Jordan IV Black/Red Reimagined - February 17, 2024

I have a different perspective on this matter. These young individuals are the driving force behind the current state of the market. They represent the generation of bot users, transforming anyone with computer skills into a reseller. They are heavily involved in various cryptocurrencies and mining activities. Our traditional methods are becoming obsolete. Ever wonder why many of these young millionaires don't hesitate to spend significant sums on digital artwork? It's because they haven't earned their money through traditional means. They belong to an era where digital currency reigns, where transactions worth hundreds of thousands are commonplace. Don't underestimate them; they are well aware of how things work in this digital age.
I agree with this but I don't see the connection to the OP🤔. The youth might be the driving force behind what the market is now but we built the foundation that allowed them to do what they are doing. We did this. We decided that exclusivity and rarity was good. We established that sneakers are cool and can make you cool (they can't, a cornball is still a cornball even if he/she has on Reimagined 4s). We keep buying the shoes. We started the gate keeping. And of course "we" isn't all of us. The Internet and resell platforms like StockX made it to so that you didn't need connections or knowledge to have access to the latest sneaker. All you need is the internet and a willingness to spend whatever it takes to get the latest hype shoe (or parents that will do that for you). There are almost zero barriers to entry these days. So we built this market/culture up and now anybody can come in and take advantage of it (see Trumps kicks). So if we tell the kids Crocs aren't it and they need to wear Js or Nikes then we are adding to the fire even if unintentionally.
 
My pair just came in from goat… anyone else has the extra thread taped down under the insole?
IMG_6486.jpeg
This is normal across Jordans and other Nikes. A consignment shop owner told me that this used to be a sign of authenticity because reps would cut the threads.
 
We debating the sneaker game right now? Lol.

Here’s my take on it - it’s irrational and the community is toxic, and if I had a time machine I’d go back about 34 years and slap myself for even liking kicks. This whole game is not a path I want my kids, or any other kids for that matter, to follow.
 
We debating the sneaker game right now? Lol.

Here’s my take on it - it’s irrational and the community is toxic, and if I had a time machine I’d go back about 34 years and slap myself for even liking kicks. This whole game is not a path I want my kids, or any other kids for that matter, to follow.

As it is now? I agree. If my kids could have the experience of coming up the way that I did during the time that I did then I’d be okay with it. Between birthday and Christmas Money and a treat from your parents every now and then you could build your self a respectable collection over the years. Even more so if you had a part time job. Now it’s all about money. The clout doesn’t come from having a rare or hot shoe. It comes from the underlying idea that you spent a ton to get it. And that’s got to absolutely suck for kids coming up today because kids are effing brutal if you can’t keep up. It’s almost better to not even dabble in sneakers at all than only be able to partially keep up.

And I hate that I’ve contributed to it as an adult by paying resell as much as I have, but I’m working on it. Part of that is coming on NT less unfortunately.
 
Last edited:
I believe some people misunderstand the essence of sneaker culture. Back in my day, what mattered was that your kicks weren't completely worn out; brands like Filas, Etonics, Avias, and Reebok were all acceptable and stylish. When it came to Nikes, Jordans were the epitome, alongside Forces, Barkley, Deion and Barry Sanders, Pippens, and more. You could easily stroll into a store and pick up any sneaker without much fuss. Even in the early 2000s, while Quick Strikes and Limited editions emerged, there were still diverse brands to explore. And if you missed out on a release, it was often because people bought to actually wearing them. Finding a DS pair was difficult.

However, the culture has evolved. Nowadays, people buy sneakers solely to resell them, relying on apps to dictate a shoe's value rather than its actual worth. Take the panda for example; it wasn't a bad sneaker, but the sheer volume Nike released turned it into a joke, while Air Force 1s remain fashionable. Sheep mentality!

We laid the foundation for a culture, but it has shifted into something different. People now label Jordan Blk/WHT 85s as "Pandas," and others follow suit without understanding the story or significance behind it. There's a lack of emotion, connection, and understanding. I think I've rambled a bit and lost my train of thought...
 
Theres too much sneaker resale influence and it has such an effect on this culture to the point that people choose to use bots to secure them. Most of the bot users resell or trade. And maybe a few use bots for personal purchases. And there’s so much in store drama from dealing with shady employees, back dooring, friends and families, bulk buyers, and ofc resellers. I hate to say the more this goes on the more I may just find other things in to be interested in.

