Seems to be a lot of talk about lately about sneakers and sneaker culture being ‘dead’ over the past couple of months…years?…whatever. Just a bunch of old heads like me complaining from our golden parachutes that things have changed and we don’t really like it. Surprise. It really reminds me of Nas saying ‘hip hop is dead’ in the most hip-hop way possible (by dropping a dope undeniable bop)…in which…anyone with half a brain knew that he didn’t ACTUALLY mean that hip hop was dead. It was merely his way of saying that something fundamental had changed for him…in which…anyone with half a brain knew that hip hop, had, in fact, changed.
As many (with half a brain) have argued: sneakers are not dead. As far back as I can remember - I have *never* been presented with as many options, nor at such great prices. It’s literally ABSURD how many dope shoes are sitting on sales racks right now just waiting to be picked up and turned into your next great story. The thing is, though, it’s gotta be YOUR story. As much as we’d like to make the brand story *our* story, it’s mostly not.
I’ve got nothing negative to say about anyone in particular. I almost always have something negative to say about the corporations, though, which is ultimately what changed IMO. Most of us who are truly into sneakers aren’t suddenly *not* into sneakers. Far from it. We’re *not* into the circus that it has become. Almost everything we bitch about on social media is pretty much directly related to some beancounter at a massive corporation that decides to release things based on financial statements - they’ve *never* been interested in sneaker culture beyond what they can squeeze out of it. And that’s largely a byproduct of opportunism. It has *nothing* to do with shoes. For my economics majors - these sneakers could just as easily be ‘widgets.’
I’ve always vowed to never be that guy that would hold age and experience against people younger than me…I’ll just choose to play by my own rules. I don’t have to get worked up about anything except my own perception. And that, if anything, is the lesson that us old heads should take from the ‘death’ of sneakers.
Reach back…tho…take an honest look at the landscape. Sure, you might not be able to get the most hyped stuff, but can you really hate on the plethora of dope sneakers that are available at attainable prices right now?
In the southwest corner of Union Square Park in New York City, there is a semi-hidden bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi. I know this statue is here because this is where the girlfriend (now wife) and I used to agree to meet before we had cellphones. Yes, we’ve been together THAT long. But so, this statue is incredibly lifelike. I used to sit there observing it…just looking at it…marveling at it. And I used to always notice…Gandhi is wearing sandals. Super obvious if you know anything about history, sure, but…I dunno…I couldn’t walk by that statue without looking at his feet and those sandals…not all that strange for a sneakerhead…right?
That Michael Jordan Statue in Chicago in that patented pose has him rockin’ a pair of 9’s. 9’s! In a hundred years when we’re all dead and gone and assuming the world is still functional and basketball and sneakers is still a thing, are sneakerheads of the future going to look at that statue and think the Jordan 9 was the most important shoe of the Jordan line? I mean, why else would they put 9’s on MJ if they weren’t the most important J’s?
I suppose…as the most salient example, by way of tragedy, would be the Kobe Bryant statue they just unveiled. Besides it instantly becoming the meeting place for plenty of people who will eventually get married (s/o to my wife), Kobe is wearing a pair of Nike Kobe 1’s. This is historically accurate as being the pair he was wearing in the photo the statue was based off of, but in a hundred years……does that automatically make the Nike Kobe 1 THE shoe that Kobe is known for? IMO…this is kind of a disservice to the impact of the 5 or 6 - which are much more obviously the shoes that the vast majority of sneakerheads care about when they think of Kobe’s shoes.
So…I guess…if they were to make a bronze statue of you - what shoes would you be wearing?
A lot of y’all who follow me have been here for years have been around the block a few times. We ain’t youngsters. We’re probably mad at some of the sneaker stuff we see and we’re probably amazed at some of the others…things have definitely changed, but the culture *definitely* isn’t dead (see my last post).
There are a TON of things about today’s sneaker culture that are well and alive for me…I don’t think there’s been a better time to *really* be into sneakers. But it does make me think: what (about sneaker culture) has died for me?
eBay was the first domino for me…when they added that ‘authenticity guarantee’ a few years ago I was livid. Because I don’t need ANY of them dudes telling ME what is authentic.
Basketball retros are dead to me.
The used sneaker market is dead to me.
Quick flips are dead to me.
Buying anything that’s a ‘good deal’ is dead to me.
Triple black and black/white shoes are dead to me.
StockX is dead to me…but…that’s also because it was never really alive for me in the first place.
The concept of a ‘grail’ is dead to me.
What about you? What has died for you?
Sometimes when I see these sneaker drops and the sneaker riots I think…what if this stuff *never* stops? Speaking of the ‘death of sneaker culture’, have you ever thought about the death of a civil society? LOL.
I guess my Netflix ‘home’ screen can tell you a bit about my viewing habits: It’s mostly apocalypse-related movies and shows. And, there are THOUSANDS of apocalypse-related shows and movies. I’ll start watching one, get bored, then switch over to another. And another. And another. I was scrolling through my ‘continue watching’ list the other night and it was just apocalypse title after apocalypse title.
So. Yea. You guessed it. I was watching this one called new one ‘Annihilation’ the other night and couldn’t help but wonder…if the world were to end tomorrow and my family and I had to pack the car and get the hell up outta here…which pair of shoes in my closet would be the *smartest* choice in a post-apocalyptic world?
They’d obviously have to be something practical, durable, comfortable, and multi-functional...so…Air Maxes are completely off the table, as well as Jordans and anything Off-White (although those AF1 Mids or the Terra Formas might not be the worst choice…). Waterproof or at least water-resistant would be ideal, with maybe a free trail sole to help with fatigue. Black would be my preferred color, but…a dark brown would also suffice…
Yeezy Tactical Boots look pretty functional…maybe…those Kobe X EXTs (the super high ones)…or…even…those @acoldwall Vomero’s that ALREADY look apocalyptic would suffice…I really don’t have a good answer. No chance I’m running out the house with only one pair. I’d probably try and grab something sturdy and something simple (like a waffle racer). What are you grabbing?
About 10 or 15 years ago, there were all of these ‘crazy casket’ pictures going viral. Dudes buried on their motorcycles or dudes buried in Nike boxes or…I don’t know. Gucci caskets. I think it’s largely a cultural thing…not really something I’m familiar with. And most of the funerals I’ve been to have been pretty standard catholic ceremony’s with dark, shiny, wood caskets. Nothing too exciting.
But…continuing along with this weeks theme of ‘death and sneakers’…have y’all ever wondered about what sneakers you wanted to buried in? Assuming you have some sort of will written out, and there’s a box for ‘resting sneakers’, what are you filling that box with?
Is it something comfortable? To get you through the valley of the shadow of death?
Is it something stylish? So you can stunt in heaven?
Is it something nostalgic? Something people will probably remember you by?
FOMO died for me, along with the concept that copping a new pair of kicks would have a lasting impact.
Just read it again. FOMO is dead to me, the concept of grails as well and pretty much everything else you mentioned. Buying a shoe just for the sake of buying it it's also dead to me. The shoes I would run away with would probably be waffles, ultra boost and a Nike Pegasus lol