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- Jul 29, 2005
Well said manThat's the truth.Ironically enough, it was ppl on boards like this around that time frame that ruined this so called "culture".
When you open a subculture to the public, you make a Faustian bargain. You get a window where it is extremely helpful and the true heads reap all kinds of benefits. You expand networks, access, information, etc. But, it's a ticking time bomb because there's no barrier to entry to the culture any more - no cultural capital needed for a person to join... especially since NT doesn't even screen members anymore.
The state of things today is not some perversion - it's the natural and expected result on something like NT becoming successful. Look what corporate America did to hip hop? Look at what 12oz Prophet did to graff. Desecration of the culture is the endgame.
And, as for that state of the hobby - it's a volume issue; the lowest common denominator rules. "Sneakerheads" get the state of the hobby and the treatment from Nike that they deserve. I can't honestly sit here and say that I would operate all that differently if I was Nike. Dudes got Stockholm Syndrome.
But, I still love sneakers. I have never Twitter RSVP'ed, or used a bot, or anything like that. That's only one aspect of things. 99% of the people in the hobby could be poison - as long as there's a small community of people who "get it" I'll just continue to rock with them. The rest of it is just noise. I'm not going to stop listening to old Kane albums because Drake dropped another record, so why would a bunch of people fawning over ridiculous sneakers stop me from appreciating what I've always appreciated on my terms?