We as a small minority appreciate the history and nostalgia because we were a part of those times. At least everyone who is like 35-36 and older. Anyone under this age range, I would think have less and less appreciation for these things. Albeit some exceptions may apply. And the younger they are the more they don’t have a connection to it. They have a connection to the profit making. And since they don’t always respect the elders, they like to clown some of the older heads. They check out stockx and shake their heads if you are rocking something “expensive”. Or they say you too old for that.

We was raised off this, not you.
 
Last edited:
As it is now? I agree. If my kids could have the experience of coming up the way that I did during the time that I did then I’d be okay with it. Between birthday and Christmas Money and a treat from your parents every now and then you could build your self a respectable collection over the years. Even more so if you had a part time job. Now it’s all about money. The clout doesn’t come from having a rare or hot shoe. It comes from the underlying idea that you spent a ton to get it. And that’s got to absolutely suck for kids coming up today because kids are effing brutal if you can’t keep up. It’s almost better to not even dabble in sneakers at all than only be able to partially keep up.

And I hate that I’ve contributed to it as an adult by paying resell as much as I have, but I’m working on it. Part of that is coming on NT less unfortunately.
A lot of today's youth are a bunch of entitled spoiled brats who lack thick skin and are ultra sensitive. In other words, they're soft mentally. And I partly blame the parents of these types of kids for failing to teach them proper old school values.

When I was in my adolescence and teenage years in the mid to late 80s into the early 90s, my parents had to sometimes put my Jordans on LAYAWAY. Imagine that.

Kids these days have no clue what layaway is. Imagine if a Gen Zr's parents told they kids their Jordan 4s are on layaway and they couldn't show off their shoes at school til 2 months after release date cause mom had to finish paying off the shoes til I could actually get them in hand.
 
A lot of today's youth are a bunch of entitled spoiled brats who lack thick skin and are ultra sensitive. In other words, they're soft mentally. And I partly blame the parents of these types of kids for failing to teach them proper old school values.

When I was in my adolescence and teenage years in the mid to late 80s into the early 90s, my parents had to sometimes put my Jordans on LAYAWAY. Imagine that.

Kids these days have no clue what layaway is. Imagine if a Gen Zr's parents told they kids their Jordan 4s are on layaway and they couldn't show off their shoes at school til 2 months after release date cause mom had to finish paying off the shoes til I could actually get them in hand.

A lot of that you can control by just instilling good values into your kids. The tough part is the interactions between the other kids and yours. It’s one thing to raise your kids not to keep up with the Jone’s, it’s another to have kids dealing with not being able to fit in. My daughter is only 1, but I’ve seen my younger cousins come up through adolescence in the social media age. Kids are brutal
 
A lot of today's youth are a bunch of entitled spoiled brats who lack thick skin and are ultra sensitive. In other words, they're soft mentally. And I partly blame the parents of these types of kids for failing to teach them proper old school values.

When I was in my adolescence and teenage years in the mid to late 80s into the early 90s, my parents had to sometimes put my Jordans on LAYAWAY. Imagine that.

Kids these days have no clue what layaway is. Imagine if a Gen Zr's parents told they kids their Jordan 4s are on layaway and they couldn't show off their shoes at school til 2 months after release date cause mom had to finish paying off the shoes til I could actually get them in hand.
There are still poor kids today and there were entitled kids in the past though…
 
A lot of that you can control by just instilling good values into your kids. The tough part is the interactions between the other kids and yours. It’s one thing to raise your kids not to keep up with the Jone’s, it’s another to have kids dealing with not being able to fit in. My daughter is only 1, but I’ve seen my younger cousins come up through adolescence in the social media age. Kids are brutal
Yeah. The internet and social media are more harmful than they are beneficial. It was way easier growing up in the 80s than it is now. Every one has a camera so everything is recorded, you got algorithms tracking your every move so you get bombarded with ads, and you are getting hit up with FOMO at every single turn. It’s nuts.

We might deem kids to be “soft” nowadays, but they are going through way more ******** than we did.
 
We might deem kids to be “soft” nowadays, but they are going through way more bull**** than we did.
Which is why proper guidance from the parents and guardians of today's youth is that more important than ever so their kids are well equipped to navigate and handle the maze of today's landscape with the right values and principles.

