When and Why did you lose interest in sneakers VOL.....PRIORITIES

[superblytrife]

I'll never lose interest completely. My feet need shoes and I prefer to wear sneakers whenever I can.

Definitely don't care as much now though. You grow up and realize they're just shoes and that there are much better things to spend your time and money on.

 

[BrandNewWithTags]

back when I had no financial responsibilities vs now.

it's either pay for my $170 utility bill or $170 to cop the latest sneakers.

it's a no brainer.

 

[championboyz7]

When it became hard to cop . Now that they're easy to cop (Jordans) the price are stupid 170 plus.
Last pair I bought was 5 years ago , now I'm selling them off one by one. I usually wear my black/white Nike roshe which I re up when the last one gets beat up 70 dollars. these joints are tanks

 

[datboi81]

Very similar to many on here.

I'd say 2011 was probably my official down fall with the All Star XIIIs that dropped. After that, it really is just here and there I pick stuff up. I graduated college and was trying to fit in the social scene so I "grew up" my look a little bit. I made some other bad financial decisions as well in the process, but it helped me grow into a better man. Of course during those times I couldn't afford sneakers either.

Prices spiked during that time as well, and now I'm either at work or wrestling, so I don't really get to go out and rock sneakers anymore.

Consumerism is real as well. I highly advise everyone to watch the Minimalism doc on Netflix and read the book. It helped me also prioritize what I actually need. Downsizing my wardrobe and sneaker collection. Going to give away/sell some of my stuff when I go back home. All I want is a solid rotation. No more having heat just to say I have it, especially if I can never wear it.

 

[getyashinebox]

Yea my interest isn't totally gone, and I'll admit I'd feel weird wearing some Payless sneaks to the gym or around town on the wkend.

To me it's a form of self expression, I guess. I run in flyknit racers and lift in air max 1s or 90s. Run errands in Js (only have 3 pair) NB577 or NMDs. Usually bar hop in sperrys.

So shoes are def a still thing, I just don't at all follow or care about hyped up releases (most look weird to me anyway). It only sucks when I discover a shoe years after it comes out and the only way to buy it is via eBay/reseller

 

[GrizzlyAnimal]

has anyone been to a sneaker convention????????

Never have, and i don't think i ever will

 

[dathbgboy]

2008, when I found out my wife (then girlfriend at them time) was pregnant. Realized I couldn't be spending $150+ on sneakers all the time anymore.

This is why
http://niketalk.com/t/650692/monthly-bills/0_20

Also when I began understanding consumerism and how companies exploits people's material addictions.

then this

i thought i would never change, but a few things made me change overall...

1. cost of shoes today = back when i was younger, i always told myself i couldnt be paying 200 dollars for nikes..i would do it from time to time...but now, every sneaker is 200 dollars now...

2. realizing that shoes dont last for ever... i have tons of shoes that are in my closet from 02-06 that if i wear today, they will fall apart, and they still look deadstock

3. my style changed... i cant step out in nikes when im on my grown tip...sneakers are more for work out gear or lounging imo.

4. change in responsibilities...you value your dollar more, even if you make more, and realize that you can put that 200 into other things that can help you later on in life

And this. I have sneakers in the closet that I'm afraid to wear now because the glue is weakening and shoes are coming apart.

 

[ninjahood]

some of ya need a trusty shoe repair shop, ill definitely concur that after alwhile joints judt start dying on you if you're not on top of em.

u ain't gotta really worry bout it till ur kicks start seeing 15+ years old.

simple sole separation can be remedied with a quick glue re-do.

thankfully newer retros don't crumble like da 90's OGs.

 

[legreyfoxx]

For me, I haven't lost complete interest in sneakers but as I got older it became a lower priority for me. I hardly cop anything now and my sneaker rotation has decreased to wearing maybe 2-3 shoes over and over. Lets see how it will be 5 years from now.

 

[slab_diaz]

i just realized how big a waste of money collecting shoes is. i try not to waste money as much anymore

 

[art vandelay]

I still like to see the excitement when my 15 year old puts in his own "work" to research when a pair of shoes comes out that he wants, has me, my wife, or his sister drive him to the mall, and watch him interact with his homie that works at the FTL and secure his shoe. To me that how simple it should be, he won't wait in a line or "camp" and if he misses out, he has a contingency shoe.

As for me, I'm about 5 months away from 40 and I don't really have a need for the latest iteration of a shoe that I had/still have. Case in point, the white and red 13s that came out a month or two ago. I got those shoes when they came out in 2010, so it is semi repetitive. Additionally, my son got them and I compared the two and the difference between the 17's and the 10's is marginal.

Also, I don't wear them enough to warrant spending that much money for them to just be in my closet. Not only do I not wear them enough, I find myself being into other footwear, lately, I've been rocking Vans a lot because they're just a versatile shoe and the comfort for me is optimum. When I get back to Bahrain I'm ordering three pair of wool old schools for the price of one pair of Jordans.

Then when Nike makes a pair that I actually want they make them limited for no apparent reason, like the PG1 Shinings or whatever they're called, I actually liked the shoe and wanted to ball in them, but they made 12,000 pair and I wasn't able to get them and I'm not paying more than retail for them. Then there is this certain "collector mentality" within the culture and stuff like "on ice", "one to rock, 43 to stock" " there's a glue stain where no one will see but they're flawed, I still bought them though, but I'm going to run and post multiple pictures and ***** about the flaw" it just isn't meant for me I guess. Some people make the whole thing corny as hell.

