The State of the Shoe Game

[crowelliowa34]

the shoe game is crazy right now its gonna take some time for it to settle down but i feel its a lot of people that buy the shoes to wear, collect, or resale sucks when we run into those that get in line just to resale the shoes because we have tons of people that are gonna actually wear them.

 

[koma toast]

hunting game is fun when u end up gettin wut u after without having to pay rape prices

 

[andown goes frasier]

Age of Information word to Lil b. Lucky for us we are part of nt. If u wait u will get any kicks u want for close to retail in our b/s threads. Scuz

 

[prince]

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"

it also started when it became "collecting"

people buying shoes just to stare at them.

there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...

When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...

Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.

Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.

so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.

I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.

We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

QFT

 

[theboxstacker]

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"

it also started when it became "collecting"

people buying shoes just to stare at them.

there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...

When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...

Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.

Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.

so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.

I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.

We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

Well put, the current state doesn't bother me at all, in fact, anyone w/ sense could've seen this coming years ago. And it actually doesn't seem any different than it was a few years ago, just new releases and new people griping about the way things used to be.

Accept evolution, we're never going back to what it used to be.

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by MrForce1

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"

it also started when it became "collecting"

people buying shoes just to stare at them.

there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...

When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...

Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.

Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.

so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.

I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.

We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

Well put, the current state doesn't bother me at all, in fact, anyone w/ sense could've seen this coming years ago. And it actually doesn't seem any different than it was a few years ago, just new releases and new people griping about the way things used to be.

Accept evolution, we're never going back to what it used to be.

No one said its not evolving, that was the whole point of this post. Just stating the obvious. Fools are on some dumb #%@%, stabbing, shooting, leaving their kids in the car, and all other kinds of reckless #%@%. I'm lucky enough to have hook ups and get most of my kicks early, so I don't need to camp or wait in lines. If your cool with all this mayhem at the releases then more power to you. You just might want to cop some Kevlar for the next hyped release you go to. 

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"

it also started when it became "collecting"

people buying shoes just to stare at them.

there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...

When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...

Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.

Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.

so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.

I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.

We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

People collect all kinds of $%%#. Shoes are no different. They're just another collectible like coins, sports memorabilia, vases, or stamps. The only thing is that these collectors don't kill each other over releases. I agree, its not that serious.
I'm with you on down sizing the collection too. Now that my son has outgrown my size I've started selling mine off. I only plan on keeping 30 pairs.

 

[ericjunior]

Y'all are forgetting a lot has changed since the early 2000's ... I was in High School, c/o 2004. More information is available thanks to the web and sneaker blogs, and facebook + twitter. Of course more ppl are going to be into sneakers, and of course more ppl are going to know. The sneaker game has come a long way from release dates in eastbay magazines, or knowing ppl who work at the stores.

At the end of the day, get with the times ... it's not 1996 any more.

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by bootleg ed

@doak Limited release is far from new. In fact tier zero releases are more rare than 5 years ago, and stuff like true blue 3s got plenty of numbers, and sat on shelves. And that is a GOAT shoe. Lebrons are everywhere. Those "they need to retro this!!" shoes like the BO JACKSONS, barry sanders, and griffeys are SITTING in outlets. Air max 95s may as well never retro again. And theyve dropped more foams than EVER before. They used to be a reigonal relese only. And @doak why dont you tell nike they need to produce "more shoes". I imagine their response would be "we have tons of outlets overflowing with shoes, get over not being able to get this more-costly-for-us flash in the pan trendy shoe." concords werent even limited. There is no way they could have MET demand.

@i mrder peeps, Youre an archeologist. I'm a commercial banker. So, no, i dont get caught up in the emotional ties buyers of a commodity get. I only care about the shoe store owner and myself. And you should be more concerned about mom and pop stores (RIP GOODS) getting squashed by HOH. This "game" or "community" is no different than fans of Fendi or coach purses, or fans of harry potter movies and books. In fact its more like beanie babies in terms of cyclical hype. Again, get over yourself. There is nothing special about "us".

Your obviously more invested in this "sub-culture" than you think or you wouldn't be on NT responding to this or any other post. 
And your absolutely right about the Mom and Pop stores. It sucks to see the local sneaker spots getting jilted buy HOH. I personally won't buy from HOH because of their %%@*!% business practices.

