Prepare yourselves, sneaker enthusiasts. The familiar $160 retail price applied to most of Michael Jordan’s signature retros are going up in price.
According to a post on Hupu.com, featuring an official-looking Jordan Brand document, the kicks will receive a $10 bump in Spring 2014.()
Updates to the Air Jordan 10 Retro, Air Jordan 6 Retro, and Air Jordan 3 Retro silhouettes are on the docket for the first quarter of 2014 with a $170 price point planned for North America. It’s the first such hike for Jordan Brand’s general releases since late 2011 when pricing shifted from $150 to $160 with the “Graphite” Air Jordan 14 Retro.
While another $10 boost is sure to incite all types of libel and slander within the rabid sneaker community, it is important to keep tempers within perspective. Reasons for price hikes in footwear vary in accordance with a bevy of factors, including soaring costs in materials—yes, even synthetics. Producing enough pairs to supply an ever-increasing demand and the actual costs for transporting pairs from manufacturers to warehouses to your doorsteps also contribute to cost rises.
But a $170 price point seems minuscule when the thirst for successful RSVPs, raffles, and Saturday morning links are routinely quenched with resale values that far surpass suggested retail prices.
People have derided the slipping quality in retro sneakers for years, but Nike and Jordan Brand still generate $13 billion annually in the United States retail market, according to Matt Powell at SportsOneSource.
There’s a significant difference between price and value, though. The former is determined by the brand; the latter is entirely at the discretion of the consumer. How will your money talk?
While you’re here, check out photos of the Air Jordan 3 Doernbecher in the gallery.
—
Photos: Jordan Brand
