Resellers are ruining sneaker culture

Ever since I was young I always wanted to have Jordans but unfortunately, they were always so expensive. I was never able to afford a pair of Jordans, I always thought why are they expensive. I found out about resellers, they buy a couple of pairs of sneakers on a release day then re-sell it two or three times the amount they paid for a profit. The issue is the sneaker for them is money not for the meaning of the shoe. Resellers are only interested in sneakers for the money and only want the shoe for the hype it has which will raise the value in it. The question is how are the resellers ruining sneaker culture.

1. Resellers mission

Benjamin Kickz

The main reason resellers are into sneakers and the community is money. Reselling is a way to make money by reselling sneakers and making a profit. Resellers buy a pair of sneakers that have a lot of attention and the resellers will be one of the firsts to get a couple of pairs. One of the issues is resellers will buy multiple pairs at a time, which ruins the chance of many being able to purchase a pair. Once they have the pair of sneakers they will sell it at any price usually higher than originally bought for.

2. It has become a monopoly.

Air Jordan 1 UNC

It has become a monopoly with resellers because they always have the sneakers everyone wants. With customers desperately wanting the sneaker, they take advantage of customers by listing the sneaker for a high price. For example, the Jordan 1 high UNC sneakers were sold in retail for $170 USD. As of lately, stock x has shown the same sneaker is averaging between $819-$917 in the past year. The value of the sneakers is rising because the resellers are pricing them as much as they want to make a profit. The rise of the prices is making it hard for customers to purchase sneakers.

3. No passion for sneakers

A old sneaker head

Resellers see the sneakers as money, not for their meaning. At the beginning of collecting sneakers, there was the meaning behind it. There was a sentimental value or meaning to someone to own the sneaker. The Jordan sneakers became popular because it was the trademark sneakers of at the time, one of the greatest basketball players. People wanted to be like Mike, there was a reason to have these sneakers. Today, sneakers are looked at only for the design, attention the sneaker is receiving, or even just the price. The more attention, the more value the shoe has meaning those high resell prices will follow.

4. The resellers are hype beasts.

Blazendary and Blake Lindor

Hypebeast is those who only collect sneakers for the much attention the sneaker is receiving or for the hype of the sneaker. Hypebeast has become more popular because of YouTubers showing off their large collection of popular, exclusive, and expensive sneakers. YouTubers like Blazendary, Blake Lindor, Harrison Navel, and Ari Petrou are known hypebeast in the sneaker community who buy the most expensive and hype shoes. A popular hypebeast and known reseller is Benjamin Kicks who has become a millionaire for being a reseller. Sneakers have become a manner to demonstrate the wealth one has and the more expensive the more popular it is.

5. Validation is important.

Validating authenticity of sneaker

The importance of the sneaker being real to resellers is important. Resellers and hypebeast are determined to find if a sneaker is fake or real. They use methods such as feeling, smelling, stitching, searching the tongue, and lettering of the sneaker to determine if it is real or fake. There are too many ways to determine if a show is real or fake, it is unnecessary to use those methods for a sneaker. Resellers and hypebeast first instinct are usually to prove a sneaker is fake to downgrade the owner. They are ruining the sneaker culture with their need to feel validated with their expensive sneakers.

6. Resellers cheat.

Sneaker bots

As previously mentioned, resellers use bots to get an advantage on buying multiple pairs of sneakers on release day. The bots are a way to buy the pair of sneakers faster and multiple at a time. Usually, many customers do not have a chance of buying the sneaker, with the resellers beating and cheating out another customer. Regular customers are not able to have a fair chance of getting a pair on release day, therefore losing motivation or interest in the sneakers. People are stepping away from collecting sneakers.

7. Resellers are arrogant.

Reseller with multiple pairs of Yeezys

The high prices of sneakers are becoming too much for people to afford with prices reaching up to $15,000 USD. People cannot afford these sneakers, so some of them resort to buying replicas or known as in the sneaker community, fakes. Since people are buying fakes for a cheaper price as well, resellers are frustrated. The resellers start to act arrogantly towards people by insulting them, calling them broke, fake sneaker heads, and looking down upon them. Resellers’ only sense of validation are sneakers and feel better than people since they have real authentic sneakers they paid hundreds for.

Conclusion

Overall resellers are ruining the sneaker culture and the community. It is starting with the outrageous prices resellers are charging for a pair of sneakers in which they cheat people out by using bots. They like to downgrade people for not being able to afford authentic sneakers and buying replicas instead. They are the reason many people are not interested in sneakers anymore and the sneaker community is being looked at as a waste of money. Sneakers are not dollar signs and are used to start a monopoly but the meaning behind the shoe and the meaning to people who collect them.

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