“L na naman!”
It used to be so simple. Enter a raffle or campout and get the sneaker. With a just passion and time and a little networking, you can actually get a sneaker for retail.
Well, times have changed.
Don’t get me wrong, online raffles are cool but when it’s almost unrealistic on how someone beat you when you’re just a minute deep? How the hell can that happen? I know some hardcore collectors, uhm, sneakerheads who just stopped bothering? Mind you, these are the types who were ruthless in getting the hottest releases back then.
Sad to say, these days it’s just how your bots work or how fast your connection is. And you know what? The deeper we are into these online releases, the connection aspect is becoming weaker and weaker. And the worst of it all is that no one really wins these things. For sure, there may be a lucky couple of times you get that W, but those odds are very, very low.
Tell me, who among you actually got the sneaker manually off their respective apps? I’ve long given up on it and resellers are the next best thing. That is if they price things accordingly and not based on CRAZY StockX prices—and yes, if you look around hard enough and you are friendly, they may let you in on a nice deal so it pays to be extra nice to them.
But then, where do we go from here? It seems to me now that sneakerhead culture is slowly caving in for the modern flipper. It is a part of the culture—but if each and every one of us are resellers then to whom do we sell these sneakers to?
From personal experience, most of the collectors I’ve been with have already turned to more ahem, mature pursuits and it’s so nice to see younger ones take the torch. But then, if they are accustomed to just relying on apps and not getting the sneakers because of bots or faulty apps then what culture are they to enjoy.
I may be talking from my feet now but is there a way companies can find a perfect balance in making us purchase their products? For every 5 sad sneakerheads I see like 10 flippers with multiple pairs and who am I to knock their hustle? More power to them but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see a balance that the resellers got their pairs AND a portion at least of those who really want the pairs got them too. You know? That balance.
I have stopped for a healthy time now and the way I see it? Sneakers will be more impossible to obtain for the next coming months or so. I never even bother. But then it all boils down to how much you are willing to spend and less of the effort you’re willing to make.
Shoe companies should care more about their customers because if these guys decide to stop? Then who will run the scene? Is this the new normal? I hope I’m wrong.
Funny thing is that we have foresight: when you see a sneaker online that’s about to drop…for sure you probably ain’t gonna get ’em.
Feeling lucky? Maybe you can try your luck on some Pharrell Williams NMD’s here.
