words // Brandon Richard
With Dwyane Wade's Jordan Brand departure now official, reaction for his move to Chinese brand Li-Ning has been all over the place. While many are excited to see Wade test the China market, others are asking, "Why would you leave such an iconic brand to join a company with little experience in marketing an elite level NBA star in his prime?"
Aside from the financial benefits, Wade is thinking legacy. An opportunity to break new ground in the Chinese athletic footwear and apparel market. A past-his-prime Shaq was a great start. Baron Davis showed some promise. Evan Turner is starting to turn things around a little. Wade is a different animal. He'll be a marquee contributor to a title contender for the next several years and will do so in Li-Ning shoes.
If you're not a fan of Li-Ning shoes, that's fine - you're entitled to your opinion. However, how big a fan were you of Wade's Jordan Brand signature models?
Introduced in the spring of 2011, the Fly Wade line struggled to find its identity from the jump, literally and figuratively. Jordan Brand aggressively rolled out the "Dominate Another Day" campaign, featuring Wade in the 007-esque role of Agent D3. However, when Nike was forced to settle a trademark dispute lawsuit filed by apparel brand Point 3 Sports over the logo, the D3 campaign fell by the wayside. A brand new logo was unveiled when the follow-up Fly Wade 2 launched last winter, but much like the original, the oddly designed emblem failed to register with fans.
In terms of looks and colorways, the Fly Wades were met with the same indifference we typically see with non-retro Jordan models. They tried a "South Beach" look with the first shoe, but the reception wasn't anywhere near the level of the LeBron 8. There didn't seem to be much of a shift in style when the Fly Wade 2 surfaced, and that was reflected at the cash register. Neither model had much success at retail, part of the reason Wade's Li-Ning jump was met with very little resistance.
Performance wise, the Fly Wades were generally perceived as being quality hoop shoes. The issue there was that while they were far from the worst, they also weren't the best, and that's a tough sell when consumers aren't keen on the design of a $140 sneaker. Tougher when the signature athlete would rather lace up a pair of retros when he can.
So, here's the question: How many of you liked Dwyane Wade's Jordan signature line? Did you purchase one or more of the Fly Wades at retail? Were you looking forward to the Fly Wade 3? We often find that most people who praise the Jordan Brand pretty much exclusively buy retro product. Is that the case with you?
Vote for the option that best suits you and feel free to sound off in the comment section.
