Because 5K for a pair of shoes is just plain ridiculous, and Nike wont answer the fans who crave these, instead opting to satisfy those with huge disposable incomes, all in a good cause of course, but still, bitter sweet.
Im the same, bring on the knock off's, and to hell with Nike.
lee
Being a member of the Nike Talk board as well, this complaint came up many many times. But the truth of the matter lies in the fact that it was an auction. There was no set price, and Nike donated the shoes and ate the production costs. There was no monetary gain for Nike through this. And it's not as if a company like Nike NEEDS more PR...they are who they are. Anybody could have bid, and anybody could have won. Now...was Nike under the assumption that the massive fan/public appeal for these iconic sneakers would command high bids in the auctions? Probably, but they also could have gone for $300-$500 and I'm sure that Nike would have been ok with that as well. It raised money for the MJF foundation and at the same time rose AWARENESS for Parkinson's. Mission accomplished...according to Nike.
I also saw some people on NT that had little to no interest in the shoes themselves...and had the means to DONTATE quite a large sum of money, which translated into upwards of 7 pairs. One guy even went into a story about his mother who was a victim of cancer, and wished he could have done more for her as he watched her deteriorate...he couldn't, so now he does what he can whenever he can. So he was able to bid on...and win 7 pairs. He seemed to be more concerned with helping a cause close to his heart, than the Mags themselves.
And as for "huge disposable incomes"...I am a personal trainer in an upscale health club in Northern NJ. I make around 100K a year, and my winning bid for the shoes was $5,100. BUT...my girlfriend won them for me....she is a physical therapist, who through about 20 years in the business, just has a large credit limit, because with 3 kids...there is little disposable income to throw around like this. She bid because she knows I love them, so she did that for me. Neither of us millionaires or anything of the like. Just did what we wanted...
I understand that everyone who wanted a pair didn't get a pair...but it's not always what we think the evil man behind the curtain is doing...
Thanks guys!