Monday, 19th June 2023:
You know what kind of jackass I am?
I am the type of jackass that will make fun of something on social media, then look a bit more into it, then look for a deal, then go and buy the said thing.
I mean, for all intents and purposes...what in the world would compel me to seek out a pair of Nike swim flippers?
It started with that ridiculously stupid @champagnepapi x Nike 'Nocta' swim flipper advertisement that I saw and ridiculed and then when I realized they had cheap versions of those flippers I figured I'd cop a pair.
And so I did. $35 shipped. And I've used them more than any other *single* pair of shoes this summer (other than those Off White x AF1 mids I've been using for that little experiment).
And...they're certainly more comfortable than normal flippers. But they don't work nearly as well as normal flippers. But they do work ok in the water.
Someone said (in the comments) that they were meant to be worn as slides at the beach and then I saw someone somewhere else online say the same thing and I just don't see how that is logically possible. Are people actually wearing these like they're slides?
Anyway...just thought I'd report back on what a jackass I can be. If you've ever thought of following my advice for anything (other than 'do what makes you happy'), just know that I don't even follow my own advice most of the time.
Top Comment: realsoleinfo Need! Hope I can hunt em in my size too
Tuesday, 20th June 2023:
So I've got some debbie downer sh*t for you this morning.
Rhis is the dilemma...
In practice, it's obvious that I love corporations. I buy all kinds of stuff from them and they provide what I 'need' in a way that is easy for me. So I give them money for those things.
But in theory, I hate corporations. I hate everything they stand for and I think they are the most evil actors in our society.
---
There's this dude I met a few years ago (when I was teaching in East Oakland) that I would consider a friend (although I'm not even sure he knows who I am) and he pretty much lives to put 150% of himself into the social justice space. He is a dude who walks the walk and he talks the talk. If I've ever met someone that I thought of as absolutely selfless, it's him. He's got a doctorate degree, is in high demand all over the world, yet chooses to spend all of his time bringing services to the less fortunate in his neighborhood in East Oakland. The dude is the epitome of what I wish I was as a person. Completely selfless.
So he posted a link to this site called @jacobin the other day regarding that 'Air' movie (above left) and I read it and it just ate at my brain and conscience for a few days. I had never heard of Jacobin and after perusing the site for a few minutes I came to the conclusion that it was just really far left. Like anti-anything questionable. And...that's fine. I like hearing others’ opinions...but this one... it just kinda stung. Not because it was right or wrong, but really because it just made me feel guilty about these sneaker indulgences and how ridiculous we are with it. NONE of us need 50 pairs of shoes. NONE of us. What are we doing?
I know, in the grand scheme of things, none of it really matters. In 100 years, none of us will be around. The world and the people will have moved on from this whole ridiculous sham that we've all bought into because some corporations tricked us all into believing it was a *good* thing...but...I dunno.
I don't totally know why I'm posting this...other than to say that I read it and it moved me. I'd suggest you give it a read, too, if you've ever thought you wanted to escape the sneaker matrix...
Top Comment: doyourthing_b I don’t consider myself a sneaker head a sneaker lover yes, and I been like this since I was in 2nd grade. To me nothing is Better than having something fresh on your feet, I don’t have 100s of sneakers, I’m not a hypebeast, I wear everything from nbs, Nike, very rarely wear Jordan’s, adidas, saucony, filas, reeboks, Kobe’s to me it’s all about nostalgia at this point. Once I accumulate about 15 pairs I start giving them away. Resellers and collectors to me ruined the game, most of us wear sneakers for style conform and “freshness “ but you right 100 years from now what is going to be your legacy, that you spent thousands and thousands of dollars on sneakers, that they been in storage so long that when u wear them they disintegrate. I rather save money to leave to my kids and grandkids that get suckered by Nike mote specifically that releases the same shoes over and over , changes 2 lil things on a sneaker and pumps up the price 25 dollars more every time they release for the sake sneakers that came out in the 80s n 90s.
Wednesday, 21st June 2023:
Left:
- They look more comfortable.
- Probably waterproof.
- Wearing them will show that you're about 3 months too late to the (social media) show.
- Might be able to resell them on GOAT.
