I did a price comparison to see if the price of my new B23s is in line with other comparable sneakers from other brands. I looked at Vuitton, Hermes, Fendi, and Gucci. It seems like Dior sneakers push the envelope for price point. They are higher than all the brands I mentioned. I realize that this is a seasonal piece which Dior decided justified a higher price point, but even compared to seasonal pieces from the other brands I mentioned, these were still higher.I also think the price hikes have become insane especially considering the time frame. You can't get Kim Jones' design anywhere else with the limited edition prints and such, but if you're not set on getting those exact designs, you have a lot choice from other brands in the same product categories with better value. Here in my Alaskan neighborhood, Hermes is much more accessible than Dior, and is turning out to be better value in many categories like RTW and shoes too. That is just one example, I'm not saying this from the perspective "hermes is always better", just from a local perspective. For others who might not be interested in Hermes, it might be other brands or even local tailoring services if you mostly care about looking good and not the brand aspect.
In any event, I can't wait for travel to become a bit easier, there are some items from both the summer collection and the Scharf collection that I'm interested in and that seem to be impossible to get online.
As a long-time Dior addict, while I'm glad that the Dior name can conjure such demand and price points now, I am unfortunately the one who has to pay these prices if I want their items. I remember years ago during the Galliano years when Dior was positioned with very similar price points as Gucci. But in the past few years, Gucci has fallen behind. Gucci has increased its price points over the years as well, but nowhere near as quickly as LV, Fendi, and Dior. It was probably a strategic move on Gucci's part to not increase price points rapidly while the brand had explosive growth, because increasing prices too quickly may lead brands to the same fate as Mulberry where the name did not command the level of prices that some of their bags offered, and ultimately hurt their sales until management introduced lower price bags.
Now, Gucci seems like a mid-range brand compared to Dior.
On a side note, I do believe Hermes quality is better than Dior's, based on the items I have owned and also what I have seen at stores. I just wish that I liked their styles more. Their styles look mature to me. The pieces I do like from them, namely their leather goods, have insanely high price points.
