Breaking into the athletic shoe industry cannot be easy, even if you're already a monster book and miscellaneous sales website like Amazon (dot com). Combine the dangers (and barriers -- Econ 205, yeah!) of a new market with the highly combustable prospect of doing anything with Stephon Marbury and we have what could become a must-briefly-watch legal and marketing situation. From Darren Rovell:
The New York Post reported this morning that New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, who popularized low cost basketball shoes with his "Starbury" brand at retailer Steve & Barry's, spent Wednesday in Seattle signing a deal with Amazon to sell the sneakers on their web site.Steve and Barry's is going under regardless, but as Rovell points out, there are plenty of larger companies out there debating on purchasing them. Marbury -- who didn't sell his shoes online -- bouncing elsewhere would put a pretty serious dent in their value.
Although Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy reorganization on that very same day, and it appears like part of the plan is to close stores, sources tell me that Marbury's contract is still active. That makes me wonder how he'd have the authority to sign this deal.
And while Marbury appears to own the right to the name "Starbury," it's unclear if he owns the logo. It's also not clear at this point who would be making the shoe for Amazon.com.Marbury's marketing representatives at The Agency didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Laugh all you want -- Marbury, along with Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Wallace and Bubba Watson, is one of S & B's biggest marketing angles. And despite his on court failures, his cheap as all get out Starbury shoe was still immensely popular. I'd expect Steve (and maybe Barry too) to have a little something to say about this Amazon deal.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Let me see if i get this? You don't know anything, the author of the article you are referencing admits they don't know anything, but you felt obligated to chime in on the subsject? Excellent work my man.
Starbury has signed with Amazon. Steve and Barry are probably going to get upset and threaten litigation.
But, because I don't have a freaking Delorean, I can't predict the future.
The news itself is tha: Stephon Marbury has signed on to become the first athlete to sell shoes on Amazon (that I know of). So I kind of fail to see the beef you have with this entry.
Brinson's specialty is rehashing other people's stories without adding any new insight or perspective. It's kind of an off beat style but I hear it's catching on.
By the way, I love the new photo Will. Definite upgrade from the last one, which I'm guessing was from your sex offender registration.
Thanks for keeping it classy, Jared.
All I'm doing is showing Adam Morrison how to grow a real mustache.
After all the trash you write you really don't have a right to appeal to anyone's sense of class.
If you can talk shit you can take a joke.
It was a joke, dude. Relax.