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| '''Nike Skateboarding''' is a line of ] products created by ] which mainly consist of shoes and clothing (with the occasional umbrella). | |||
| Nike launched this line in March ] in an effort to enter the rapidly growing skateboarding market. | |||
| == Background information == | |||
| Before skateboarding was considered a sport worth catering to, skateboarders had to seek out shoes that would hold up to the stress. In the 1960s, the ] introduced so-called vulcanized shoes, in which a rubber sole was cooked onto the body of the shoe. | |||
| In the 1980's, skateboard companies started to pop up around the globe, but skateboarding still had a relatively small community; not enough to attract serious interests from major shoe makers while they were battling out in the precious basketball territory. This gave smaller companies a chance to gain ground in the skateboarding market, ] led the charge, they developed an oversized shoe that combined an inflated tongue, thick sole, suede exterior and air pockets that cushioned the foot. Although Nike had never officially entered the skateboarding market in the 1980's, many of its shoes (especially the basketball-specific) gained a following in the skateboarding community due to the fact that skateboarding shoes and basketball shoes share many similarities. Strong grips, durable ankle support and relative comfort were some of the offerings that attracted skaters to them. They were never considered the most desirable skate shoes due to the 'underground' nature of skateboarding at that time. Many skateboarders rejected Nike because they believed the brand was too commercial. | |||
| The 1990's saw the rise of skateboarding into prominence, and the vast improvement of skate shoe technology with ] making major advances in shoe design. It added stronger fabrics, multidensity rubber, gel pockets, plastic eyelets that encased exposed shoelaces and soles with a gumlike grip that improved foot-to-board traction. As skate shoes began to resemble tiny life rafts for the feet, DC Shoes began to dominate the skate shoes market. In the mid-1990s, skate shoes went mainstream. Their evolution was influenced as strongly by popular culture as by the demands of skateboarding. The loud, blocky skate shoe fell from favor as the hip-hop culture of the 1990s eventually died out. The current trend reflects the punk-rock look of the 1970s. Nike started to experiment with the market by reissuing many of its older models in the late-1990's. | |||
| === The birth of a brand === | |||
| By the 2000's, with a global population of around 12 million skaters, skateboarding grew into a $2.5 billion industry, with $1.6 billion in shoe sales alone. Traditional skate shoe companies like Vans and DC Shoes had grown so large over the years that size did not matter to skateboarders anymore. Nike decided it was time to capitalize on the growing market. With lessons from the past, Nike began to employ respected figures from the industry to aid their lauch. Nike started its first strike on the market in 2002 with advertisements in skateboard magazines like Transworld ] and ], before handing out catalogs to hardcore (skater-owned, skater-run) skateboard shops. Because all Nike skateboard shoes were still in development stage at the time, all publicity pictures in these materials show riders skating in the Air Jordan line of shoes. To attract attention and establish itself as a major force in the market, Nike has sponsored many skateboarding events all over the world. | |||
| == Riders == | |||
| Ever since the ] success, Nike has always employ the spokesperson marketing technique to promote its many sports lines. As it is now a common practice for skateboarding organizations (usually product companies, but sometimes larger skate shops) to sponsor riders to promote their products and build company's heritage. Nike SB was launched with a strong team of riders. Present riders include: | |||
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| == Shoes == | |||
| *] The flagship SB line of trainers | |||
| *E-CUE (cut in 2005) | |||
| *Air Zoom FC (Last colorway set to be released June 2006) | |||
| *ANGUS (allegedly cut in October 2005, but a black/white/ yellow release dropped in Hong Kong in May 2006) | |||
| *Zoom Team Edition | |||
| *SB Classic | |||
| *P-Rod (] signature series) | |||
| *Delta Force | |||
| *Blazer SB | |||
| *Air Trainer 1 SB | |||
| *Regime | |||
| *Zoom Tre | |||
| *URL (Cut in 2004) | |||
| *Abbington (Formerly "SC", set to release in late 2006) | |||
| ==Changes== | |||
| In 2006 Nike SB has begun to phase out some of the older shoes like the E-Cue and Angus in favour of more home designed shoes. It is thought that these changes were made to capitalize on the launch of the Zoom Tre, Nike SB's flagship technical skate shoe. | |||
| It is also anticipated that later on in 2006 with the launch of the Vans Rowley inspired 'Regime' shoe that they will phase out other members of the line up consolidating the best sellers. | |||
| == External links == | |||
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| {{Nike}} | |||
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