As for the community being  "no different than fans of Fendi or coach purses, or fans of harry potter movies and books" Your right. However, I never said we're special. Its just growing and changing rapidly and I want to examine the process. Its the same as any other collectible, but as I said in another post people aren't getting killed collecting any of these other things. When was the last time you heard of riots for Coach purses. 

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by 160jordansdeep

how many times can the same topic come up

your tired of the "shoe game"

stop buying shoes

its been like this for the past 7 years

ericjunior wrote:

At the end of the day, get with the times ... it's not 1996 any more.
Where does it say I'm tired of the shoe game?

 And it has not been like this for the past 7 years. Yeah, the pigeon and XI releases were crazy, but today every release is crazy. These fools are acting like fiends. Luckily I've been in the game for awhile and I don't have to check twitter every minute or camp out for a week if I want kicks. I'm cool with the current times, but as a parent I feel for all those moms out there who are loosing their kids to nonsense. Whats really going on when shoe release violence is condoned? Or maybe you didn't read that part.

 

[kryptonitek]

Honestly the only thing that has changed over the years is the increase of people copping kicks. Nike has always been a business that values profit above anything else which is the purpose of most big businesses if I'm not mistaken.

It's only going to get worse, so there really are only two options if you want those coveted kicks... step your connects up or get out "the game"

Crying seems to be the option most choose tho.

 

[vood99]

Originally Posted by I MRDR PEEPS 4 FUN

Originally Posted by bootleg ed

I gotta tell you this was an awful read. "the game" ... "no respect for the culture"... "morally corrupt resellers"

Dog...get over yourself. We're talking about shoes. Sneakers. I have plenty too and i buy shoes but man, this sounds corny as hell. This whole kumbaya sneaker culture stuff is lame as hell.

News flash

There isnt a sneaker community. This is not a real culture. Hip hop is a culture and people buying shoes just jocked that. There are just a lot of people who like shoes. Very, very materialistic people. That doesnt not make it some symbiotic relationship. These riots prove it. You're jaded because you remember some good ol days that never really exisited. And you're just a consumer man. It is *no* deeperthan that.

Sad because "the game" changed. lol

As a collector of many things, including antiquities, its my job to talk about it. Just because the main cultural events of the sneaker community take place on these blogs (between us right now) or during sneaker events and releases, dosen't mean its any less a community or part thereof. Even though I hate to admit it I probably share some other communities with you, for instance Hip Hop. From Sugar Hill to Wale there is definitely a connection between Hip Hop and sneaker collecting. Whether its a culture or sub-culture is yet to be proven but it is nonetheless a real.

As a collector of antiquities what is your take on collecting replicas? Because aren't these highly sought after shoes just lower quality replicas of older sneaker models?
  

 

[supermanblue79]

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"

it also started when it became "collecting"

people buying shoes just to stare at them.

there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...

When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...

Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.

Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.

so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.

I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.

We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

I agree.

There are certain models that hold a special place with me.  It's just too bad that they hold the same special place with
the new generation in this era of limited production numbers.  I've been very lucky to get the 3 pairs that I've wanted
at retail over the past year.

 

[430AM]

GAME??? REALLY???

Plain and simple... You buy the kicks you like... Build up your collection. BUY, SELL & TRADE until you have a collection you are happy with and THAT'S IT.

If you are in it for the PASSION and LOVE of sneakers then why does RESELLING or anything of that nature even concern you???

Cats that make threads like this sound like some real crybaby %@+ bums... Like someone is supposed to give a %!%! that you were in the "game" and into sneakers before them. Get over yourself bruh. The culture is what it is and if you no longer want to be a part of it then GET OUT, there arent enough sneakers to go around anyway so you def. won't be missed. 

 

My two pennys....

 

[theboxstacker]

Originally Posted by I MRDR PEEPS 4 FUN

Originally Posted by MrForce1

Originally Posted by NobleKane

The problem started when it became "the shoe game"



it also started when it became "collecting"



people buying shoes just to stare at them.



there is never a need to buy more than one pair of a colorway...



When the world goes back to treating shoe as they are........just shoes...



Then and only then will Jordan brand and the rest of the hypebeast and resellers stop stressing you.



Ive been buying Jordans and nikes since the mid 80's. im a grown man now and understand the value of a dollar.



so missing a shoe release is not that big of a deal anymore.



I use to own over 400 pairs of shoes. I am down to just over 100.



