The State of the Shoe Game

[ideezy1023]

On a side note.....Nike is re-thinking release date procedures after last weekends fiasco..I'm thinking releases may go back to weekdays how it was back in the day. This coming from conference call with my dm.

 

[martymcfresh]

Can we honestly blame Nike for the hype? All they really do is make the sneaker, its the leak of info that gets everybody suddenly interested. First it starts with a few photos somebody secretly snaps, then its rumors about a release date, then as soon as people hear the word limited or exclusive its like free chicken at KFC (disgusting BTW)... I agree with you that we take part in allowing it to happen... I run into a few "real sneakerheads" every now and then at releases and I chat and chill with them while I wait, but crazy thing I never hear or see them again its like we as a culture forgot what its like to stick together and be a team. Back in the day it was chill... Where I come from we would show up at the mall and take our spot in line, write our name and what number we were in line. It was perfect! Then, all of a sudden more and more people came out and it got ridic... I personally blame the stores, they know for a fact how many pairs they receive of each shoe, why have all this madness created in front of your store??? Oh I know why, all for a single sale..."let's attract all these people and sale out in hopes they will spend the money on something else still" How many of you all are guilty of this? We can't continue to blame Nike, because they are producing way more pairs than ever. It's just the disorganized releases that's killing the game... Along with hype.

 

[bstylez17]

I agree with you guys completely it really sucks for guys like me because I came into the sneaker game a tad bit late( got a job and had to use my own money) so I missed the glory days everyones talking about. It really hit me while I was waiting for the Concords how bad the game is. I'm standing in line with my boy waiting to get my hands on one of the only jordans I've ever loved and I see kids in front of me wearing them already and still talking about buying more. Long story short I didn't get my pair and the ones who did came right out the store and sold a pair to someone else for 400 bucks. So who's wrong here the reseller or the kid who gave up a mortgage payment for shoes?

 

[beerdrum108]

Originally Posted by Vaddy

Originally Posted by beerdrum108

I, too, would like to see Nike mass-produce popular models like the XI's to completely meet the demand of consumers. That is the only way we can get rid of resellers because, if everyone has their pair, people who scoop up 10+ pairs to resell will be unable to make their profits and the whole "game" can return to the level we all wish it was at. Unfortunately, by limiting production runs, they are able to gain publicity and market appeal without spending a single penny on advertisement, and by doing so, they maximize the amount of profit they can bring in. I'm disappointed that Nike has chosen to follow this route instead of satisfying the overwhelming majority of consumers' wishes and making enough shoes to meet the massive demand.

It's totally fine if they have SOME limited releases, but I feel that shoes like the Concords and Cement 4's shouldn't be so limited as to cause widespread riots around the country, as well as having people get hurt over a pair of shoes. Why should I need to do "homework" to buy a pair of sneakers??

Call me selfish but I disagree mass producing a sneaker like the XI or III tarnishes the legacy if everyone and their mom has a pair on deck IMO. In a imaginary world Nike would make everyone take a online quiz about the sneaker they are trying to cop to weed out the resellers...

75% correct and you get to add your sneaker to the cart.... 

I don't think a legacy would be tarnished if they stick mainly to the OG coloways and come out with a few retro+'s that have good color blocking (ie. Flint 7's, Cool Grey 11's, etc). I'm not saying that the shoes should be in constant production like AF1's, just enough so that literally everyone who wanted to buy the kicks to wear would be satisfied. IMO someone's life is worth preserving more than the legacy of a line of shoes. Trampling over other people and leaving your kids in the car in order to have a chance at buying some sneakers is the ridiculous and unfortunate reality that needs to be changed.  

 

[jordanologist84]

Totally agree with this post!!! Preach!!!! LOL 4s were going for $115 a few years back!!!! The Military Blue 4s even hit clearance racks!!!! But will they this year?? That's a negative!!!

 

[bence23]

hey op, what size are them royal 1s in your avy?

