The Sneaker Game

With one of the biggest sneaker releases of the year coming up this Friday Dec 21st I feel there are somethings in the sneaker game that bug me. 

Nicknames

Look I've been a "sneakerhead", sneaker enthusiast, sneaker collector, or whatever you want to call me for the majority of my life. Now back in my middle school and high school days there were only a few sneakers that had nicknames. One of the obvious nicknames for a sneaker was the Air Jordan XI "Space Jams" obviously because he wore them in the film. Another popular nickname for a sneaker where I was from was the Bugs Bunny's aka Air Jordan VIII. Over the last few years pretty much every sneaker has been given a nickname. When I see folks on Instagram arguing, name calling, and cursing each other out because of someone not knowing the correct nickname, it's kind of lame. There is no award given for the person who knows the correct nickname of a sneaker. I've been seeing arguments about the nickname of the upcoming Air Jordan XI release. Some say "Bred" some say "playoffs" like is it that big of a deal, for the record both names are correct he played in the 96-97' playoffs with that sneaker and the color way is black/red. If someone doesn't know the correct nickname of a shoe who cares, I mean if it bothers you that much then school them in a non-dickhead way. In 2001, we called them the "Black and Red" Patent Leathers n I'd dare any NYC sneakerhead to lie and say this wasn't the case.

The Treatment of New Sneakerheads 

New sneakerheads def have it rough coming into the game. If they like a shoe they are labeled a "hype beast" and sometimes they are unfairly blamed by those who are salty over missing out on a pair. If someone doesn't know the history of the shoe why not take the time to school them. Before any of you say "ain't nobody got time for that" keep in mind your using that same time to diss them for lack of knowledge. Instead of shielding them from the game why not embrace them so they can have the same love for sneakers you have. I think sometimes we fail to realize not everyone was fortunate enough to have the funds to get every sneaker they wanted growing up. Embrace new sneakerheads because frankly none of you created the culture so don't act like you did no matter how many pairs of sneakers you may have.  Sometimes those with those knowledge are the ones who may have the least pairs. Be happy for someone who is able to have the means to afford whatever sneakers they want. New sneakerheads, don't let anyone tell you you're not a sneakerhead. We tend to forget that a lot of the newer sneakerheads were barely born when some of these classics originally released. Are there hypebeasts out there? of course but, maybe justtttttt maybe the person actually wants and likes the shoe hence why they spent their money on it. To me it doesn't matter how long you've been buying sneakers if you got love for em' nobody can tell you what you are or aren't.

The "GateKeepers"

There are always a group of people who because they have a bunch of sneakers, they feel like they can come up with rules. There is no sneakerhead "rule book" so trying to say what other grown adults or teens can and can't do is ridiculous. What a person does with their sneakers is up to them. Another thing that these folks may do is whine about sneakers re-releasing. Me personally, I'm happy that a lot of stuff re-released you know why because when I was 11-17 I was WEARING MY KICKS!!!!! Now I don't know what some of you were doing but I def wasn't saving my kicks for 10-12yrs just to say I rock retro with "Nike Air" only. Think about the joy you had when you copped the original of whatever sneaker was retro'd...wouldn't you want someone to have that same joy? I missed out on some nice kicks from 96-99 so when some of these pairs were re-released I was happy to finally get my hands on them. I've owned mostly   every hot sneaker from Fall 1999-2005 those early years being the "Nike Air" Air Jordan retro era. After high school I sent about 60-70 pairs of Jordans  and other Nike sneakers to Haiti to help those who are  less fortunate. All my retros with "Nike Air" gone...does this make me less of a sneakerhead? No....does it mean I'm not a part of the culture? Nope. Yes having older pairs in great condition is a good thing but it doesn't mean you are better than anyone else especially if you are not humble about it. There are plenty of sneakerheads I follow and for the most part those who do have older pairs are very humble about it. Think about this, how do you think those people who has the original ( the real OG pairs from the 80s and 90s) feel. I respect many of you who do have these older pairs but I'm saying don't look down on anyone else who doesn't. There is more than enough room in this culture for those who are true to the game.

image from Nicekicks.com

Resellers

This is a sensitive subject for some so I will tread lightly. I'm fortunate enough to have never missed out on a pair due to "resellers" buying up all the pairs. First off understand that if you have ever shopped at flight club, you've pretty much bought from a reseller. I feel like resellers help and hurt the game. I feel they hurt it at times because they do prevent those who actually want the shoe from copping. They help the game when they have reasonable prices especially when it's after the shoe has released because some of hard to find after a while. The thing people tend to forget is that people are paying the price so reselling with never stop. If someone wants to pay 2 or 3 times the retail price for the shoe let them, that is their business not yours. Reselling with never stop as long as there are people willing to spend and websites that charge over retail. Sometimes you just have to accept the lose and move on or just beat them to the punch. A lot of you say you would never camp but guess who's camping....a "reseller" they sometimes put in the time you won't. I think sneakerheads need to put in time to get the sneaker they want as long as it doesn't mean things like missing work or school. For now stand on like for your tickets, try your twitter RSVP luck, try the websites at 12 or 8am. I always wish everyone who wants a sneaker can get it but sometimes that's just not how it works now a days. All I can say is try your best and hope all goes well.

 

Stores Handling of New Releases

 

I never thought I'd see the day where just figuring out a way to get a sneaker would be more difficult than getting the actual sneaker. There are now tickets passed out for either a guaranteed pair or for a raffle to have a chance to win the right to get the shoe if your picked. There's also the twitter RSVP system where whatever Nike store is in your city sends out a tweet where you must respond in about 34 seconds to be able to get a guaranteed pair. I think this happened because of the violence and the lines that are formed days in advance. Let's not even start on trying to cop a pair online! LOL.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I will always have love for the sneaker game because it's more than just a hobby, it's my lifestyle. I don't agree with a lot of the things going on now but that will never change my love for the sneaker culture. What I hope to see (probably won't happen) is more love spread throughout the sneaker community instead of hate. More people helping others instead of charging them three times the price of a sneaker. I recently had someone actually help me secure a pair of the Nike Air Foamposite One "Stealth" colorway for retail and shipping. Be good, stay true to the game  and the game will be good to you. If your not into sneakers like that you won't understand any of this.