Monday, 22nd May 2023:
Got this question the other day and had to think on it for a minute...what is there that I don't know that I'd like to know?
Turns out, there's a lot. But...this one I actually had images for, so...
I saw a pair of these Adidas Terrex (retail $150) at my local outlet for around $50, but they didn't have my size. I hit eBay and found them for around $34, so I purchased.
I had to ask myself...'who is actually *making* money in this scenario?
- Adidas cost was probably around $40 in creating the shoe,
- The original retailer, probably around $75 in buying it wholesale from Adidas
- The outlet charging $50 probably paid...$25?
- But this random person on eBay...if they're selling at $34 how is THAT person making money?
And then I got the shoes in the mail and I noticed a price tag: $11.93 - 92% off retail.
Before I go any further - we had a WET winter in California. And I've tried out tons and tons and tons of ACGs over the years and I've only found one pair of ACGs that actually keep my feet dry, so I wanted to branch out and try some cheap Terrex's to see if they were any better. Spoiler: this pair functioned WAY better than ALL of my ACGs. Turned me into a fan.
It appears that the person who actually sold me the shoes is actually the only person in the whole chain of custody that actually MADE money. This dude made more than 100% profit while everyone else took a massive hit. And I got a dope, functional, pair of shoes for $34. So my question is...where in the hell can I buy BRAND NEW shoes for 92% off of retail?
Tuesday, 23rd May 2023:
Jerry Jerry Jerry.
Yeah, they look dope.
And they look *a lot* more comfortable than those Nikes.
But.
I dunno.
My interest for this collaboration was really dampened after seeing that clip from that interview (possibly taken out of context?)...the 'why does your stuff cost so much' clip...where he basically says because that's what God wants.
I dunno man. I dunno.
I guess I don't follow the brand enough to really know. A few years ago, @jerrylorenzo hopped on one of my posts and told me I was a kid and didn't know anything about his brand, obviously, he was wrong about the first point, but the second, I can say that he was right. I don't know much about his brand other than a few items.
I made a post a few months ago where I claimed that the (Nike) Swoosh seems to be a bit more potent than the (Holy) Cross at this point in culture...is Fear of God actively marketed as the intersection of brand vs. religion?
Top Comment: keiththex Most people wouldn’t even go to his main line, just essentials. This pair is more mainstream to fit the aesthetics of essentials. All for the cult following to devour
Over the past couple of weeks I've gotten a few messages from people asking me about different sneakers meeting different criteria, but almost all of them involved something along the lines of 'can you help me find a sneaker that has XYZ features but isn't very popular?'
And each time, I kept landing on the Air Max Plus 3 and the Air Max Tailwind 4 - two of my GOATs that I virtually never see sneakerheads posting about.
Now, I know there are plenty of y'all out there that love these shoes just as much as I do, but these ones...for the most part...they seem to fly under the radar. And they have for as long as they've been around. Two perfect candidates for my ridiculous exercise below...
The criteria for a 'sneakerheads sneaker'...IMO...I think it should be something like this:
(1) Not hyped in the least - these usually aren't even marketed by the company that makes them.
(2) You can often find colorways for up to 50% off retail because they either released too many or people generally don't care.
(3) If you saw someone in public wearing them, you'd size them up immediately and know you were *both into shoes...(this is kinda funny because I met one of my best (sneaker) friends and connections because of a pair of Tailwind IVs...dude actually came up to me and said 'I bet I could tell you the SKU of your Tailwinds')
So....what's your top 'sneakerheads sneaker'?
Top Comment: cscott_run For me personally the air tuned max especially in celery
Wednesday, 24th May 2023
Don’t know who needs to hear this (if anyone) and I don’t know if it’s in anyone’s best interest for me to tell you about other shoes you should buy, but I wanted to let y’all hype-hoppers in on a little info…
Obviously, the Vomero 5 is having its moment, yea I know it’s so comfortable and a $400-1500 price tag on certain models is TOTALLY justifiable 🤦♂️… but there is a lesser known (and not as hyped) model called the P6000 that is just as good as the Vomero IMO. (The example I gave above, tho, turned out to be a terrible example as that particular P6000 is selling for more than that particular Vomero 😂)
Caught my first pair at a Nike outlet for $30 and they are indeed just as comfortable as the Vomero. No need to stress over following the crowd - find some P6000’s instead!
