STAR BRIGHT

A video clip we watched in my “Contemporary Issues and Sports” class yesterday got me thinking about this one.

In case you missed it, Knicks guard and known NBA pain in the ass Stephon Marbury released his line of basketball shoes last summer.

Not a big deal, right? Except that Marbury’s “Starbury 1” shoes were released exclusively at Steve and Barry’s stores…for only $15 a pair.

Marbury openly admits that the reasoning behind his business venture was to show the youth market that buying hip sneakers didn’t have to cost $150. Marbury himself grew up in the projects of New York City and could not afford trendy Air Jordans.

In addition, the Starbury campaign could also be seen as an answer to the growing violence among inner city youth which sees kids who can collect all their change for expensive designer sneakers getting mugged, sometimes killed for the goods. The video bit in particular told of Marbury doing a shoe signing in Minnesota days after a child was gunned down for his basketball shoes.

The Starbury line is also expanding. Bulls center Ben Wallace recently agreed to sponsor his own shoe through the same company at the same price. And tests have shown that the Starburys are not of “$15 quality” and hold up fairly well in comparison to their Nike, Reebok, etc. competitors.

Personally, I think this is a great idea worth the low-cost risk. I’m sure there are a bunch of children around the nation whose parents will be more willing to open for some sneakers if they find out they are $15 and not $150. In particular, since Marbury is an NYC “Playground Hero” and plays for the Knicks, the struggling youth of New York City will definitely be a beneficial target market for the shoes.

In addition, it’s also a way for Marbury himself to erase his image as a selfish, underachieving player. Such goodwill can only outweigh the negatives on the court.

The challenge: making the Starburys on the same level playing field as the Air Jordans, LeBron’s shoes, etc. There is the risk that kids wearing Starburys will be seen as inferior to their classmates since everyone knows they are cheaper—it’s almost placing a bullseye on a kid’s back which says, “I can’t afford ‘real’ shoes”.