We only have but two feet and 365 days a year. Its not that serious

Well put, the current state doesn't bother me at all, in fact, anyone w/ sense could've seen this coming years ago. And it actually doesn't seem any different than it was a few years ago, just new releases and new people griping about the way things used to be.



Accept evolution, we're never going back to what it used to be.

No one said its not evolving, that was the whole point of this post. Just stating the obvious. Fools are on some dumb !!+#, stabbing, shooting, leaving their kids in the car, and all other kinds of reckless !!+#. I'm lucky enough to have hook ups and get most of my kicks early, so I don't need to camp or wait in lines. If your cool with all this mayhem at the releases then more power to you. You just might want to cop some Kevlar for the next hyped release you go to. 

The craziness has surrounded sneakers since at least the 80s, I remember my brother and his friends almost getting mobbed by 20+ dudes for Military IVs back when they released originally. I remember the first time I even HAD to line up for a pair of shoes (Concords in 95), and by the time I got to high school, it was the norm for any pair of J's. There were robberies, riots, and fools back then, and I'm sure it wasn't just in my city. Not much has changed actually, except the addition of clever marketing by Nike, internet selling, sneaker resell value, and more coverage. I haven't participated in a line up since I graduated high school over 10 years ago, and refuse to nowadays, if I can't get them hassle free, it's not worth it. I'm just saying that the "state" that it's in right now isn't much different than it ever was, but there seems to be tons more griping and complaining about it. Do I like it much? No. Will I adapt to it? If need be. I'm no expert but looking at the way it's been going, I think it'd be safe to say that it's gonna get a lot worse depending on how you look at it and what you take it for.

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by vood99

Originally Posted by I MRDR PEEPS 4 FUN

Originally Posted by bootleg ed

I gotta tell you this was an awful read. "the game" ... "no respect for the culture"... "morally corrupt resellers"

Dog...get over yourself. We're talking about shoes. Sneakers. I have plenty too and i buy shoes but man, this sounds corny as hell. This whole kumbaya sneaker culture stuff is lame as hell.

News flash

There isnt a sneaker community. This is not a real culture. Hip hop is a culture and people buying shoes just jocked that. There are just a lot of people who like shoes. Very, very materialistic people. That doesnt not make it some symbiotic relationship. These riots prove it. You're jaded because you remember some good ol days that never really exisited. And you're just a consumer man. It is *no* deeperthan that.

Sad because "the game" changed. lol

As a collector of many things, including antiquities, its my job to talk about it. Just because the main cultural events of the sneaker community take place on these blogs (between us right now) or during sneaker events and releases, dosen't mean its any less a community or part thereof. Even though I hate to admit it I probably share some other communities with you, for instance Hip Hop. From Sugar Hill to Wale there is definitely a connection between Hip Hop and sneaker collecting. Whether its a culture or sub-culture is yet to be proven but it is nonetheless a real.

As a collector of antiquities what is your take on collecting replicas? Because aren't these highly sought after shoes just lower quality replicas of older sneaker models?
  

Great question! In antiquities, I would never possess or own an artifact. Its against the ethical code of archaeologists. 
In collecting shoes I collect what ever is wearable. I have several OG's and they fall apart as soon as I take five steps. Unfortunately, no matter how good the quality was back then, they weren't built to last 20 years. I rock all my kicks, so in order to wear the styles I like I have to settle for these replicas. However, I'm much more selective in what I buy now. In some cases I buy a retro solely for its midsole so I can restore my OG's.

 

[i mrdr peeps 4 fun]

Originally Posted by 430AM

GAME??? REALLY???

Plain and simple... You buy the kicks you like... Build up your collection. BUY, SELL & TRADE until you have a collection you are happy with and THAT'S IT.

If you are in it for the PASSION and LOVE of sneakers then why does RESELLING or anything of that nature even concern you???

Cats that make threads like this sound like some real crybaby %@+ bums... Like someone is supposed to give a %!%! that you were in the "game" and into sneakers before them. Get over yourself bruh. The culture is what it is and if you no longer want to be a part of it then GET OUT, there arent enough sneakers to go around anyway so you def. won't be missed. 

 

My two pennys....

Cry baby!