 

[jhobson5]

Vaddy wrote:

---

beerdrum108 wrote:

---

I, too, would like to see Nike mass-produce popular models like the XI's to completely meet the demand of consumers. That is the only way we can get rid of resellers because, if everyone has their pair, people who scoop up 10+ pairs to resell will be unable to make their profits and the whole "game" can return to the level we all wish it was at. Unfortunately, by limiting production runs, they are able to gain publicity and market appeal without spending a single penny on advertisement, and by doing so, they maximize the amount of profit they can bring in. I'm disappointed that Nike has chosen to follow this route instead of satisfying the overwhelming majority of consumers' wishes and making enough shoes to meet the massive demand.

It's totally fine if they have SOME limited releases, but I feel that shoes like the Concords and Cement 4's shouldn't be so limited as to cause widespread riots around the country, as well as having people get hurt over a pair of shoes. Why should I need to do "homework" to buy a pair of sneakers??

Call me selfish but I disagree mass producing a sneaker like the XI or III tarnishes the legacy if everyone and their mom has a pair on deck IMO. In a imaginary world Nike would make everyone take a online quiz about the sneaker they are trying to cop to weed out the resellers...

75% correct and you get to add your sneaker to the cart.... 

And this is exactly what OP is talking about. Originally Jordan's were just a another sneaker that you could buy at the store. They did not have a legacy at first. They werent a culture status like they have grown to today. There were times when I was a kid when I could walk into a store weeks and weeks after a release and buy what I wanted. I remember when the only way you knew a release was coming was going to the store and asking. Jordan's were originally mass produced to every part of the country(not just HOH and select accounts like they do now), they were the highest of quality and thats what they built their reputation on. Now JB produce low quailty retros at a higher price and limited supplies. By making them limited they are able to feed the people whatever they want and they will buy them
  

 

[thekidstaten]

I agree with the OP. Great post! a major thing that bothers me is that they release them during the week.. if Nike was loyal to their real long time customers.. they would realize that we work now and cannot camp out during the week.. also do they not see an issue with 14 year olds on line for a week? Hmm maybe they should be in class? lol.. And my number one issue is the staff at the stores are telling their friends when they get restocks (and lying about not getting any) and holding pairs to sell on their own now because they are selling for crack prices.. its like playing against the ref.. they need to have like a Jordan Rep with no self interest regulate the release.. obviously that's a (big) stretch but that would definitely cut back on the employees working with their friends to get 30 pairs to plank on (I know you all saw that kid on the Concord thread) and flip to other hypebeasts for 2-3x retail.. or > 100x retail in the case of the Galaxies on eBay.. a shoe with NO history. smh.

 

[checkthetech]

Originally Posted by aphexacid

Sneakerheads be patient, the age of the hype machine / SnapBack / skinny jean will fade, and things will go back to normal.

I've said it before but I can't wait til these kids move on to designer shoes. I mean thats the next logical step right? I saw kids in Vans in line for the Concords and thats when I knew that the line between real sneakerheads and trend followers was being blurred. I'd say its been going down hill since the Space Jam's released in '09.. I had NO PROBLEM picking them up from a major mall here in Phoenix, can you imagine if they were released today?

 

[checkthetech]

Originally Posted by PRIME

I personally think stores should limit purchases to 2 pairs per person, and Nike should make enough pairs to the point where the mass amount of heads and everyday customers can have a chance to buy the shoes. Nike's hype and advertising is all fine, its the supply that bothers me. 
If Nike would release everything as a general release, and actually produce a general release amount of sneakers, the rioting, injuries, and bad media wouldn't even be happening. 

I know for a fact that I cannot go to finishline and be the 50th person in line and still get shoes anymore, its a sad thing but its a thing of the past. We need that era to return. 


