The Nike Book 1 Remains Elusive for Fans
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The introduction of Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker's first signature sneaker has been one of the rockiest rollouts in recent memory. The missteps surrounding the launch of his debut hoop shoe have been well-documented: limited stock, recycled colorways, and an uninspiring design.
Fans and media are not the only ones perplexed by the problems; even Booker has commented on the issues himself. The Instagram comment section where Booker confirmed what fans were feeling quickly turned into a feeding frenzy of unsolicited advice and competing brands making recruiting pitches.
However, Nike has worked to reset the narrative, starting with a nationally televised commercial airing throughout NBA All-Star Weekend. The nostalgic ad featuring Penny Hardaway's puppet/alter-ego (Lil Penny) received positive reviews on social media.
The commercials coinciding with the unofficial launch of the Nike Book 1 were perfectly timed. The debut 'Clay' colorway of the Nike Book 1 was limited to just 500 pairs in December, so it is hard to call that the launch colorway. Nevertheless, after two months, sneakerheads finally got a second chance at another colorway of the shoe on Saturday night.
Would Nike right its wrong by releasing a large quantity of the flashy 1995 NBA All-Star Game colorway Booker showed off on Friday? No. Instead, loyal customers got to choose between two versions of a drab "Mirage" colorway.
To make matters worse, the Nike Book 1 "Mirage" was hard for the average fan to purchase. According to Booker, a Nike representative told him that the shoes sold out within "two or three" minutes.
We will not call it artificial scarcity, but every brand wants the first few colorways of its debut signature sneaker to sell out within minutes to build hype and grab headlines.
Unfortunately for Booker and his fans, this shoe has been plagued by too many marketing problems to run back the same playbook Nike used on the signature sneakers of Ja Morant or Kobe Bryant. Look no further than the resell value of the Nike Book 1 on the sneaker platform StockX.
Don't worry; Booker assured fans that another colorway is on the way. The Nike Book 1 "Ashen Slate" will be released later this month. Because nothing excites fans like the pale gray color of ash. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sports world.
