The Nike Air Penny 6 is something I have been looking forward to for some time, along with the arrival of the “Sharpie” Foamposites, but together in a $500 pack, I can’t say that they are worth the 50,000 pennies.
I have had a love/hate relationship with packs from the beginning. My first experience with packs came 12 years ago with the release of the Air Jordan 12 “Nubuck” package that was the first of its kind. Today, a $200 price tag for a pair of retro Jordans, sweatshirt, and hat doesn’t seem like a tough pill to swallow, but more than a decade back, it was – especially if I had no use or desire to wear the sweatshirt and hat to match. It was only a couple of months following the release of the highly anticipated pack that the “Nubuck” Air Jordan 12 was sold as a solo release as they popped up at Athlete’s Foot stores and on sale for just $100. In my mind I had to ask myself, did I just get hustled?
In years to follow, we were treated with the “Laser” Air Jordan 4 pack that saw a pairing with a T-shirt and hat for $200 again, but this time around, the MSRPs of all three items didn’t even total the $200 price. Was the manufacturer pulling a release date tax that I would have been treated to by everyone’s least favorite local spot who took advantage of hype on release date?
In January of 2006 we saw the release of the Defining Moments Pack commanding $300 – at last a package that was well worth its weight in gold. A retro Air Jordan 11 that hadn’t seen the light of day since 2001 and the retro 6 that again hadn’t returned in mid-cut form since the same year – it was worth it. Even though I was unable to score a set, I was happy for all who got their DMPs.
Ever since, we have seen countless packages from Jordan Brand and Nike too, but from time to time, the package model doesn’t pencil out and the 2015 Penny Pack falls into this category.
“Sharpie” Foamposites & Nike Air Penny 6Maybe I am getting older (30 years now), maybe I am getting wiser (at least I hope), but the $500 package for the Sharpie Foamposites and Penny 6s doesn’t pencil out for me.
I get it – it’s special.
But why does a special package immediately have to command a higher retail price? Shouldn’t this be an opportunity for Nike to see a rush to retail for the debut of Penny’s second post-career signature shoe? It’s a special occasion, but why as a consumer should I be asked to pay a premium to get to celebrate?
Let’s do some simple math. Assuming the price was divided equally between the two shoes, this would mean the Foamposites would come in at $250 (ok, no problem), and then the Nike Air Penny 6s for $250? We know this shoe will be retailing for much less than that when it hits stores as an inline release.
Beyond the breakdown of the price per pair and price per model, a $500 pack couldn’t arrive at a worse time as a sneakerhead. Weekend after weekend of solid releases from Nike and Jordan Brand among all other brands, there is just a limit to my sneaker budget. This weekend I will find myself trying to spend nearly $600 after taxes on the Chicago Air Jordan 1s and Pinnacles. That all but wipes out the idea of spending anything for at least a month on kicks. Sure, there is no guarantee that I will be successful getting both or either with the insane demand that there is for both shoes, but I don’t see any saved money being reallocated for the 2015 Penny Pack.
Time will tell if my opinion changes. Perhaps I’ll cave. Perhaps I will hear new stories about the Nike Air Penny 6 and be able to justify spending half a stack, but at this point, I am no-look passing.
If my mind does change, don’t call me a hypebeast, fair?
