Starbury One

By Craig Kwasniewski

Putting quality child labor to work, Stephon Marbury has come out with a new low-cost signature shoe, Starbury One. For the same price as a month's subscription to a porn site ($14.95), you too can sport a pair of these kicks.

According to yahoo.com, "Stephon Marbury introduces his new basketball sneaker, Starbury One, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 in New York. The shoes, developed with Steve & Barrys University Sportswear, will be sold for $14.95 in the clothing chains 130 U.S. stores beginning Thursday."

So all ya'll sneakerphiles out there, here's the link to Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, just so you can find the right store to camp out at just to cop a pair. I'm worried about the lines in the morning so, I'll see you there tonight!

But seriously, has Starbury fallen so far down that he has to hawk the Walmart of basketball kicks? How long before the shoe tears at the seams? 15 minutes? 20 minutes? When sporting the kicks, do you feel a sense of an over-inflated ego while posting a 3-12 shooting, 0 assists and 6 turnovers each time you play?

Anyway here's a few links loaded with Starbury One comedy info:

Steve and Barry's University Sportswear (on sale for $14.95, not available online)

www.Starbury.com (pics and vids of the kicks - off the chart for unintentional comedy)

Editor's Note: Here's a brief review of the Starbury One. (Starbury One Review)

Channeling the ghost of Kicksology, Basketbawful just posted a very comprehensive review of the Starbury One's. (The Official Starbury One Shoe Review)

Comments

[basketbawful]

It's funny you brought this up...I'm going out tonight or this weekend to pick up a pair at the local S&B (I actually called and requested a hold). I'm going to use them to play ball this weekend and I'm going to review them on the site, so I'll let you know how they are.

If you take Marbury's word at face value, he wants to provde shoes and sportswear that kids can afford. If that's why he's doing this, then bravo. Of course, the cynic in me says he's gotta be doing it for the money. But then again, how much money could their be in selling a $15 shoe at a discount t-shirt store? So, honestly, it's totally f'ing confusing.

[nike]

starbury will make money alright on those shoes.
he expects the knicks fans to throw the players the shors everytime the team play bad !
he'll make money from replacement shoes the knicks fans will purchase over and over again!

[Lucas]

It makes me sad to hear this because you know damn well those things were made for $.005 in a sweatshop somewhere by some poor 8 year old who's working to get antibiotics for his father who will die from strep throat.

It's better when they mask such truths by a rediculous price tag. I prefer to live in a shroud of ignorance.

[coach]

a large chunk of the price of shoes goes to advertising . i don't know if starbury lend his nama to the shoes for free to bring down the price !

[geebs]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factor_price_equalization

if you really care about the sweatshop workers of the world, should you boycott the product (forcing them to unemployment, in countries with no social welfare programs,) or should you buy as many Starbury One's as your paycheck can afford (ensuring they maintain a job as it transitions to a more equitable amount of compensation)?

[Lucas]

Ahhh, quite the conundrum indeed.

[Craig]

That's brilliant Basketbawful! I'm looking forward to your shoe review.

I'm curious if they even last the whole weekend without falling apart. I guess these are the first shoes to break ankles... your own ankles that is.

[basketbawful]

Get THIS. The shoes are friggin' sold out all over Chicago. When I went in to get mine last night, they had one pair left (size 11, dammit). I'd reverved a pair, but when I got there they said they don't reserve shoes. Next shipment isn't in for a couple days. Damn.

[Craig]

The first run is probably low numbers just to create hype. (Damn! I better cop a pair before they sell out!!!!!) Nike does this a lot.

Six months from now you'll see them at DSW for $10 a pair.

[Pimp Dice]

Wait a second, if they dont reserve shoes than how did you reserve a pair to begin with?

This is crazy, will Marbury also take some king of whacky tour to China or Vietnam quite like KG did to promote his shoes? Maybe he can check out one of those swettshops in Cambodia, and bring the workers there some Hi C or something.

[christopher whitmire]

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A CATALOG OF MORE OF YOUR CLOTHING LINE AND WHAT STORES I CAN FIND THEM IN IN MY AREA

[Basketbawful]

Wait a second, if they dont reserve shoes than how did you reserve a pair to begin with?

The answer to your questions is this: Steve and Barry's is poorly run. Every single person I talked to told me something different. Sure we can reserve shoes, no we don't reserve shoes, yes we have the shoes in stock (over the phone), no we're all sold out (in person, 20 minutes later), yes we're getting a new shipment in tomorrow, no we didn't get a new shipment in today, and we don't know when the next one is coming. A lot of hassle for a cheap pair of kicks.

But I got 'em last night. And...well, I'm not expecting much. I'm going to play in them this weekend, so expect the full review sometime next week.

