Originally posted on Housakicks
The Air Jordan IV Retro Pure money released in May exactly 11 years since they were originally introduced in 2006. The retail price of the shoes was set at $115 back in 2006 and suddenly jumped to $190 in 2017. I thought the price increase was a bit too much , but I had to take the inflation into consideration. I decided to do that today and recorded my findings in the chart you see below:
INTERPRETATION:
According to the inflation calculator, the pure money 4 should have only been priced at $140. The blue line represents the actual price of the Pure Money 4’s ( $190 in 2017), while the orange line stands for the price based on the inflation. Whoever paid $190 for the shoes clearly GOT DUPED in my opinion- as a matter of fact, it’s not an opinion but a fact because numbers don’t lie. So we are basically paying $50 more than we are supposed to ( 37% more than the standard inflation rate). And here is how these brands actually get us fooled even more. I will give you an example- last week I walked into a Nike outlet, and I found the Jordan 4 Royalty for $149.99 , basically $40 less than their original retail price. Many will see this price and jump on the shoes thinking they are actually getting a sweet deal. Don’t be surprised if next week, the Pure money 4’s land in your local outlets, selling at $149.99 or more. And even at $149.99, you’re still paying more than you are supposed to.
In conclusion, $190 was not a fair price for the Air Jordan 4 Pure money. I do believe the average consumer is getting smarter; if you walk into most retail stores in your local mall i.e FTL, Champs, Finishline, etc, many of the GR Retro Jordans are basically collecting dust on shelves. And it’s going to get worse especially with brands like Adidas gaining some significant grounds in the sneaker industry. At the end of the day it’s up to the consumer to make wise choices when it comes to buying sneakers ( we have to remember that they depend on our $ to thrive).
This is a good, quick analysis or the pricing of Jordan Brand footwear. JB was leaving a ton of money on the table and resellers were capitalizing. The price increase was fine as long as they kept the quantities down. Now that there are more drops and options available, the price is actually hurting the company.