I dig simplicity, I like to walk in, make purchase, walk out. It's not like that anymore, at least for the shoes I would want. With everything else that we as adults go through day in and day out the last thing I want is to be on the "hunt" for a shoe.

 

[Fozz]

I think I sold majority of my sneakers because of work and change in style.

I have to wear business casual clothes at work, so having all the sneakers sitting in my closet rarely gets any wear. So now, I'm in the process of selling of majority of my sneakers and trying to have only 10 pairs, including dress shoes.

Also, I have a family and too many hobbies. Have to provide for the family and limit the hobbies lol.

 

[penny1folarin]

when i noticed i was still getting on the bus with the latest n ol boy wit the car was baggin the same chicks i was with outlet ish

 

[needsomejays]

I've only slightly lost interest. I work in an office Monday-friday so the only time I wear sneakers during the week is the time I'm at the gym. Last pair of sneakers I bought was the last time the hare 7s came out, 2013 or 14 I think? I still haven't even worn them

 

[jthagreat]

The prices are obscene now.

I have more disposable income now, but shoes I remember buying being $50+ is crazy to me.

Not being able to get pairs, and how they create hype and making things limited. no thanks.

Just started selling em off 1 by 1.

 

[chadleroy]

1. Work in an office mon-fri
2. I prefer boots casually
3. Other interests

...I didn't add anything new to this thread

 

[finessesosa]

It's stupid. Why hoard 100s of sneakers and not even remember or know what you have. Babying them as well I knew it was a wrap once I couldn't find stuff and I could just get profit from it. Now I only get sneakers I know I'll love for years.

Glad I did it...

 

[acp7399]

Great thread and I'm sure a majority of the responses will be from old 'heads (who I'm grateful to hear from so I know I'm not alone). I won't say that I ever totally "lost" interest per se, I've always been picky about footwear, whether it's sneakers or dress shoes, I simply always have to have the "best". I was heavy into it when I joined NT back in 2003 and got up to 20-30 pairs at the most. After marriage, 2 kids and work, like many, the interest waned a bit simply because there wasn't much opportunity to actually wear my prized pick ups. Eventually with the advent of Ebay, I sold everything I had. For several years after that, it was mostly about air maxes and having something comfortable for the weekend. Vans, sperrys and runners eventually started to become my go to shoe although I always kept abreast of what was new and if any new tech came out. All that changed last year when I discovered boost. Since the UB's that first came out were very narrow, I wasn't able to reap the benefits till something wider came out. When Kanye signed up with Adidas, I was on the fence about turtle doves and couldn't get myself to make the effort to cop. But then the hype around the shoe hit its peak and I finally caved in for the Beluga V2s. Yeezys brought me back to sneakers. I swear these shoes were made for wide feet and the comfort level on them is through the roof. The rest is history, I usually frequent the Yeezy thread but have started to navigate other areas of NT again.

 

[Fozz]

Great thread and I'm sure a majority of the responses will be from old 'heads (who I'm grateful to hear from so I know I'm not alone). I won't say that I ever totally "lost" interest per se, I've always been picky about footwear, whether it's sneakers or dress shoes, I simply always have to have the "best". I was heavy into it when I joined NT back in 2003 and got up to 20-30 pairs at the most. After marriage, 2 kids and work, like many, the interest waned a bit simply because there wasn't much opportunity to actually wear my prized pick ups. Eventually with the advent of Ebay, I sold everything I had. For several years after that, it was mostly about air maxes and having something comfortable for the weekend. Vans, sperrys and runners eventually started to become my go to shoe although I always kept abreast of what was new and if any new tech came out. All that changed last year when I discovered boost. Since the UB's that first came out were very narrow, I wasn't able to reap the benefits till something wider came out. When Kanye signed up with Adidas, I was on the fence about turtle doves and couldn't get myself to make the effort to cop. But then the hype around the shoe hit its peak and I finally caved in for the Beluga V2s. Yeezys brought me back to sneakers. I swear these shoes were made for wide feet and the comfort level on them is through the roof. The rest is history, I usually frequent the Yeezy thread but have started to navigate other areas of NT again.

Boosts are narrow fitting? Good to know, I won't be buying a pair then lol

 

[illphillip]

Kids definitely changed things.

But I did cop like 3 pairs of WILL Leather AM1 ID's.

And the Cyber Monday III's.

So......yea......

It's more about wearing what I have more often than buying more though.

And I feel like I spend 1/2 my life in Frees or Lunars or some **** like that now

 

[SC kid]

I seen one of those sneaker conventions on youtube.

I dont want any part of that lol

 

[capital sb]

When the price went up on the same shoes I got years prior..

This and when I realized how much money I was wasting . I only purchase runners now and below retail only.

 

[dakid23]

75% of the reason why is that I rather spend my money on my house + vacations.

25% I'm to lazy to hunt the shoe down.

 

[50inchvert]

Space, space, space and more space. I think people underestimate the storage issues sneaker collecting can present and if you're a compulsive neat freak like myself, then storing your shoes in a manner you see fit can become a lofty expense in its own right. Between storage bins, shoe rooms, display shelving, etc... it never stops. Shoes are quite bulky and will eat up more space in your home than anything thing you own.

I've never really been about that wall of shoe boxes and shoe bins life and having a room strictly for sneaks just isn't practical to me.

I still have an extensive amount of pairs (40-50 not including beaters) but once I have to start storing shoes in plain sight that's when I fall back. If they can't all fit in a closet of some sort then that's my queue to chill.

 

[Mark Antony]

Same shoe I copped in 01 retail for 125 is now 225.