Hoops Nation

Is the basketball shoe world ready for a $300 shoe?
 

The market might get tested when the LeBron X is released later this year.
 

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Nike Plus-enabled version of the shoe — that has motion sensors in the shoe to track various metrics including how high the player jumps — will retail for $315. Although Matt Powell, an analyst for market retail tracking firm SportsOneSource, tells ESPN that he believes the price will be $290.
 

Nike spokesman Brian Strong would not comment as to the accuracy of the price.
 

In 1986, Nike’s Air Jordan II broke the $100 basketball sneaker barrier. Sixteen years later, the company hit the $200 price tag when it released the Air Jordan XVII.
 

Despite a rough economic environment, Nike has been able to pass on the rising costs of materials to its consumers with little resistance due to the premium associated with its high-end product.
 

(via ESPN)