The kids who grew up in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s aka Gen X and Millenials have the tremendous advantage of being raised pre- and post- "age of the internet" and its our ultimate responsibility to ensure the children of tomorrow possess a value system that isn't heavily influenced by rotten social media and the like.
 
I just remember my older brothers subscribing to Eastbay magazine and us circling what we wanted for Christmas while watching MJ killing our Knicks. The simpler times 😢 These kids wouldn’t know anything about that. We definitely hold the hobby dear to our heart because it was organic not hype.
 
Which is why proper guidance from the parents and guardians of today's youth is that more important than ever so their kids are well equipped to navigate and handle the maze of today's landscape with the right values and principles.
This has always been the case hasn’t it? You can say this about every generation. You’ve pretty much summed up the responsibilities of parents from the beginning of time.
 
We debating the sneaker game right now? Lol.

Here’s my take on it - it’s irrational and the community is toxic, and if I had a time machine I’d go back about 34 years and slap myself for even liking kicks. This whole game is not a path I want my kids, or any other kids for that matter, to follow.
As long as my kids do what they like, keep their priorities in check, and don't fret over peer pressure I'm cool with them being into sneakers. To be honest, most kids these days don't care about sneakers as much as we think they do. Out of all 10 of my nieces and nephews only one Nephew has ever hit me up to get him sneakers. And it's more of a doing what's cool thing than really being into sneakers like I was.
 
This has always been the case hasn’t it? You can say this about every generation. You’ve pretty much summed up the responsibilities of parents from the beginning of time.
While the "responsibilities of parents" remains a similar case with every generation, my generation (Gen X) of parents SUCK XXX big time.

The parents of today's youth and young adults are GEN X'rs and Millenials and imo we didn't do as well as our parents' generation in raising their children and instilling the right values and qualities that we hardly see today.

Just look at our world today as evidence. IMO, today's kids are more entitled and spoiled than ever. Which is my point, social media and the effects of the internet age notwithstanding.

My parents' generation was much better at instilling discipline and respect for others, especially their elders.

Maybe I just feel this way because I've seen how my peers, friends, and relatives who are in my age group have raised some of their kids and boy have those kids gotten worse as they've gotten older.
 
Last edited:
Each generation does generally say things like this about the next generation. However, I see social media impacting all generations. How many are from the 80s, 90s, etc. who have spouses/friends who are addicted to their phones and have damaged relationships b/c of it. It's a massive problem for all generations, and is sad and pathetic.
 
Each generation does generally say things like this about the next generation. However, I see social media impacting all generations. How many are from the 80s, 90s, etc. who have spouses/friends who are addicted to their phones and have damaged relationships b/c of it. It's a massive problem for all generations, and is sad and pathetic.
Well said. I have a rule at my house that I established decades ago - when we are the dinner table, no cell phones are to be visible. When it's time to do homework, no cell phones and social media. Homework comes first right after school before any video game is played. And If they don't listen, there will be repercussions.

Most importantly, I lead by example. When I'm working from home and they see me in my home office working, they see that I don't turn on Sportcenter until I am done working and finished walking the dog.

Lastly, do I buy children $100 Air Jordans when they are 2-12 years old just because I want them to have the same shoes as me? Never. They have to earn it, just like I had to get straight A's for my parents to put Jordans on Layaway.

For me, the discipline starts there.
 
Last edited:
Well said. I have a rule at my house that I established decades ago - when we are the dinner table, no cell phones are to be visible. When it's time to do homework, no cell phones and social media. Homework comes first right after school before any video game is played. And If they don't listen, there will be repercussions.

Most importantly, I lead by example. When I'm working from home and they see me in my home office working, they see that I don't turn on Sportcenter until I am done working and finished walking the dog.

For me, the discipline starts there.

100% Same here. Problem is my wife is the only one who brings her phone to the table. Love it when the kids tell her to get off her phone!
 
Yeah. The internet and social media are more harmful than they are beneficial. It was way easier growing up in the 80s than it is now. Every one has a camera so everything is recorded, you got algorithms tracking your every move so you get bombarded with ads, and you are getting hit up with FOMO at every single turn. It’s nuts.

