Competion is a wonderful thing
Written by schwollo
In BC years (before Curry) the Elite models would have cost you $50-75 more than the non elite models but now things have certainly changed as these are only $20 more than the non Elite for the KD and the Elite Lebron remained the same price as the regular XIII.
And If you haven’t read, the KD 9 is going to be $150.
$150 for a shoe that sports the latest and greatest from Nike or $30 less than the KD8. And we can all thank little ol Under Armour and Steph for that.
Let’s see how KD prices have changed over recent years:
KD V: $115
KD 6: $130
KD 7: $150
KD 8: $180
Granted more and more tech and better materials were added year over year and it’s pretty typical for shoe prices to increase each year.
But I’ve noticed that across the board, Nike has cut prices or kept them the same as the previous year.
Hyperrev 2016: $110 down from $130
Melo M12: $135 down from $160
Jordan XXX: $200 down from $225
Lebron XIII: $200 same as previous year
Usually, Nike has MVP’s and top tier players already locked up. I really can’t remember the last time a non Nike athlete won an NBA championship. Spurs are a team but have Kawhi, Lebron, Lebron, Dirk, Kobe, Kobe, Paul Pierce, Spurs.. The list goes on and on.
But 2015 was a little different because the top selling jersey wasn’t a Nike athlete. And the team that won the title wasn’t spearheaded by a Nike athlete. And the new face of the NBA wasn’t a Nike guy.
And guess was, little by little, Under Armour started creeping onto the court. If you go play pickup somewhere, you’ll probably see one or two pairs of Curry’s out of thirty or forty pairs of shoes while the rest will be mostly Nike.
*I played an Asian basketball tourney recently and noticed a lot of UA on court. My team was 7/10 wearing Curry All Stars. We love the little guys*
Nike still owns around 95% of the basketball shoe market while UA owns 1% more or less.
So why does Nike care? It isn’t like it hasn’t happened before.
AI and Reebok did similar thing back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and Iverson’s popularity was similar. But the main difference between Curry and AI is that Iverson never won a championship.
Does Nike see UA as a threat ? I doubt it, but they do see them as a pest and a reminder of what they had. (Think ugly girlfriend turning into a Victoria’s Secret model).
One thing they surely don’t want to do is lose significant market share to the point where Wall Street reacts; if the news of UA gaining 1% market share while Nike lost 1%, Nike stock could drop while UA stock could rise depending if that 1% was already figured into the stock price. Nonetheless, Nike hates to lose and will do what they can to retain market share. I really hope Nike pushes themselves because I feel they got really lazy and arrogant in the past few years. And let’s hope UA keeps their price point under $140 because that is part of the appeal of Curry’s sig shoes.
Just wanted to get that off my chest. All that being said, I got these in a few days ago and here are my initial thoughts:
KD 8 Elite
Damn, these are sexy.
Excellent, beautiful materials with a redesigned upper.
I really thought the high compression sock would look dumb on me but since I wear crew socks anyways, it doesn’t look bad at all. Looks like, well, a sock. And yes I had trouble putting them on.
The weight has gone up 1 oz to 12.5 oz which isn’t surprising with the higher compression sock and heavier thicker forefoot materials.
Cushioning feels exactly the same so far.
Lebron XIII Elite
Pretty much the same shoe with a different upper material. Kurim is just another name for rubber. Nike upgraded the plastic to carbon fiber while they got rid of all the Posite. All in all, this dropped the weight from 16 oz to 13 oz.
Nike also added two more hex Zoom pods. Upon trying them on at home, I can’t really feel them because they are so forward I. The forefoot but hey, at least it’s there ? 
Be on the the lookout for a review on both shoes in the next few weeks. I’m cleared to be back on the court sans cast so excited to get back to playing!
schwollo.com 
Can’t wait for your reviews. I really liked the Lebron13 Elite when it was announced.. and then they said retail $275.. … … pretty ridiculous haha.
Interested to see if you think the compression sock on the KD elite actually does anything for performance (maybe a little extra stability/lockdown in the shoe?)
I think the Hyperdunk 2016 high (not the elite model shown with the compression sock) may end up being a real winner this year.
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Yep the hd16 and kd9 are on my list for sure
275’for a basketball shoe is just dumb
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While UA has been a thorn in Nikes side, I also think adidas had something to do with the price drops. The Crazylight Boost 2015, Rose 6, and Lillard 2 are all great performance shoes, and cost less than the Nike offerings.
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I agree all Great performers but they don’t move the needle like Curry. Performance consumers are a pretty small percentage of sales . Curry
Alone has more sales than Kobe, kyrie and KD combined I think and more than Lebron . Nike would rather squash the upstart than their old
Nemesis that they have dominated for years imo
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Well, I didn’t even look at sales numbers. In that regard, yes, UA is killing it. I just meant as far as performance to dollar value goes, there are more options for us consumers, which is always a plus. We no longer have to pay $180+ for top notch materials, cushioning, etc… Glad you are cleared to play again.
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Thanks me too !
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Id say its Curry alright but i recently switched from Js to Lillards 2 – for the first time since 2003 i am playing in adidas shoes and they are great – i have a feeling that adidas contributed as well as there are more players like me
On a separate note : i am considering buying kd9 – i have not played in a nike shoe since probably 1998 (yes i am that old). One thing i dont get is how nike cannibalized kd8 elite sales with such early info about kd9- i actually like kd8, but kd9 look way better so why would i buy the elites? A bit baffling move
All the best man
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Yea Lillard 2 is a nice shoe . Still doesn’t push the needle like curry in terms of sales.
Yea KD 8 sales were probably bad (look at all the sales) so they said what the hell let’s show them KD 9 . Still think they need to move KD release day to October November not mid summer.
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Regardless of adidas or UA, it’s great for us consumers ! Adidas really stepping up their game to grow bball in especially in the US.
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Leaning towards more on getting the KD8 Elite, the LeBron 13 looks bulky for me. The KD9 looks like a performer, I’ll definitely cop 2 pairs once released. Looking forward on your upcoming PR, thanks!
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I like the looks of the KD8 elite and 9. Looks like fun
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It looks bulky, but it’s very light.
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does kd 8 elite make some difference from standard model ?
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The upper is different and of course the high sock.
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is there any difference in comfort? maybe that long upper sleve can be cut off 🙂
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So far not really a difference . I like the sleeve but it is a pain to get on .
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Great to know you’ll get to play again soon. Looking forward to your reviews!
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You neeta hav a utub chanel fo real NIGGA
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Haha thanks don’t have the free time right now
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I feel you my man. Looking forward to you getting some free time to review haha because you are the best in the game. Nobody has more in depth reviews than you. Duke and night wing are close behind but still behind. Like I said, looking forward to more reviews. Always very excited when I see a new post up.
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Ha thanks !
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