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The Beaverton, Oregon-based sportswear giant Nike started its Air Max line with the launch of Air Max 1 in 1987. The silhouette was designed by Tinker Hatfield and became one of the front-line sneakers for consumers and swoosh-label loyalists.
Since its inception in 1987, the Air Max silhouette line has continued to grow with the release of many more silhouettes, such as Air Max 90, Air Max 95, Air Max 180, Air Max 360, Air Max 720, and more. The shoe's success has led to the production of an ever-going catalog of collaborations and GRs.
The shoe was inspired by the avant-garde Centre Pompidou, Paris, and was the first shoe ever to have visible air technology. The shoe also started the walk-on-air trend and has always ended up on the high-end luxury side. Hence, it has become much more expensive than other sneakers in the market.
Explored: Why the Nike Air Max silhouettes are an expensive lineage
The Beaverton-based label is very popular, and when it comes to athletic shoes, the brand offers high-quality and expensive products. However, there are many people who can't determine why the shoes are so pricey. Nike Air Max, a popular lineage, is on the higher side of retail prices, so here, we will explore a few reasons why they can be more expensive than other brands.
1) The value of money for the brand
The swoosh label is a strong brand name, and according to Statista, it is currently named the number 1 sportswear brand globally. This means that their brand value is of much importance, and they can charge more for their sneakers because people are willing to pay for the name "Nike."
2) High-quality materials used in the making
Nike generally uses high-quality materials to make their Air Max lineage. They use durable materials that could add to the longevity of the sneakers, which means they ask consumers to pay for a shoe that will perform better and last for years compared to the cheaper alternative.
3) Research and Development process
The making price of the shoes is eventually reduced to around $40 to $50 per shoe. However, one forgets the unique technology the label has brought to develop the sneakers in the first place.
The swoosh label pushes its boundaries and does a lot of research before bringing any new shoe into its catalog. This means the brand asks its customers to pay for years of development and research.
4) Design Technology
The Air Max lineage features top-notch technology in their Air sole, Phylon, Flywire, and TPU usage. The visible Nike air technology was one-of-a-kind, and it helped consumers absorb the shock from walking or running, which led to higher performance and less fatigue. The upper is given a snug fit, and the sole units change into bubbles providing a responsive and lightweight feature.
Conclusion
What drives the retail markup for the Air Max shoes up is the demand by consumers. Thanks to the influence of technology, comfort, design, style, and hype, many sneakerheads cop Air Max sneakers, and thus, due to demand and supply chain, the sneakers are more expensive.
Therefore, the brand not only calculates what it costs to create, market, and ship its products, but also what people are willing to pay for sneakers.
