Breaking the Bank: Are Sneaker Prices Too High?

The 90s

photo by Eastbay Blog via Kicks Addict

By the 1990s, the $100 sneaker was more or less the norm with marquee models from Nike nearing the $200 level. Signature shoes for Penny Hardaway, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were retailing for just shy of $140 by the mid-90s, while trainers for the likes of Barry Sanders and Ken Griffey Jr. were entering the same bracket. Brands like FILA and Reebok positioned their shoes slightly lower than that of Nike, with Grant Hill and Shaq sigs sometimes selling for just shy of $100. Star power and design would prove to have the most price power during this era, with technical innovations like Zoom Air, Feet You Wear and Hexalite residing beneath the surface more so than the in your face cushioning tech that sprouted in the 80s.

The shoe that resides in the hearts of most current collectors in regard to super-high price is the Nike Air Foamposite One. A true oddity, the original Foamposite One retailed for $180 back in 1997. While contemporaries like the Nike Total Max Uptempo were not far away from that of the Penny sig in regard to price, $180 sure felt like a lot of dough. Next level technology and expensive molds were often thought to be the cause for the hefty tag, but for most, intrigue did not match budget as they would go on sale and become heavily discounted.

Though star power sold more than cushioning in the 90s, eye-catching comfort would still be a catalyst for the hefty price points on basketball shoes such as the Nike Air Total Max Uptempo and other Air Max hoop shoes. Visible tech, namely Air Max, would really make a bigger price push in running, with big Air models like the Nike Air Max 95 and Nike Air Max Plus getting love. At the latter part of the decade, the Nike Air Max 98 would break new ground by retailing at $149.