I don’t really involve myself in sneaker culture. I stay in my own lane and collect Air Max 90s, nothing else. What I’ve noticed this year, though, is a shift toward nostalgia over innovation. It’s the 35th anniversary of the AM90, and instead of celebrating it with something fresh or meaningful, several big collaborations have leaned on recycled ideas. The Size? and Patta releases are the clearest examples. They feel more like rewinds than progress.
Thanks for the comment, Stuart. Just subscribed. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection. I think you’re spot on with the 35th anniversary. It feels like they just chose the easiest path. I love the nostalgia but I also think for the bigger anniversaries, they gotta do more.
Great read! Helpful seeing the proof in the pudding with numbers to back it up. I think the reality is sneaker culture will never really be dead, they’ll always be a sub group that’s trendy or thriving. What’s missing is the innovation which I believe you touched on. What made collabs so exciting before was we were seeing designs we weren’t seeing before, Nike did this especially well with their SB dunks. Every now again there’s one that gets me excited, but they’re not having consistent bangers
Agreed. Someone will come along and make people rethink about what’s cool and people will be excited again. As for collabs, I don’t think they’re ever going away. Brands can’t tell a local community story without it feeling like they are taking advantage. Unless of course they have a collaborator that brings authenticity to the table.
I mentioned this about the Brooks numbers, but (over) thinking about this piece, I want to say, it’s important to keep in mind how StockX numbers can look extreme when a silhouette or brand, wasn’t relevant in the secondary market in previous years. Having +2,000% for a shoe that had only a handful of sales last year, is a bit misleading at first glance. The same way a pair of Air Jordans that’s up 25% over last year could actually mean tens of thousands of sales.
I don’t really involve myself in sneaker culture. I stay in my own lane and collect Air Max 90s, nothing else. What I’ve noticed this year, though, is a shift toward nostalgia over innovation. It’s the 35th anniversary of the AM90, and instead of celebrating it with something fresh or meaningful, several big collaborations have leaned on recycled ideas. The Size? and Patta releases are the clearest examples. They feel more like rewinds than progress.
Thanks for the comment, Stuart. Just subscribed. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection. I think you’re spot on with the 35th anniversary. It feels like they just chose the easiest path. I love the nostalgia but I also think for the bigger anniversaries, they gotta do more.
Great read! Helpful seeing the proof in the pudding with numbers to back it up. I think the reality is sneaker culture will never really be dead, they’ll always be a sub group that’s trendy or thriving. What’s missing is the innovation which I believe you touched on. What made collabs so exciting before was we were seeing designs we weren’t seeing before, Nike did this especially well with their SB dunks. Every now again there’s one that gets me excited, but they’re not having consistent bangers
Agreed. Someone will come along and make people rethink about what’s cool and people will be excited again. As for collabs, I don’t think they’re ever going away. Brands can’t tell a local community story without it feeling like they are taking advantage. Unless of course they have a collaborator that brings authenticity to the table.
Thanks for subscribing and for the comment!
I mentioned this about the Brooks numbers, but (over) thinking about this piece, I want to say, it’s important to keep in mind how StockX numbers can look extreme when a silhouette or brand, wasn’t relevant in the secondary market in previous years. Having +2,000% for a shoe that had only a handful of sales last year, is a bit misleading at first glance. The same way a pair of Air Jordans that’s up 25% over last year could actually mean tens of thousands of sales.