Right:
- They look like they'll last longer.
- Nicer materials.
- Wearing them will at least set you apart in real life (and social media)
- Might be able to resell them to an actual GOAT herder.
If you're looking for value and longevity - go with the clown boots. It even says in the product description that they'll give you YEARS of reliable service.
But...based on my preferred lifestyle choice of walking in rivers and hiking in the rain on muddy trails, give me the Astro Boy @mschf boots...
Top Comment: jonathanlineberry8 With one of them you’ll end up looking like a clown. Spoiler it’s not the one on the right
Thursday, 22nd June 2023:
Being that the whole reason I started ‘The Sneaker Savant’ was to establish a grading standard for sneakers, maybe I should start posting some grading content huh?
On the first page I’ve showed you 4 of the main flaws I found with this pair of shoes, then detailed shots of each…last two slides show what I graded them at.
Any pushback would be ultimately helpful. So feel free to tell me what you think of the grading system.
#thesneakersavant #shoemetrics #tssgraded #shoemetricsgraded #shoemetricsapproved #thesneakersavantgraded #psagrading #bgcgrading #gmagrading #sneakergrading #shoegrading #sneakerpreservationsociety #tssgrailbox #grading #graded #gradedcards #gradedcomics #gradedcoins #collectibles #sample #playerexclusive #collector #sneakercollectors #sneakercollection
Top Comment: not_quintan Are these grades on quality, condition or both?
The other day, as I was musing on the sheer absurdity of *sneaker waste* we are all part and parcel of, I came across this interesting article in Reuters about how they hid some trackers in some shoes that were supposedly being recycled in Singapore but almost all of them ended up at flea markets overseas...quite different than what they said would happen.
As I was trying to decide about how I would write about it…I got a cold DM from this dude @habibithrifts with a batch of photos of a rare Air Jordan 4 (green laser) friends and family sample…he wanted to know if they were real. I’m not well versed on samples (I don’t think many people are), but I showed them to a few people and we were all a bit intrigued…so I posted them on the story to get a crowd-sourced verdict. Needless to say, 300+ votes later…we didn’t have a solid verdict.
So I went back to dude and asked him the story behind them…where did he get them, etc…he told me that he’s a thrifter in India and he mostly sources from the donation bales that are sent to India from the United States. Pretty much the same journey Reuters talked about in their article. Sure, I had heard of these bales, but that’s a whole sector of society that I really know nothing about…so he sent me a few videos showing what it’s like when the bales touch down, plus a whole account full of stuff he’s found and made a business of sending back to the United States. *mind blown*
I told him if he wanted, I could authenticate and attempt to sell the shoes for him, but I would (obviously) need them on hand. He told me he’d send the shoes and within 4 days (!!!) I had a package from India in my mail box.
Sure enough, the shoes were in there. And, upon closer inspection, I do believe they’re fake.
Obviously, we were hoping upon hope that they were real because, with the tiny amount produced we could have probably actually traced *where they came from and *exactly how they ended up where they did, but no we can’t. BOOOOOOO
Top Comment: churchofkicks I could be wrong but I don’t think i’ve ever seen a sample tag on a pair of reps
Friday, 23rd June 2023:
From the side I kinda like them…could do with some new colorways as black/black and white/white is 😴
Top view they look slippers. Not sleek at all.
Definitely not $170 tho. Def not.
Top Comment: bobby2turnt I like the top down view but between the price and the rest of the shoe, oof. The Humara didn’t seem to sell well but I thought it was very well executed compared to this.
My toxic trait is screenshotting images and then forgetting where I found them and/or in which context.
So I found this image and I'm pretty sure they said this was actually logos that have been used on shoes or clothing. And, having traveled through America, Asia and Africa, I'd believe it. I'll never forget seeing a 'Chicago Bulls' fancy button up with stripes.
Some of them are amusing...some are just kinda cool...if you were gonna release your own shoe and had to choose one of these - which would it be?
I think I'd go with that that admlis (bottom row second from the left - although that name is horrendous)...
Top Comment: ba_williams17 SPORTS for comedy, Xinertai for best actual design
Enjoy the rest of your week!