New NIKE shoe has Transformers themes added

[griffin]

A new pair of NIKE shoes (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/nike-air-max-flyposite-megatron-edition/26178/) to honour/homage an American basketball player (Clalvin Johnson), has several Transformers themes to it because the nickname of that player is "Megatron".
NIKE appear to have avoided any need for licensing or permission from Hasbro, by using a unique symbol that us fans would recognise as being similar to a Decepticon symbol, plus a purple grid colouring like Gen1 packaging, and the name "Mega Tron" inside the shoe.
(the number 81 is his shirt number, and CJ is his initials)


I wonder if this technically counts as a third-party item... if Hasbro weren't consulted or knew that they had no grounds to stop it.

[Megatron]

As if there weren't enough tshirts, caps, cards, photos and other periphernalia already of this person pretending to be associated with Megatron... really getting sick of it. I'll never ever consider getting any of his stuff as part of my collection... third party or not, official or not. He's an imposter to the name as far as I'm concerned.

[GoktimusPrime]

I wonder if this technically counts as a third-party item... if Hasbro weren't consulted or knew that they had no grounds to stop it.
Yeah, they feel third partyish to me. Either way, it's not an officially licensed product and is attempting to skirt around Hasbro's IP just like a 3P item... evidently Nike doesn't want to (wait for it) tick Hasbro off! :D

[doublespy]

2 strange things here:
1: Calvin Johnson is an NFL football player, but these Air Max Flyposite are basketball shoes.
2: Nike have had many collaborations with Hasbro with their TF themed basketball shoes over the years (and of course the runner transformers..). Apparently someone at Nike really likes TF. Not sure why they would do something like this this time around.

[griffin]

Shows what I know about American sports-people... he's a footballer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Johnson), not basketballer. I guess I just assumed it from these being basketball shoes.

[jazzcomp]

If they're not very expensive, I might get it to go with my bumbleebee nike.

[griffin]

Price and release date of these shoes is now known (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/nike-air-max-flyposite-megatron-release-date-and-price/26211/) (for anyone interested in these) - US$190 on November 23rd. Link has official pics too.

[griffin]

Looks like a whole (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/nike-launches-calvin-johnsons-cj81-collection-inspired-by-megatron/26246/) clothing range is coming out for this.