Nike isn't the main one responsible for what happened to the culture. They played a big part in it, but even more so than Nike its us the consumers who turned our underground society into a mainstream sellout culture. All of these blogs force feeding kids into sneakers, celebrities saying "if you don't wear these then you're not cool", etc etc. All of these things have kids nowadays thinking "damn man, I have to get these shoes. If I don't, I'm not going to be like *insert favorite rapper here*" or "Dang man, Hypebeast said blah blah blah blah blah. I have to get these new Jordans". The +*$+ is getting ridiculous. when I was in high school, of course I got Jordans because they were the hottest shoes. WHO DIDN'T get them because it was what the cool kids did? Girls LOVE the guy with the nice kicks. We all know how that story ends. But you have kids now, hell #%!% it, you have kids AND ADULTS now who are just buying EVERY release because its new. These motha %#*$$#% don't even like the model/colorway half the damn time. And thats what breeds resellers. 

Our culture has sold out. Point, blank, period. I don't know what we can do to change things, but I do know as of right now the small "underground" culture is dead. 

The other day my younger cousin said his boy wants to trade his DS pair of bordeaux VII's that he only wore once for a pair of playoff VIII's that I gave him around last year. 

What the #%!% is a DS pair that you only wore once? These kids don't even know what the hell they're talking about but they're parading around claiming to be "sneaker heads".

Once I realized where the culture was at that point, I made a goal; To cop the last remaining pairs of grails I have always wanted and then moved on. 

Its gotten to the point where I feel like the thing I used to love so much growing up has been bastardized by social media and internet "news blogs". 


But these kids now man, they don't know a damn thing about the culture. They don't know any history but they want to claim that they're part of the culture. Being a sneakerhead and just buying the newest coolest shoes are two completely different things. And thats where the line is often crossed now. 

These kids are hookers and Nike is their pimp. I'm tired of being pimped fam. 

I can live with Nike hyping their own product. Thats called good marketing. 

But I can't live with the lack of supply to meet the demand of us customers. All that does is fuel the other evils that the culture is facing. 

 

[drprince89]

Yea the $)!@ sucks, when you have to buy kicks you don't necessarily like just to trade for ones you missed out on cuz of hypebeasts or resellers, it's gone too far. It's getting to the point where I'm just gonna move onto something else. What I don't get is that they're missing up in so much potential profit, the dude that paid 350 for Concorde would've gladly paid retail and got the Chicago 10s in January, now some of them only pay you once and give some reseller your potential profit.

 

[cw2022]

im sad that there is A line for GR shoes

 

[chicagoldrs]

Blame hypebeasts and/or capitalism

 

[fazar89]

i have never read anyone essays on this site, but you sir have hit the nail on the head. like many ive been forced to leave the jordan shoe game because thats where all the hype is going towards. ive already gone back to the shoe that started it all for me. only way the hype will die to just to leave it, if you leave something overly hyped then you arent part of it which equals NO HEADACHE

 

[mjisgod]

Very nice post. This topic has come up many times over the past 5-10 years. Unfortunately it is a combination of society and money hungry corporations that have ruined it for those who have a TRUE affection and appreciation for the sneakers they get.

Bottom line for all you guys and gals is:
Stick to your guns and buy the shoes YOU want. NOT because they are hyped but because YOU like them. And in the event you can't get a pair on "release dates" don't sweat. They WILL come back around just be patient. If you can't be patient there's always a secondary market.

