Jordan Brand’s Senior Vice President, Howard “H” White, spoke exclusively with Esquire about the role their sneakers have played in the deaths of innocent consumers. This is the first time the company has talked about the violence.
For a long time, Jordan Brand sneakers have been some of the trendiest kicks on the block that also happen to come attached with a lucrative resale value. This fact makes sneakerheads alike the perfect target for those who are looking to make a quick buck on Craigslist or simply just don’t have the money to buy the latest pair of Js.
H gives his perspective on the far too common, unfortunate events and chooses to shine light on the positivity buying a pair of Jordan‘s does as opposed to the deaths behind them.
“Let’s say this person goes on to find the cure for cancer,” White tells Esquire. “Let’s say that the person that kept hope graduates from school, goes to college, and all of the sudden their family is able to rise. That’s worth its weight in gold. If you ask the parent to put a price on a dream they will say it’s priceless. So what I tell people is, maybe that kid is impoverished money-wise, but if this unleashes that force within them, what’s that worth? What price is that worth? So, the unfortunates: I don’t know if they could ever outweigh the positives.”
With many celebrities and Hip Hop stars, such as Drake who has been dropping his own pair of special edition OVO Air Jordans, rapping about and rocking the latest Jordans every release, it’s easy to see why owning a pair has become a coveted superficial symbol of one’s status.
The latest incident to hit the media was news of 21-year-old New Jersey sneaker shop owner Jamal Gaines, who was slain in his own store. It’s an epidemic and topic that major sneaker brands shy away from commenting on, including Michael Jordan himself.
Read Howard “H” White’s full statement here.
I hope he’s not serious….. He and Jordan both only care about making a profit, and I’m ok with that. But don’t sell some bull shit about unlocking a force in someone to motivate them to go to college because they put a damn sneaker on their foot. Ya’ll are about making a dollar, stick with that. Don’t all of a sudden grow a social conscience.
The problem is not the sneaker. It’s an inanimate object that cannot be ‘good’ or ‘bad’. The problem is whatever makes improverished kids, who have way more important things to spend money on, think that a sneaker is going to boost their social status so much that it’s worth robbing or killing someone for. In order for one’s sense of self worth to be that low, they must have experienced extreme neglect, which unfortunately is an unspoken and accepted epidemic in the poor, black communities. Peace.
IF THEY CREATED A SOLUTION FOR THIS THEY WOULD SELL LESS SHOES = DEFLECT AND DENY
Its hard not to blame everyone. People who have such twisted senses of value that they’re willing to pay outrageous prices for a pair of sneakers or jack people for them, the companies that gladly take money that clearly could have been used more productively, and everyone who helps cultivate this disconnect between social status and life progress
If i was Jordan i will just focus on my business period regardless of what this man says niggas will hate no matter what.
Fuck Air Jordan sneaks. Haven’t rocked them shits since the mid 90’s. Played out as fuck!
Sneaker culture has to be the worst. Worrying that much about what goes on your dirty feet… Realtalk.
Another pointless article to promote Drakes ugly ass over priced chinese child labor made 300 dollar pair of shoes. Thanks DiX! FUCK MICHEAL JORDAN BTW!
Thanks.
Notice how Drakes name is highlighted in red? hmmmm….
Esquire,Jordan and Drake the three highlights of this article.
Hmmmmm……
black people is just dumb
The Romans called this type of shit “bread & circuses.”
“Slained”??? Fuck y’all.
Black isI nasties no shower or bathe themth stink buy Jordan no wash niggiers are nasties and goneed black Ivesmeters but buy Jordan but no care of stinky pep0ples who no monies dumb Jordan and no feet dumb peepples Jordan over lives so o black lives meters