LOS ANGELES--Anybody, from the blacktops of the Hoosier state to the seaside courts on Laguna Beach, will tell you that hoops is hot. In fact, many are dubbing the sport the new national pasttime, given baseball's recent knocks. Officially, the Athletic Footwear Association says that as a footwear category, basketball is putting a fast break on its competition, and leading all athletic shoe categories with 29 percent of the market.
So one would think that since 90 percent of us play the sport outdoors, outdoor basketball footwear would continue to be a blockbuster margin winner. Right? Wrong, said retailers.
'It's in the toilet,' reported Joe Chichelo, buyer for Sports Authority, fort Lauderdale, Fla., of the category. 'It needs some new life brought into it. Consumers don't understand it.'
What's happened to outdoor basketball? Chichelo's sentiments were echoed by retailers across the country wondering whether outdoor basketball is simply going through growing pains after three years, or more ominously, will it end up being the fastest dying trend of the '90s.
Vendors acknowledge that outdoor basketball may be down, but certainly not out. The blame is placed mostly on a lack of freshness, but also on a crowded marketplace and ineffective marketing campaigns.
'It's an idea that's only a couple of years old and I think it may be going the route of crosstraining,' suggested Dusty Kidd, a spokesman for Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore. 'Back in 1990-1991, everybody had crosstrainers but nobody knew what they were for. Maybe outdoor basketball needs a clearer definition.'
'We're still into it,' added George Haralambous, a basketball marketing associate for Adidas America, Portland, Ore. 'But we're trying to find what interests (consumers) are into rather than (arbitrarily) marketing product. People are sick of hearing. |This is an outdoor shoe and this is an indoor shoe.''
Indeed, freshness is especially important to an outdoor basketball shoe because its principal consumer is a young, urban male who won't sit still in white on white, said Byron Best, who oversees the Blacktop division of Reebok International Ltd., Stoughton, Mass. 'What the kids have wanted has changed. Now they want a new and fresh direction,' said Best, who added that Blacktop for spring '94 will feature sleeker, lighter looks.
Retailers agreed that the fashion influence comes more into play in the outdoor basketball category than in others. Alan Krinsky, buyer with Sneaker Barn, Spring Valley, N.Y., observed, 'This whole industry is based on fashion now. We try to steer our customers into the right shoes, but if push comes to shove, they're going to go with what looks better.'
Added Robert Abel, buyer, Athletic Attic, Elkhart, Ind.: 'When Converse came out with the Tar Max, it appeared more like a rugged casual. That's where our sales are starting to hit. Our (outdoor basketball) sales have tapered off 10-15 percent but we're still doing decent business with Nike and Reebok. It will be interesting to see if they can put something fresh out there (next spring).'
John Murray, dmm of The Athlete's Foot in Stamford, Conn., has found many a customer who hasn't been hit by consumer marketing. 'The people who are playing outside don't necessarily realize that an outdoor basketball shoe has more rubber on the outsole,' he said. 'Those who do, don't want something that they can't play indoors with.'
Abel agreed. 'We see that crosstrainers are being used a lot for outdoor basketball.'
Reebok's Best conceded that misconceptions abound. 'There's nothing on the outsole that would prevent you from playing indoors. However, when you play outdoors, on rocky and gravelly surfaces, you need to emphasize stability and durability. Cushioning is a third factor.'
As outdoor play grows, companies are advancing with technical features. For example, Converse Inc., North Reading, Mass., is introducing a new twice-as-tough Tartrax outsole on its updated Tar Max for spring and is borrowing material from bicycling shoes to add breathability to uppers. However, 'Sales have been incremental,' said Devin Berger, category marketing manager. 'It's another branch on our tree. I don't see it as cannibalizing sales.'
Despite recent woes, performance companies are committed to the category. Reebok will introduce new styles for spring as well as a specific apparel collection. Nike added the Air Check to its line and Adidas has Street Ball III on the way. Most companies are backing campaigns up with the ever-popular 3-on-3 blacktop tournaments, advertising and in-store displays.
Reebok, which gave birth to the category in 1990 with its Blacktop series, has re-emphasized the line and put it into a sub-division with its own line manager, Best, formerly of Nike. Such a move was anticipated -- Blacktop sales plummetted to $20 million last year from a high of $75 million the year before.
Perhaps with vendor's ongoing commitments, outdoor basketball will gain a second wind. Although several have exited the category, the big performance companies are staying. 'Any success from others helps us all,' said Best. 'Even with Adidas' Street Ball (campaign), kids get a better understanding. Blacktop isn't taking a back seat at Reebok.'