Nike continues to do what they should have done with the Flyknit Racer when it initially released, get people interested in the shoe again. It’s not that the Flyknit Racer isn’t a strong shoe for the brand, it’s just that the luster is gone. As I’ve stated over and over adidas is controlling the performance lifestyle market.
This was evident when the Multicolor Flyknit Racer released last year in what was not the OG style. Nike replaced the black tongue with a grey tongue and those who collect didn’t care. They kept grabbing NMDs. It was so bad at one point that the NMD became a brand gated shoe on Amazon. The Multicolor Flyknit I didn’t even pick up because they were selling so slow. Will this Multi recapture the hearts of the people? Let’s get to it.
*** I’ve been neglecting to say that I’m writing these for those people who don’t have a hookup or discount. On almost any Jordan Brand release if you get a discount you can flip it for a profit.
Since I do 3 checks before my decision I will weight them on a scale of 1-9. The max points on a scale = +3
*** New addition to the rating system: Tier 1: 0-25% = +1 Tier 2: 26-55% = +2 Tier 3: 56% and up is +3
First check: The original version of this shoe in this colorway dropped in 2015. The shoe was immediately a hit and was a sneaker collector’s grail. This is still evident in the 2015 garnering a cool 350 a pair on Flight Club. Now with this as the foundation of Check 1 I should be saying that this will be a similar release. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. There are several versions of the Oreo Flyknit. The last version is currently on sale for 79.99 at Foot Locker!!!! If this model in black and white isn’t selling at 79 bucks then it is evident the market has changed. If you do a quick search on this site you will find several articles about the demise of the Resale value of the Racer. There are a few things that are shaping my thoughts on this shoe: will it be another limited GR? Will the spring weather be a boon for the Flyknit construction? Will the Racer compete with the NMD_R2? My answer is a very weak yes. I want to go big here and give this colorway a 3, but I’m actually leaning towards a very soft 2. I think it will be a solid retail performer, but the resale value will be soft. FC is at 350 on the 2015. The lowest price on FC is 275.00. I think this is too generous. I expect the shoe to pop to around 219.99 and that’s it.
ROI: 150 + tax = 160.00
Add 15.00 for shipping
Total: 175.00
FC Price at 275 would be a Tier 3 ROI, but at my projected price of 219.99 x .13 = 28.60 + 175.00 = 203.60
219.99-203.60 = 16.39 which is a Tier 1 ROI. You will make a profit, but not much.
Rating = +1
Second check: My second check is always on eBay. The eBay Check is always easier to make an estimation. The eBay check reveals that my adjustment in price was and is probably accurate. There are currently 23 results, but only 3 are for the 2017 Multi. Buy Now sits at 229.99 early and only one pair has 4 watchers. There haven’t been any sold listings. If I replace 2017 with 2015 and use sold listings here is the outcome:
April 1 – 187.50
March 29 – 239.99
March 24 – 275.00
March 24 – 225.50 WM
March 18 – 202.50
The 2015 is still available and that’s not a good thing for those that held on to flip.
Here is the margin on the 2015: 1130.49/5 = 226.10
If you look at my adjustments on the FC Check, you come back with 6 dollar increase. That’s still a Tier 1 ROI. Without even looking at eBay I was almost right on with my adjustment. Which strengthens my thoughts that this release will not be a major mover in resale. The additional 6 bucks is negligible and while the weather is making me a bit more positive, I can only give this rating an extremely soft 2.
Rating = +2
Third check: The Flyknit doesn’t show up on either of the Launch Locators on 4/3/2017. This means one of two things. It’s either limited, or was a late addition to the launch calendar. I’m thinking this Rainbow Multi will be Air Max 1 OG Limited. Does this help with the ratings considering the last two checks? Not really. There aren’t many available online early. The early pair average at 226 and the Flyknit isn’t really moving the resale market in any way. When you consider the options available out there in kicks, resale for this shoe may be dead before it begins.
Rating = 1
My final ruling: 4 out of 9… If you are flipping through your own platform then go ahead and grab a couple and put them up at 209.99. You can gain a small ROI, but it seems that when I wrote this post last year, I didn’t realize how right I was. I don’t see a Resale bump on this one… but I’ve been wrong before. Well, once out of like 20.