Summer is truly, fully, 100% over. No matter how hard everyone who’s still wearing shorts and sandals is trying to hold on, it’s gone. It’s fall now, and winter is right around the corner.
Now that summer’s over and the hype for any summer releases has passed, I can look back on the full slate of summer footwear releases with a more unbiased view. And when I do that….there’s only one thing I can think of. Jordan Brand really dropped the ball with their Summer 15′ releases. I’d even venture to say that Summer 15′ was one of their worst seasons in the last few years.
Although there were great limited releases (like always), you’ve got to look at a season’s GR offerings for a true judgement of how the line was. It’s not hard to market a limited release, but when the GR’s aren’t moving, there’s something off.
Sure, you can allot some of this to the “sneaker bubble” beginning to pop. For the first time in several years, supply was starting to outweigh demand, as there were multiple releases almost every single weekend. Even the most dedicated sneaker collectors weren’t able to keep up. And when supply outweighs demand, that’s when the design of a sneaker really, truly starts to come into play.
Let’s look at Jordan’s GR offerings from the last few months: Sure, there were a few hits. The Bordeaux VII’s will always be a classic, and were easily the best shoe Jordan Brand offered this summer. The Chrome VI’s were tastefully re-released, and the “Anthracite” IX’s were a welcome addition to the Jordan family. Apart from those three models though, there wasn’t much.
Statue IX’s? Iffy. Infrared VI Lows? Ehhhh. Pro Star V’s? Horrible. One of the worst shoes Jordan has released in a long while.
You might say “That’s your personal opinion. That doesn’t reflect on the market as a whole”. True, it is my personal opinion, and you’re certainly entitled to your own if you feel differently. But there are clearly many who share my opinion, as most of these shoes sat on shelves for several weeks after release, and some are still available right now. When was the last time you walked into a store and saw multiple retro models available well after release day? Yeah, I thought so.
Jordan Brand has stepped up with the holiday releases, and the Spring 16′ releases, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next few months. One thing’s for sure though: Outdoing Summer 15′ won’t be a daunting task.
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