I was riding to work today and listening to radio when they did a story on Marbury's new shoe. They basically said that it was a great idea for him to sell a low cost shoe. Marbury has said that he is going to wear the shoe all year and will not receive any upfront money. NPR did an experiment where they cut the shoe in half and had an expert look at it to test its quality. They compared Marbury's $15 shoe to a pair of $95 Nike Air Jordans. The expert said that Marbury's shoe had a good grip and was well made but needed more arch support. The expert thought the Nike was a better shoe. Has anyone tried the shoes out on the court?

that's cool to know that a $15 shoe isn't EXACTLY as good as a $95...but that's not the point.

if you are expecting them to be exactly as well put together as the $100 shoe than you are in for a shocker.

Simply file this into a long line of attempts to discredit ANY thing that is related to marbury.

Enjoy the shoes and if you happen to have to play in an nba game, you should probably go with the $100 so you can avoid the class action lawsuit.

But in terms of quality...they are more than apt shoes.

these are for innercity/trailer kids that can't afford the nike's. So they don't have to spend grocery money and/or rob and steal to get a pair of nba quality shoes (like the stars have)

I understand that you just want to know if they are "quality" but maybe you should spend the $15 and see for yourself.

$15. get a grip.

[Edited by - rvhoss on 08-31-2006 08:44 AM]

...or someone who has the shoes could tell us what they think of them

Wow, someone got a bit testy. I plan on buying the shoe when Steve and Barrys actually gets a pair in and I'll let everyone know how they feel on the court. I don't care if the shoe is 15 dollars though, it should still be made just as good, do you realize how much it costs to make a shoe? It's seriously pennies. They should all fit/comfort right.

I recently put a pair of new $30 insoles to replace a pair of trail running shoes I have as an experiment. The shoes were rejuvinated and I did not have to replace them. THe arch support was excellent and I felt the heel felt stable again.

Shoe companies skimp on this more than anything. Nice thing is I can take it out and put it in a new shoe. These are not the ones they sell on tv as some miricle cure.

It is possible Marbury can have special models made for him that are different than the store version, but look identicle, or at the very least change out the inner sole for a better one.

Even if the shoe is the same as a $50 pair, its a good value.

I went to Steve & Barry's in the Manhattan Mall to buy a pair for my son and they were sold out. The salesmen said they open at 9 a.m. and the line starts forming 7 a.m.
What I was surprised to find out that Marbury is branding more than just sneakers. There is casual wear, jackets, and boots, all for very reasonable prices.
When I do go back I plan to buy a pair for myself, probably some other stuff too. My experience tells me these are hits with parents and kids.

[Edited by - jessedark on 08-31-2006 11:04 AM]

I called a few stores in North Carolina and they too are sold out! They carry the rest of the line. The manager said its selling very strong and they can't keep the shoes in stock.

Maybe a loss leader to attract new customers. I was aware of the stores but its really not my demographic and was also not aware they have 130 stores nationwide!

The publicity this is bring the company is huge, so even if they are not making money on the shoe, they are likely selling other merchendise. How this comensates Marbury I don't know. WIll the company go public at some point with him recieving options based on some performance matrix?

Funny that of all the proplayers that might have been available they choose Marbury.

Put being a fan aside for the moment and think of all the players out there whom might have been available.

Was steve and Barrys first choice Stephon? Did other players shoot it down because of the economic model of not paying upfront?

They are in like 34 states, does Marbury equate in so many states nationwide?

Was the Katrina donation a publicity prerequisite image builder 11 months ago as a way of trying to rebuild Marbury image? Lots of folks make contributions, not many call press conferences and have a near emotional meltdown!

Steph is not a bad guy off the court. I would expect his on court attidude to be better this year for many reasons, even if superficial for his image.

Who cares why as long as he gets the job done.

Winning beats losing. And if sells sneakers, so be it!

IMHO marbury pushed the product to steve and barry, not vice versa.

Also, marbury is still a top ten selling jersey.

I read a qualification like statement that marbury would be wearing the shoe at "home" games.

So, that gave me pause.

We'll see soon enough...oh man, can it be soon enough?

I wouldn't be suprised if they sucked for professionals.

Posted by Rich:

I think the overriding issue is whether or not it is a good value for $15.

I dont see how that can be an issue. What is the value of a shoe? Is there really a value in sneakers that is worth 100 or 150 dollars?

We walk and play sports, do they feel comfortable on your feet? Then theyre good. Unless you have a special job and need special footwear for said job, or have some kind of foot condition, the value of a shoe maxes out pretty quickly. It becomes mostly fashion very early on the value scale.

I tried this sneakers on and the I have to say for 15 dollars you can't complain. The padding on the sole could have been better but for 15 dollars I will still buy it if they only had my size. The day it came out I went to steve and barry's and the line when out the store. The only sizes left were size 13 and up.