(3/) Cash vs. comfort: The entirely unimportant (sneaker) bloggers dilemma...
How do you use entirely useless information?
When I see news for a new release I like, I tend to ask myself a handful of questions…
How will they fit? Should I get a size 8.5, 9 or 9.5?
Are there going to be enough pairs to go around that I don’t have to wake up early to buy them?
Will I even wear them if I do manage to buy a pair?
(sidenote/tangent: A few years back, there was something that threatened my peace, though - there was an icon you’d see next to each and every shoe on the foot sites that attempted to solve the sizing issue. It was called ‘True Fit’ and they asked you a series of questions: something like ‘I wear a ___ in Nike Air Max 1, I wear a ___ in New Balance 574; therefore you should purchase a size ___ in these Asics Gel Lyte V.’ I don’t recall it being as useful for someone as pedantic as me, but I do think it was a noble pursuit.)
But so for the 3 questions I ask myself - 99 out of 100 times - I can’t get any answers to the first two questions and the third, I try to be a realist. I end up sitting out on most releases and hope that I luck out sometime down the road. I don’t think I’m the typical media target. I’m too old for them. I think I’m a dude that has bought into one too many releases and realized that a big portion of them didn’t work out. I’ve been caught up in the FOMO one too many times and regretted it, so now I’d rather just play it safe and watch from the sidelines.
What about you? What do you ask yourself when you see something new and interesting? Do you ask about sizing?
But that makes me think…if I am too old…what exactly IS the information that is keeping these media outlets in business? Is it the storyline? Is it stock numbers? Is it social knowledge? Is it potential resale-ability? Or…what is it? What is it that the vast majority of sneaker media consumers are looking towards these bloggers or media companies to provide? Are consumers just looking for something new to fixate on and pour our energy into? I suppose a more direct question would be: what is the value proposition behind sneaker media?
As a consumer, what value do you derive? As a media source, what value do you create?
As I look at my own experience…I constantly fall on a familiar refrain: I’m just into sneakers. And, I have a great memory. And, because almost anything I’ve ever done outside of my home that became a memory involved me wearing sneakers; they’ve been my constant companion throughout it all. And, yea, I know, it’s stupid to anthropomorphize sneakers, but it’s true. That’s the deal.
So.
For me, as a sneaker media consumer - 25+ years of avidly consuming sneaker media…I STILL don’t know exactly what it is I am still paying attention for. Sure, I pay attention to a handful of y’all out there…mostly because I just like y’all as people…but…in the interest of being completely transparent - I don’t think any of y’all are convincing me to buy anything. And maybe that’s not the goal. But. If it’s not, what is? And I still pay attention to the majors because they’re the majors (and have mastered the art of capturing attention). The value, tho? I suppose the value is information. And from that information, I’m thus able to become somewhat of a sneaker media source myself.
For me, as a sneaker media source - I create sneaker content because I think it keeps me sane. (And I LOVE to say this next part): As a grown man with all kinds of useless information rolling around in my head - in the context of sneaker media, 99% of that useless information is entirely useful. At least, in the case of sharing information.
What about you? Are you a consumer or are you a source? And have you ever asked yourself ‘why?’