t be for lack of trying.