[JImmhumm]

Basketbawful your a hater.
Marbury is doing something good for the kids. Also Nike and Addidas-Rebook shoes come from sweat shops too. The truth is even a pair of 100 dollar shoes is going to rip or be ugly (Remember KOBE 1 and KObe 2!!!) Let's be real half the shoes in finish line this fall will be in the garbage by christmas! I've seen kids come to the stores and just stare like 50 cent on Get rich or Die trying its about time somebody did something positive.

[Craig]

"its about time somebody did something positive"

From a guy who glosses himself "Starbury?" From one of the more selfish ballers in the NBA?

Believe me, this has more to do with image improvement than giving to the community.

[basketbawful]

I'm a hater??! Well, yeah, actually I am. But in this case, it's probably justified. You'd have to actually see, feel, and WEAR the shoes to know what I'm talking about. For instance, the tongue of the shoes looks like it's held in by cheap medical gauze. The leather is extremely thin, which means that the sole actually slips around when you walk. And the insole almost fell out when I pulled out the paper that they stuff into the shoe so it holds its shape. So when I say I'm not expecting much, I'm not saying Stephon is a douche -- although, you know, he is -- I'm saying the shoes probably suck.

[WB]

I bought a pair of Starbury One's based in part on this blog. What do I think of them?

Well..... When I got them I had to try them on myself because no one works the Dept. where they're for sale. They were on the shelves with a couple of open boxes filled with shoes that had'nt been stocked yet. I got a size 11, one size larger than I usually wear. They fit, but it was hard to get past the tight lacing. The Sneaks look the part of BBall shoes, but are thinly made. There's clear plastic in parts that provide the Bling, but the odd inner-lined lacing at the top by the ankle makes them hard to slip on and off. I also noticed the inner sole padding came up when I forced my foot in the shoe.

I got the All-Black Starbury's hoping they'd look like anyone else's shoe should these sneaks become a joke. That way from a distance no one will know I have them on. The Pleather that makes up the shoe is smooth across the foot with delineated plastic linings where your foot will move - joints to the part of the show that give way when you run and jump. It felt thin. The shoe isnt heavily lined ( that's where the cutback in price is found). When you have them on, you feel locked in at the ankle. The upper half of the shoe tightens up pretty solidly around the high ankle. It has the odd laces though, laces that line the inner lining of the shoe at the high ankle. It makes it harder to tighten up. Biggest notable is the sole. It's thin. Real thin. It's like walking in a padded slipper. Here's where they also cut costs. Running in these sneaks , you could tell they would'nt last a summer of Hooping it up on the court. With weak padding ( no sole/soul- kinda like Starbury's Game) you'll burn thru these shoes in no time. Either your feet will hurt or you'll be Gellin to keep them going. I guess that's the plan though. They're so cheap you can afford to go out and get a new pair.

[Craig]

Great Post WB!!!

[JImmhumm]

LOL @WB. I guess those gellin insoles will be the next best seller. The shoes are hard to get a hold of here at WVU. If they are made like that how will Steph be able to play all year in them?

[coach c.]

personally, i think it is a great idea what he has done. he has never been a favorite player of mine but it is about time someone decided to make a difference an d make things affordable. i bought ot pair and i think they are great . as a former college basketball player ,i have gone through a lot of shoes and as far as this shoe goes it is more comfortable than any jordan that i have ever played in . and i have the whole jordan collection and the of course dont look as good as jordans but the comfort is the same. we all know that those big name brands only actually cost about 5.00 to make the shoes any way. they just need to stiop marking them up so much so people can afford them.

[Poonsweat]

OK so does a mercedes cost any more then a saturn? NO! however is it a better ride? YES. look at Toyota and lexus, you can buy a camry for 15K, or put a ugly ass L on it, call it a Lexus and charge 50K. same goes for shoes you can wear some payless shoes for 10 dollars or slap and ugly ass check mark on it and call it a nike and charge 125. the moral is, its all about image, and that is what Marbury is wanting to do, improve his image. When he was growing up he probably couldnt afford the nice shoes (i guess chuck taylors were the bomb back then prolly). so hey, if he can sell a shoe for 15 bucks, let all the section 8 living food stamp recieving welfare living people who ride around in 50K dollar cars with 24's buy them.

[poonsweat]

oops i totally F**ked up, a mercedes does cost more, and its not much of a better ride, i did it backwards HA

[Pimp Dice]

These are some lousy shoes. If I were to buy these shoes and a Saturn all in the same day I would drive the damn thing off a cliff while wearing the shoes; because when you wear Starbury One's you hardly feel like a winner.

[jojoe johnson]

wuz up world hey can anybody get me a pair of those starbury shoes I'll will send you the money plus a little extra for the job but the catch is a need a 15 in mens fo real if you can help me out hit me up a the email thanks

[Craig]

You can find them on ebay, if you want to pay twice the value.

[raincoaster]

So does anyone actually KNOW where the shoes are made? I've been to Indonesia and I'm okay with employing people there, but I'm boycotting China entirely. What does it say on the label? The website says nothing I could find about it.