 

[beh235]

Read OP's post and read a few responses to get the gist of this thread so far. I agree with what you said mostly. As much as I hate to say it, you can't pin this one on resellers. From my point of view, sneaker collecting has cannibalized itself. It was a form of a subculture that was underground for the most part. Then of course it grew and got more visible as we've seen celebreties talk about how they were part of the "culture". Then everyone got into it. What Nike did, was take notice to this and saw how they could advertise their product without spending advertising money for re-issues of product. That being said, people who are into shoes hear about retros, releases spread through word of mouth (i.e. NT) and vague quantities are leaked all over creating a frenzy in lieu of building what they see as "brand loyalty". I say the sneaker community did this to themselves simply for the love of shoes. Nike just took advantage of our love for the brand and is making us chase their perceived "love" for the customer. There must come a point in time where you as a customer must use your brain and ask yourself: Do I really need this shoe? Most likely, not. And also, How far am I willing to go for this shoe? Once you put those into perspective, you can comfortably walk away despite how many "chase" sneakers Nike/JB are going to put out. Luckily, for the most part of me buying my shoes, I had a discount. I can't imagine standing in line every few weeks to pay minimun $150 for a pair of shoes. To me, that's moronic.

 

[dontez]

Originally Posted by MartyMcFresh

Can we honestly blame Nike for the hype? All they really do is make the sneaker, its the leak of info that gets everybody suddenly interested. First it starts with a few photos somebody secretly snaps, then its rumors about a release date, then as soon as people hear the word limited or exclusive its like free chicken at KFC (disgusting BTW)... I agree with you that we take part in allowing it to happen... I run into a few "real sneakerheads" every now and then at releases and I chat and chill with them while I wait, but crazy thing I never hear or see them again its like we as a culture forgot what its like to stick together and be a team. Back in the day it was chill... Where I come from we would show up at the mall and take our spot in line, write our name and what number we were in line. It was perfect! Then, all of a sudden more and more people came out and it got ridic... I personally blame the stores, they know for a fact how many pairs they receive of each shoe, why have all this madness created in front of your store??? Oh I know why, all for a single sale..."let's attract all these people and sale out in hopes they will spend the money on something else still" How many of you all are guilty of this? We can't continue to blame Nike, because they are producing way more pairs than ever. It's just the disorganized releases that's killing the game... Along with hype.

 

[mostlymaxs]

This topic is a great one and I couldn't agree more with what you guys are saying. The hype of the Concords is still rolling over to now, which is rediculous in its own. But I also hadn't seen the shoe game at rock bottom like this until than. It is sad when you can't get a pair of shoes you actually want, because the demand is to high for the supply. While it is Nikes job to hype their own product, it is not their job to overhype product to the point where people are getting hurt for it. They could make more pairs, which would make them more money as well. This year, since the Concords, I have seen allocations drop for certain stores. This is one of the reasons the Royal 10 sold out in my opinion. By selling out of shoes that most of us with a decent sense of taste or that have been in the game a little while would not purchase, they are creating buzz on future shoes that probably wouldn't sell out as well if they produced the same number. Just a few thoughts and I know I don't have a lot of post, but I have been around the game a little while and this is just my 2 cents.

 

[rcjbbp1313]

concords killed the game (the fun collectors game) because people who didnt even know what they were came out to buy multiples to make money and now EVERY release is tough to get because the same poeple are now buying everything to make money i mean come on old royal 10s selling out on first day? what a joke

 

[PRIME]

Originally Posted by Vaddy

Originally Posted by beerdrum108

I, too, would like to see Nike mass-produce popular models like the XI's to completely meet the demand of consumers. That is the only way we can get rid of resellers because, if everyone has their pair, people who scoop up 10+ pairs to resell will be unable to make their profits and the whole "game" can return to the level we all wish it was at. Unfortunately, by limiting production runs, they are able to gain publicity and market appeal without spending a single penny on advertisement, and by doing so, they maximize the amount of profit they can bring in. I'm disappointed that Nike has chosen to follow this route instead of satisfying the overwhelming majority of consumers' wishes and making enough shoes to meet the massive demand.

It's totally fine if they have SOME limited releases, but I feel that shoes like the Concords and Cement 4's shouldn't be so limited as to cause widespread riots around the country, as well as having people get hurt over a pair of shoes. Why should I need to do "homework" to buy a pair of sneakers??

