About a week ago, I sat down in front of the computer absolutely gobsmacked that fancy cheese would ever tag team with a football team, but today I offer you a partnership that’s worthy of a different reaction.
Earlier in the week, it was announced that Nike would have their most inspiring colorway for the “Dunks” line of shoes, a sweatshirt-colored shoe that features the mark of Costco’s in-house brand, Kirkland Signature. And look, I’m not going to say anything bad about Kirkland Signature, because Kirkland damn near signs their name on everything. I’m talking batteries, bottles of rum, discount Rogaine…
But the Nike shoe collaboration, officially dubbed the Kirkland Nike SB Dunk Low IF0673-001, is different because it features both brands.
It’s interesting because companies typically make things for the Kirkland brand in private all the time. In fact, prices for Kirkland Signature items typically are so much lower than those of market leaders, that sometimes producers would shy away from letting others know of their involvement. But now? There’s enough of a vibe that Nike is all like, “Oh no, we’re putting both our labels on this pièce de résistance?”
And you know what? There’s a certain pride to that I dig. Costco went from being “a place to get things bought in bulk” to a “place to be seen” so fast I didn’t even notice. There are content creators who film in there, their business practices are continuously being studied, and the prices for their food court have been low for so long, the CEO did a photoshoot with the Arizona Iced Tea guy…
Price of the meal pictured? $2.49. (And fun fact, Arizona Iced Tea isn’t even from Arizona. It’s from Brooklyn.)
But back to the shoes. Look, if you’re picking up kicks at the same spot you can buy a jacuzzi, you’re obviously not looking to be a fashionista. So why not grab a pair that already looks like it was pre-worn by a Dad? But not like a ‘poor’ Dad, because these Kirkland Signature Swaggy 1s are going to set you back a cool $135.
That’s about 90 Costco hotdogs. A small price to pay for ‘dat aura.’