Marbury endorses inexpensive 'Starbury One' sneakers

Aug. 16, 2006

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

NEW YORK -- Want to be like Steph? Well, it won't cost you much.

Stephon Marbury now is endorsing a sneaker that costs just $14.98, a pittance when compared with the often daunting prices that companies such as Nike and Reebok charge for their footwear.

The "Starbury One," a sneaker designed by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, will go on sale Thursday.

The New York Knicks guard hooked up with the low-priced apparel company after Marbury's marketing representatives spoke with Steve & Barry's about other marketing opportunities. When Marbury heard about the company's sneakers, he quickly agreed to endorse them.

He is expected to wear the sneakers during games next season.

"We got to know Stephon the man vs. Stephon the basketball player that we read about and saw on television, and we immediately saw how passionate he was about this vision," said Howard Schacter, Steve & Barry's chief partnership officer. "We also came to quickly learn he has a credibility, a street credibility."

Schacter said Marbury is not being paid for endorsing the sneakers, but will be compensated based on how well it sells.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

check out the quotes at starbury.com

He's doing a whole clothing line. Dirt cheap (10 to 15 bucks for everything). This story has kind of slipped under the radar, but I think it's very interesting. It completely flies in the face of the entire NBA paradigm, which (hand-in-hand with the hip hop lifestyle) flaunts wealth, and then gets passed onto kids, who try to flaunt wealth they don't have.

How many times did Stephon have to wander back to the slums at Coney Island before he realized this was the right thing to do? Will Sebastian Telfair still think it's cool to try to get other Coney Island kids to buy 80 or 90 dollar Adidas?

While it's a great gesture, I doubt it works the desired effect.

Cool thing to do, but kids won't dig those shoes, no matter what they look like. Shaq's name is on a brand of inexpensive shoes, and kids don't want those.

Kids are still gonna want LeBron's



Instead. Doesn't matter what they look like, doesn't matter who endorses the cheaper shoe. When it comes down to it, kids want them BECAUSE of the price-tag.

cheap shoes, bad player.

Isaiah's butt boy will never win shit in the NBA. and I and fellow Knicks fans continue to suffer.

Ewings kicks were better anyways

Hakeem the Dream's Etonics were better.

Stephon nice try. But like a previous post stated kids wear the shoes because they are expensive and show their status.

I prefer Brooks..

Hakeem's Spaldings were ugly as hell, but, of coure I had a pair.

nothing was better than Karl Malone's LA Gears that had the "catapult".

anyway, this is a pretty cool move by Steph and it's good to see him do something right for a change. But it would carry more weight if it was a guy like Melo, Wade, or Lebron endorsing the shoe.

I think you have the cart before the horse. The only reason there IS a ridiculous price tag is because there are athletes that are getting millions upon millions to endorse these shoes. It started with the marketability of athletes, like Michael Jordan.

It's gotten to the point now where most people just accept the fact that basketball shoes cost 80-100 dollars. It's a great scam. The shoe folks have gone around for 20 years now, winking at each other about the price of their kicks.

That's why I think Starbury Ones are important. Not because they will totally shake-up the industry, but because they are part of a movement (including the Shaq shoes) that actually gives people other options.

I had to give up on my black And 1's I got for $40 at Bobs 8 years ago

saddest day of my life. I had to plunk down $80 for a pair of white rebok that I barely like but were the only pair I found after 2 weeks that didnt look like theyd allow me to walk on Mars with them

For when you want to give 63%, just like Stephon.