Top Comment: ric_a_lisk What makes either of these shoes "so comfortable" compared to other makes and models? Or is that just the hype train talking?
Thursday, 25th May 2023
There's this old Portlandia skit in which Fred and Carrie are at a restaurant and are asking the waitress a million questions about how the chicken (that they're about to eat) was raised. In what turns out to be a ridiculous scene, the waitress has all the patience in the world for this endless barrage of questions, replying with actual earnestness and as much information as possible about said chicken. The chicken's name is Collin and he came from a farm about 30 miles south of Portland...at which point Fred and Carrie decide to take a quick drive on over to the farm to make sure they raised Collin humanely. The waitress holds their table for them.
Obviously, this skit goes to show how ridiculous we can be when we scrutinize what we consume and it can have a slot in a comedic context...but what happens when the shoe is on the other foot? Would it still be funny if the waitress flipped it on 'em and started asking them if they were worthy of buying the chicken?
So...I guess...this is where I tell you that this skit is the first thing I thought of when I saw this ridiculous list of conditions given by Nike in regards to the 'restock' AJ4 SB: "Rather than hosting a traditional re-release, Nike has shared that the restock is designed to “reward our loyal SB members who we feel will be most inclined to actually skate in the shoes.” To accomplish this, only Nike accounts that meet two criteria points will be allowed to enter. First, the user must have lost the drawing for the sneaker during its initial drop on March 21. In addition to this, the entrant must have purchased Nike SB footwear within the last year across the Nike digital ecosystem. Here’s the catch: Nike SB Dunks are not included as eligible footwear to qualify. Knowing the mass appeal of the SB Dunk silhouette, the Swoosh has done its best to distinguish and cater to the true skate enthusiasts."
I mean...call me whatever you want to call me...but when you've got the worlds most popular clothing company in the world scrutinizing their loyal and RABID customers - all for the CHANCE to buy a pair of shoes - I can't help but feel we are all subjugated to this sadistic entity...
Top Comment: scottrenus We’re in the same page. I may be off here but here is the way I viewed this, as well as other rumors we’ve heard about SNKRs (interaction with the app, taking L’s for other pairs, etc.):
Back in the mom & pop days, the stores would have to buy shit product that won’t sell in order to be able to sell the good stuff. Now that they’re closed and everything is direct to consumer, the CUSTOMER has to buy the shit product (or spend time in the SNKRs app watching shit that they don’t want, just to increase their opportunity to win). I know people who try to buy every single release on SNKRs to increase their chances, and when they buy stuff they don’t want (stupid, right?), instead of returning it, they resell it and are willing to LOSE money in it because they don’t want it to impact future chances at wins. “Stop the madness!”
Friday, 26th May 2023
Besides the obvious Footscape connection, and then asking myself 'who the hell is @bephiesbeautysupply' the @jeanpaulgauthier x @sacaiofficial x @nike is the third thing I thought of after seeing that new Jordan 1.
I love the wacky patchwork construction and the piecemeal approach...I feel like they'd look significantly better in some classic colorways, but the sail/white/yellow is fine as is. Subtle. And if you ain't a sneakerhead, you probably wouldn't know the significance of any of the puzzle pieces visible.
Chinese pre-sellers are already asking $500 for pre-release (LOL) so they clearly know what I don't (likely some really really limited numbers).
I like them, but I'll probably never own a pair of these and I'm ok with that.
Top Comment: ryanboehm_ I will say that it looks like production on these would be a logistical nightmare, wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the reason chinese pre-sale is so expensive
Enjoy the rest of the week!