Most sneaker-heads won’t understand why packaging is so important in the sneaker society. Ask yourself this, what is the first thing you receive after purchasing your sneaker of choice? For those of you that said the receipt, you could be wrong but putting that smile on my face is a plus for you. Anyway, after the purchase, the shoebox in the checkout shopping bag is most likely what you will receive after paying. Ill give you two examples regarding sneaker boxes in my opinion:
A while back I purchased the GMP (Gold Medal Pack) VI’s (6) and VII’s (7). Since it was a pack, both sneakers came in one big package with two drawers that are able to be pulled out separately to have the picking of which sneaker should be worn for a particular day. It is a big black box that has gold accents throughout the package and had USA flag sneaker carrying bags included. You are probably still thinking, but yeah it is still a box. And yes you are correct, but it is also a memory. Not many sneakers come in the same big black box, yet they actually all come from the SAME orange and cardboard shoeboxes that many of us have stored in our closets. Understand now? Let’s try another.
A couple days ago I just picked up the Nike #BETRUE Free Run 5.0 collection. I anxiously waited for the limited sneaker to arrive at my doorstep. Finally, after a couple of days of waiting, the shipment has finally arrived (*Breaking each seal and rips off the tape*). You should have seen my face when I opened the box and saw the original cardboard boxing. I was confused and a little bit upset over the fact that the Nike #BETRUE collection is a limited release and stands for such a big cause; so shouldn’t that mean there should be a limited box with the release?
I think there should be. German designer, Ralf Schroeder, is basically on the same page. Using the Nike slogan of, “Nike is in the Air”, Ralf designed this ingenious packaging for the Nike Air series. Not only does it get rid of the original horrendous cardboard packaging, but it also saves materials and is more eco-friendly to the environment. As seen in the images below, the sneakers are compact within a bubble-like packaging. A huge step-up from cardboard boxing in my opinion. The positives toward this packaging, is the fact that it is incredibly fashionable and is very light-weight (which will be appreciated since it will be cheaper to ship since it is lighter in weight).
Receiving a limited box related to the release of a sneaker is a great feeling and is a great treasure. What would be more valuable, the GMP pack coming in a brown/orange boxing or the original limited black/gold box? With all that being said, it is hoped that Nike will rethink their packaging and stick with Ralf Schroeder’s design. I wonder how sneaker-heads are going to stack sneakers if the packaging turns out this way?
Via TheDL