The Sneaker Industry Paradox
A few weeks ago, for Sneaker Week, I had the pleasure of writing a piece for TrueHoop about how the sneaker industry is paradoxically elevating and exploiting black culture. The article, which leans heavily on my real-life experience as a marketer and publicly sourced data, uncovers how marketers use the influence of black america to drive mainstream (white) adoption. The only problem is they tend to market their highest price point items, to the audiences who can least afford them - thus perpetuating subconscious beliefs about self-worth being tied to consumerism. While none of these tactics are implemented maliciously (neither the agencies nor the brands are truly aware of what they’re doing), the article explores how important it is for us to address this reality and how probably only one man, LeBron James, has the power to change it. Take a read and I hope you enjoy it:
