Shoes

“Just Do It” is what you will see in commercials or whenever you walk into an athletic store.That is Nike’s slogan. Nike is one of the world's largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment. They make many of the shoes that people wear today. I am very passionate about sneakers. I like collecting and researching sneakers, especially Nike’s and Jordan’s. However, there are some issues with doing this. Whenever you are walking down the street, or even in your school, you may see people wearing the nicest shoes. The thing you don’t know is, that it probably took a lot of time and effort for them to purchase those shoes. The most popular and hardest-to-get kind are typically retro Jordans, the ones Michael Jordan himself wore during his playing days. There are many different styles out there, in different colorways and different features. The retro’s you will most likely see in public are retro 1 - 13. These shoes were Michael Jordan’s signature shoes when he played for the Chicago Bulls. He won 6 NBA championships while playing with them. As you could probably guess, that is why these shoes are loved and appreciated by “sneakerheads” everywhere.However, not everything about sneakers is so great.

The main problem with all of this is, that these shoes are extremely overpriced.. When you go out to purchase these at your local foot locker store, they retail for $140.I am not saying that they should not make a profit, but the prices are still too high. It can be difficult for some people to afford the shoes. High prices can lead some people to steal shoes from stores or other people. The “Shoe Game” can be very dangerous. Most of the time, if you are trying to resell your sneakers, you will have to meet up with the buyer. The buyer can then steal them from you and you will be in danger and have lost a lot of money. Because of that, it would be better if shoes were more available to the public and not as pricey. It could save lives. On the news from time to time you will hear of people rushing into the stores to get the latest Jordan or Nike releases. When people are going crazy for the new shoes coming out, that is called hype. Every 1 or 2 years, the retail price might be raised $5. If you paid $160 for Jordan 3’s in 2014, by 2015 they could cost you $165 or $170. 

Many people have a passion for sneakers, including myself. When you see that one pair that you absolutely have to get, it can become an obsession. Nike, Jordan and other brands make extremely high amounts of money on this industry. It is easy to see why. In today’s world, people care about what they are wearing, what they look like, and how they act. That’s why they are willing to spend a lot of money on shoes. Depending on what they are, they can sell out in a matter of minutes. When people miss out on buying them online, they often look to eBay to buy them from resellers. Reseller price is often too high to be considered. However, just by the pure desire and crave for the shoe, people will take the hit and pay the price. The shoe game is about pride and what you have. In a Boston Globe article, it states, “For some sneakerheads, as the collectors are called, buying the shoe is feeding a passion. For others it’s a day’s work, as the resell value on these limited-release sneakers will escalate by the afternoon. But for everyone involved, from the shoe manufacturer to the retailer to the freezing kid in line ready to give up a wad of cash for a new pair of kicks, it’s just part of the sneaker game?—?a phenomenon of buying, collecting, selling, swapping, and competing for this sought-after street-fashion accessory”. Jonathan Tran, a Boston-based sneakerhead, owns 40 pairs of shoes which he estimates are worth $15,000. He also estimates he has made $18,000 to $20,000 just off reselling shoes. He is just one of thousands of sneakerheads across the country. In the life of a sneakerhead, things can be hard. That is why it requires dedication and love of the game. I’m happy to be one.