Call me selfish but I disagree mass producing a sneaker like the XI or III tarnishes the legacy if everyone and their mom has a pair on deck IMO. In a imaginary world Nike would make everyone take a online quiz about the sneaker they are trying to cop to weed out the resellers...

75% correct and you get to add your sneaker to the cart.... 

Back in the day everyone and their mom had EVERY Jordan release. No sort of legacy will be tarnished by giving people what they want. 
The Jordan III used to go on SALE racks, that didn't tarnish the sneakers legacy... 

People like air jordans, they aren't just exclusive to dudes who are part of an online message board. EVERYONE deserves to have the shoes they want. And its Nike's job to supply the people with what they want. 

More shoes = more money for Nike. 

More shoes = Satisfied customers

Less shoes =/= Satisfied customers or more money for Nike. 

%#+# just doesn't make sense to me. 

 

[verysteri otypical]

We need to realize that thisis our culture and even though they produce the products we decide what wewant, not them! These companies are not the creators of our culture, we are.

FIRE GENTRYHUMPHREY!

What the #%!% is a DS pairthat you only wore once? Thesekids don't even know what the hell they're talking about but they're paradingaround claiming to be "sneaker heads".

Being a sneakerhead and justbuying the newest coolest shoes are two completely different things

i beat the shoe game onsuper nintendo when i was younger.

People just wanna go withthe newest trend 
I blame celebs (Wale, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, VictorCruz etc) for posting all these pics on twitter and instagram of their kicks

And this is exactly what OPis talking about. Originally Jordan's were just a another sneaker that youcould buy at the store. They did not have a legacy at first.

im sad that there is A linefor GR shoes

only way the hype will dieto just to leave it

 There must comea point in time where you as a customer must use your brain and ask yourselfo I really need this shoe? 

 i mean come onold royal 10s selling out on first day? what a joke







these are some of the finer points that have been stated so far that i agree with...

 

[silkk da fabric]

Aside from beating a dead horse (no beastie)...

Twitter has A LOT to do with this current wave of contageon (inside heads refer it to Hypnitis).

The celeb images, the links that perpetuate beastage... all critical benefactors of this sudden surgence of
interest and reselling (subculture of shoe collecting is why we're experiencing this gaffe that only seems
to be worsening - the first time I lined up for a pair of shoes were for the Cool Grey XI's and this was back
in March 2001. TWo weeks ago would mark the first time since then that i would line up for sneakers but
this time around, i left the shopping area empty handed and it make me think... where do we go from here?).

Paying outrageous markup for GR on release date is something i would have NEVER imagined.

To bow out gracefully is the only certified way to ensure a W.


What a shame.


.

 

[nappy]

Life's tough

 

[michael0360]

nike is feeding off the free advertisement which the limited releases bring.
ive seen local news stories when people were camping for concords
then again for galaxies, and when its on the news its both free and more official to someone watching it
nikes not telling you to go buy the shoes, theyre so popular they dont have to, and theyve releaized this. so limited releases are not going away
....unless riots continue to build and become out of control where it gets to a point where it can nolonger happen.
limited releases and such just add to the demand of all their products. like everyones saying, o so a million people tried to cop concords... not everyone could
sooo; especially the new audience they are attracting, go and buy another shoe, and enough people are even doing that that hype builds on those....
making others flock and resellers trying to make more money. royal X is great example of this. and it just keeps going
Every hyped release where people are talking about nike and jordan just adds more consumers; while nike profits on the release itself
Its a culture of thirsty people and personally i dont !$%@ with any of it
if i cant cop online or at my local store in the morning, i aint gunna buy it and wont let some +%#% reseller profit off me

 

[alsdaman24]

I was taken back when I went out to the stores to buy the cement 4s and saw the madness for a general release shoe. It had been the 1st time I had been out in 2 years to attempt to buy shoes in a store. I've been collecting since '02 and it's disgusting what has happened. You bascially have to camp out now for all retro Js releases.