 Crazy how people talk on the internet.
Those 2 pennys are worthless if you don't read. Read before you post or don't post!
Never said I didn't want to be a part of it or wanted to leave the game. Sad thats what you got out of this post. SMH

 

[philknightruinedmylife]

interesting post. I try to avoid resellers when possible, and refuse to line up at all. Ive been a shoe head since the mid 80s (first shoe copped: NIKE Dasher) and have no plans to stop. The extra legwork and scrambling i have to do get some of the more limited releases definitely makes the hunt worthwhile.

 

[truthteller]

^^ No hate but you refuse to line up and you like to scrambe and do legwork to get a pair, isnt that kinda contradictory. Seems like legwork <> lining up

 

[nycposite]

This is what I feel it is.

Like noble said it's just shoes

The average person buying kicks is buying them because other people like them.

What kills me is some will buy the shoe 2 months early just to stunt and then when the shoe drops they are mad at resellers because they couldn't get a pair at retail

Another is most of us old heads are taking it too serious. I understand the passion but I can bet that when we started if we missed a pair of Jordan or whatever kicks you were buying it wasn't a big deal. You just made sure you got the next colorway

Sneaker are just like anything else that is IN right now. Someone is always going to make $$$ off of it

At the end of the day just buy what you like. If you miss out it's not a big deal there will also be something else you'll like in a few weeks or so.

If you feel they are a must have then buy them. Don't complain about the price you paid because at the end of the day you got what you want. Most of us in this thread make good money so it's not a big deal.

This "game" has become a real game. Things will never go back to how it was (xi on sale racks, foams for 75, kicks sitting in store, etc) because people have seen 150 rubber shoes go for 2x retail.

Just my 2 cents

 

[philknightruinedmylife]

Its not hating fam, thats an honest observation. I dont do the lines and such because of all the chaos. By legwork or scrambling, i mean reaching out to my contacts out of state or making new contacts that can plug me in. Im not knocking the line ups but its just not for me. They get out of order then i have to end up going in someones mouth. Please believe it. At the metallic red foam release (colisseum mall jamaica) i had bark on a couple of dudes for playing themselves.

 

[anthonys310]

the internet killed the sneaker game

 

[lewbez]

Originally Posted by anthonys310

the internet killed the sneaker game

Very true!

 

[1994ss]

Originally Posted by 160jordansdeep

how many times can the same topic come up

your tired of the "shoe game"

stop buying shoes

its been like this for the past 7 years

False, it has not been like this the past 7 years.

The Jordan VII cardinals were released in 2006. At the time, I knew I was going to get a pair, but I was a little busy and didn't have time to cop a pair. Eventually I forgot about it and waited I believe 1-2 months after the release before I went to the store to pick them up. I got to footlocker, and they had been sitting so long they were on sale for $80! They were short on some sizes but for the most part they had quite a few still in stock. No madness, no craziness, no rushing at the store 100 days early. That's how it used to be, that's how it should be.

Guess how many Jordan VII's cardinals I left with that day. One. I didn't need eight, I only have one left foot and one right foot. There's no need to create your own market of flipping, I got a good deal on a pair of shoes and I was happy to leave the store that way. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever be able to grab a pair of Jordans that way ever again.

 

[bootleg ed]

Originally Posted by 1994SS

Originally Posted by 160jordansdeep

how many times can the same topic come up

your tired of the "shoe game"

stop buying shoes

its been like this for the past 7 years

False, it has not been like this the past 7 years.

The Jordan VII cardinals were released in 2006. At the time, I knew I was going to get a pair, but I was a little busy and didn't have time to cop a pair. Eventually I forgot about it and waited I believe 1-2 months after the release before I went to the store to pick them up. I got to footlocker, and they had been sitting so long they were on sale for $80! They were short on some sizes but for the most part they had quite a few still in stock. No madness, no craziness, no rushing at the store 100 days early. That's how it used to be, that's how it should be.

Guess how many Jordan VII's cardinals I left with that day. One. I didn't need eight, I only have one left foot and one right foot. There's no need to create your own market of flipping, I got a good deal on a pair of shoes and I was happy to leave the store that way. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever be able to grab a pair of Jordans that way ever again.

CSB..LOL..it wasnt this way for JORDANS (outside of DMP) or foams then, sure, but '7 years ago' was Nike SB and AF1s. People beasted just as bad then as they do now. The tiffany line ups were insane. Hyperstrike af1s went for $1000. So, youre wrong. And to think, you spoke with such confidence lol.