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Can someone please explain this to me. Why is it someone is continuously given colorways of shoes without ever being given a pro model? This isn't a hateful question, I'm truly curious because as of the last few years I've seen many get nothing but colorways, while those who got their own pro model shoe had maybe one colorway and that was to test the waters of if their name sells to give them their own design. Case in point: Nak, dude has had 5 now. AA now has another and he's been getting colorways since it was him, Gilbert, Pfanner, and Chima all getting their own colorways of all team shoes and even being front runners to advertise the stage 4s. Miles Silvas has had 4 or 5 colorways and his parts always create a lot of interest amongst the majority of skating. But none of these dudes have pro models, just colorways.
And on the flipside, Shane just now got his first shoe and had his own Janoski colorway not long ago, but when CK1 first got on NikeSB he was immediately given a colorway of the Janoski. And Tyshawn got one colorway of the shell toe and then a pro model was in the works before he got SOTY. Tiago was also the same way for his colorway of the Plaza before getting his pro model.
I'm not hating on any of the skaters, I'm just genuinely confused to what and why of the whole situation because (at least to me), if you've had a colorway of most of the new shoes coming out that either says 1. Your name/color choices sell really well and maybe are tests to see if you can carry your own model or 2. they are willing to give you a chance repetitively but something isn't working, questioning sponsorship. Either way, if someone has countless colorways and no pro model shoe, something doesn't add up to me because talent doesn't mean pro model, it's how well you're able to be marketed and if you're name sells, pro models can come faster for those individuals. Again totally just my thoughts but can someone give me some insight?
I can't speak for the brands out there but if you look at big brands like Nike, Cons, Adidas, and Vans they just don't really do pro model shoes. Vans probably the most out of all the corporate brands but for the other three, they just don't seem too eager to give a pro shoe to a lot of their riders. Designing a pro shoe takes a long time with a lot of back and forth the the team rider, getting multiple versions of the shoe sampled, etc. and with something like a colorway the process is just a lot more simple with the fact that the shoe is already in the line and the only thing that has to be changed in the color and/or materials. Another thing to think of is that those brands probably don't need to be making pro models. Is the new Ave or Shane shoe really gonna blow up and make them millions? Probably not as they have their existing models that do that such as the Eras, Half Cabs, Janoski's, Dunks. They have their money makers and are probably content with it. They can give a rider a colorway, put it out sooner and probably make the same amount if not more since they don't have to create a new mold which is extremely expensive. At a brand like Emerica, we've given a lot of the pros shoes over the years and most of them have had multiple shoes so I think it's just sort of how a brand sees it.
I understand that and respect the idea of how much money can go into making new molds and designing a new shoe. but more so what I was meaning is: with brands that do have pro models out for pros who didnt get countless colorways prior to their shoe (and brands that have put out plenty of pro models when looking at their archives), why are they giving other pros colorways over and over again? please believe me i know not every pro will get a shoe, i know some arent in it for that and are happy just receiving shoes to skate in, but when it comes to the example given prior between TJ and NS, why is one stuck in colorway purgatory and the other got to start designing a shoe right after their colorway dropped? Im not trying to say Nak deserves one or not, I personally couldnt care for his skating, but the guy has to be doing something right to keep receiving colorway after colorway after colorway of either shoes that are popular and selling well, or ones being brought back (that new rasta colorway is what im referring to). He was the front runner for the 3st.002 with the FA white/blue colorway when adidas was putting out the tech specs videos on the new 3st line, so id say adidas has faith in him and what he's doing, but if him having multiple colorways means theyve been successful with each one, wouldnt that put into perspective that he could carry a shoe, or just simply thinking he is good at selecting colors for shoes?
idk, i could literally be looking at this too deeply, but seeing people literally get colorway after colorway after colorway over the years has made me bitter towards the idea, only because thinking that the color theyre getting only exists because they picked it, or its been x number of years its been in the line and now someone wants it as their pro color, id rather support the pro by buying their actual pro stuff instead of a colorway. I know im judging harshly but if I had to pick getting a pro's shoe or their colorway, for example, the Dickson or his color of the Wino Slip-On, id rather more go to the pro and get his actual shoe, plus if his color choice isnt what I like, if (and since he does) he has his own shoe, he'll have various colors to choose from.
sorry for the long response, ive been holding this idea in for a while and just wanted to air it out.