We might deem kids to be “soft” nowadays, but they are going through way more bull**** than we did.

yeah its definitely going to be a balance. you don't have to spoil your kids rotten, but I also don't subscribe to the whole "i don't send you to school to have friends" mentality some of our parents have. I made a lot of friends bonding over sneakers, trading cards, and video games. I'm not going to deny my kids the ability to form those same bonds to prove some kind of point or "toughen them up". But theres a balance. And i dont want them to get caught up in the consumerism merry go round that I find myself in these days as well.
 
I have family and friends who are educators, and I can tell you that everything is significantly different now compared to before. Bullying has become more intense and extends beyond the school grounds with the influence of social media and online gaming. Instead of empowering teachers, parents often devalue them and even resort to threats of physical harm if their child is disciplined. Teachers find themselves constrained, whether due to political reasons or other factors. When people reminisce about "back in my days," they often overlook the vast amount of information and confusion that exists today. They didn't have access to the same sexually explicit materials, discussions, or classes. When schools reached out to parents back then, not only were teachers empowered to discipline students, but parents would often reinforce that discipline at home.

Regarding sneakers, my primary reason for buying my son what I like is nostalgia, I won't deny it. Many of the shoes he wears are ones I wished I had when I was younger but couldn't afford. Second, I want to shield him from bullying, and I see this as one way to do it. Third, it teaches him responsibility—taking care of his shoes, keeping them clean, and so forth. Lastly, it instills humility; while I encourage him to stand up for himself and not allow his shoes to be labeled as replicas, I also remind him to be considerate of others' financial situations.

He hasn't cared much about the kicks until recently, and even now, he'd be content with whatever I choose for him to wear. That being said, let's return to the culture... He often tells me about how people call each other out for wearing replicas, but they justify it by saying, "Who wants to pay all that money?" or "This influencer said it's okay," or "I couldn't get the authentic ones at launch." Or they claim their authentic pairs are for resale... The unfortunate reality is that the sneaker culture exploded, and social media normalized behaviors that would have once been considered taboo.


 
IMG_1046.jpeg

My pair from SNKRS is breaking out. Stupid pimple on my LNM pair. With this being my only pair now, guess I just gotta suck it up. I’m not paying resell for a pair that might not be legit.
345ea35f97db680f139060a3a51f9c67.jpg

My double-up pair I won off Hibbetts raffle has been stuck in Pre-Shipment Awaiting Item through USPS since last weekend. Called Hibbetts CS and they said it left their warehouse. Hopefully they still show up but wouldn't be surprised if they didn't make it past the final boss. :emoji_upside_down:
G7RS.gif

took a W on snkrs for once, but lost to the final boss. UPS delivery person dropped it off to wrong address/person. Now I have to pay resell. Anyone have a good experience after filing a claim with UPS?
UPS “delivered” my infrared Air Max 90 I got from SNKRS

Went to the UPS facility inquiring about it and they told me the address (which they probably weren’t allowed to) and said they would talk to the driver Wookie…talkin’ bout Wookie knows his customers

I drove out to the address and nobody was home…mailed a letter to the address telling them that UPS may have delivered my package to them and gave them my number

It was what sounded like an older woman when she called me after receiving my letter and she said she didn’t receive my package and she doesn’t know where UPS gets these ppl

They talked to Wookie and he claims the package had that address on it

Christmas came early for Wookie that year :smh:
 
Last edited:
2nd pair just came in. I see what ppl are saying with the different factories 🤣. Shoe on the right is LN3 factory, I been wearing them almost everyday since release and shoe on the left is LNM factory. Noticed the difference soon as I took them out the box but It is what it is. Most def would have liked my 2nd pair to have that slimmer toe box but I’m happy and blessed to even have a 2nd pair to keep on ice….

D46E8240-3363-428D-B85B-6AA3FE0D2079.jpeg

EB8C22F9-1B1A-44B5-A620-12762782FBAF.jpeg
 
2nd pair just came in. I see what ppl are saying with the different factories 🤣. Shoe on the right is LN3 factory, I been wearing them almost everyday since release and shoe on the left is LNM factory. Noticed the difference soon as I took them out the box but It is what it is. Most def would have liked my 2nd pair to have that slimmer toe box but I’m happy and blessed to even have a 2nd pair to keep on ice….

D46E8240-3363-428D-B85B-6AA3FE0D2079.jpeg

EB8C22F9-1B1A-44B5-A620-12762782FBAF.jpeg
I have the same situation. I had the LN3 pair early and wore it already. Would of kept that one DS.
 
Back
Top Bottom