Starbury: New Basketball Shoes for $14.98

Stephon Marbury, guard for the New York Knicks is endorsing a new shoe called Starbury. The shoe share his nickname. Instead of the standard $100 - $200 pricepoint for standard NBA star-endorsed shoes, the new Starbury will retail for $14.98. More details can be found at ESPN

While Marbury may not have the universal appeal of Jordan, or D-Wade, the price should be right for many. Marbury and those around him claim the shoe is the same as the more expensive shoes. (I can’t find a site or citation, but on ESPN's Outside The Lines today, the story claimed the designers for Starbury are the same as those used by Nike for their more expensive sneakers).

Marbury and the Starbury play to a pragmatic drama (more bang for the buck). Will it catch on? I’m curious to see how this one plays out - beyond the business and brand element, I find the social and cultural potential fascinating. Marbury states he’ll be wearing these shoes in the up coming season.

The pricing strategy here should be another lesson in brands – price and features can be duplicated, the emotional connection and symbolic identity cannot. The Starbury provides a pragmatic drama in the world of basketball shoes.