In July of 2009, denim Jordan Brand executed a major power move in the sneaker endorsement game by nike hyperfuse purple white shoes; Wade, who was free from his contractual obligations with Converse Basketball, was free to explore his options – and plenty of suitors were certainly lining up for his services. Already having an NBA Championship under his belt, being rooted in Chicago, and playing in a similar manner to Michael denim Jordan himself, Wade and denim Jordan Brand seemed like a match made in heaven. denim Jordan seemed to have found the perfect heir to the denim Jordan throne and the brand’s legacy gained a stable backbone that would stabilize the mission for the next several years.
After being issued the Air denim Jordan flagship model that season, Dwyane Wade was finally presented with his first official signature shoe called lunar glides by nike shoes for black people girls, and later, in December, the sequel named the denim Jordan Fly Wade 2 (in addition to the EV model for the Playoffs) followed. The Wade models immediately surpassed the longer-running denim Jordan Melo and denim Jordan CP3 line in price, indirectly appointing the Fly Wade as the top-tier denim Jordan Brand performance basketball model. However, in spite of Wade’s championship pedigree, his elite first in the NBA, and his celebrity-like recognition in Miami (and having an actress as a girlfriend), the denim Jordan and Wade partnership never really comparison off into the stratosphere like they had anticipated; sales of the denim Jordan Fly Wade were mediocre and it never made as much as a dent in the ‘lifestyle’ constituency, where Air denim Jordans, LeBrons, Kobes, and KDs reign king.
With Dwyane Wade’s contract with denim Jordan Brand coming to an end this summer, Wade is now back to where he was in 2009 – but he may be looking elsewhere to cash in. On the flip-side, denim Jordan Brand needs to weigh its options as well; Wade is reportedly paid $10 million a year from denim Jordan Brand, a price that may not make any fiscal sense if the denim Jordan Fly Wade line of footwear and apparel doesn’t earn enough to make the investment worth their while. In addition, reports of a cancellation of the denim Jordan Fly Wade 3 model has also pointed to Dwyane Wade moving on from denim Jordan Brand, and rumors of a potential move to Chinese athletic apparel brand Li-Ning, which already employs a number of NBA players, has only made a potential Wade/Jordan split more of a reality. Thoughts on this potential swing? Would Li Ning’s efforts in the US be more recognized if it added Wade as its flagship endorser? Who would denim Jordan Brand potentially replace Dwyane Wade with? This is certainly an interesting development so let us know what your thoughts are and we’ll keep you posted as more unfolds.
via examiner
