Hype… what is hype doing to the Sneaker Community?

As of late I’ve heard, on numerous occasions, that the ‘game’ has changed. No longer can you walk into a store and purchase a pair of sneakers at ease. Could you even imagine walking into a store on release day and walking out with a brand new pair of Air Jordan XI’s, in any color, without any lines or campouts necessary? That’s what is used to be like for all of us back in the 90’s.

I remember when you had to call into Eastbay to order your shoes, and it was easy. There was no sitting on the computer counting down the seconds until the shoe you were after became available, you just called and ordered… that simple. Even when early release sites started to make themselves known to the community, prices were nowhere near the level they are at now. You may have had to pay $50-100 over retail to get a particular pair early, now you are nearly paying double the retail price. Supply and demand as well as inflation comes into play as usual, but it’s not the only factor… in fact, this only applies to limited releases where the quantity of the product is reduced yet, a general releases end up having the same effect nowadays.

One of my good friends states that sneaker blogs are to blame… even being a part of a site, I have to agree. In all honesty, we at Sneaker Files do not promote early release sites as a means for you to get your pair early… we do however use their images to keep you in the loop as often as possible. I cannot say the same for everyone else yet; anyway you look at it, it is promotion in some shape or form… even if unintentional.

All of us have a back story, which was a previous discussion topic; on why we are into the sneakers we crave so very often. There are those of us who see the art in the product, there are fans of the athletes which we represent by sporting their logo and then there are those of us who are into fashion and trends.

At the end of the day, is it really hype we are looking at or just the simple fact that we must now share our passion with newcomers from the younger generation who are increasingly being turned into ‘Sneaker Heads’?

What are your thoughts on hype; do blogs create it and spread hype around to the masses? Is it those who comment on each and every post labeling everything that releases as a ‘must cop’? Could it just be that more and more Sneaker Heads are surfacing because of the blogs and forums which are now available to them?

It could be anything really… but let us know what hype means to you and how or why it’s so widespread amongst our culture as of late.

Image Via Like_Clockwork/ HB Forum

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21 Comments

  1. Its true that the new generation of sneaker heads is hyping everything up( would know i’m one of them.) i mean it seems nice that you could just walk into a store and cop a new pair of shoes without having to camp-out or wait for hours to get the newest Jordan’s. I think also that the camp-outs are a great part of being a sneakerhead today. Its fun and get to talk with other people about their shoe interests and all the stuff they like while also wondering in your mind if the person in front of you is going to get the last pair. Its just a good balance of fun and competition now. also the blogs and websites definitely contribute to the hype. half the people who know about the newer releases coming out like the “teal foamposites” in a few weeks for example, wouldn’t know about them if it were not for the websites.

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  2. I've been buying shoes since the 90's and I do remember walking into a store weeks after a foamposite or Jordan released and was still able to walk out with my size. No problem. But I think in the last fifteen years, one thing has changed… Hip Hop. What was once just some music for the ghetto struggle on a minute scale, has now become a global phenomenon. Some could argue hip hop music is now pop music and vice versa. The lines have been blurred. And the one thing that goes hand in hand with the music/culture, is staying fresh and in the latest. So now that the fan base is astronomical, you have all these people wanting to look the part. Wanting to be current. Then you add the "businessman" and I use quotes because I'm not a fan of resellers, but they saw an opportunity and seized it. If everyone wants a shoe and I can get it, then sell it for two and three times as much, then why not. You can't knock the hustle. But I do think it's ruined the game a little bit. But the bottom line is, I'm in my 30's now and I'm still going to buy whatever's hot, regardless if I get them regular price or have to pay a little extra. At the end of the day, being a sneakerhead is a sickness.

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    1. hip hop has never been just ghetto struggle and even from the earliest days of rakim and run dmc they were into sneakers, its that now these kids that wouldnt have been able to get their ears to some rap music in the past are getting a chance to..hip hop was FROM the ghetto and spoke about life BUT all ppl in the ghetto strive to get better even if a pair of jordans meant you had the 150 to buy them i think BOOTLEGG JORDANS created this monster because noone was thinking about getting their hands on flints or breds or anything that wasnt in the stores but now you see a bum ass ni**a rockin 50 dollar jordans and ppl feenin to get them to drop in stores so now JB drops 300 colorways and styles a year…i remeber a time when jordans came out 1 number per year 3-4 colorways + playoffs and that was it now every color imaginable is made in jordans it watered the game down its made it wack and honestly i own 2 pairs of jays and about 20 pairs of vintage nike since it seems that nike has the grip on dropping fire in spurts…jordan gives no suspense and want…just look onloine and you'll see that they have a menu of shoes for 2012 already its corny..really

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  3. I think that hype isn’t the issue, it’s more of resellers getting on the hype making it more difficult for a lot of people.

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  4. I'd have to say its less hype and more of the simple fact that more and more people are being introduced to and hooked on sneakers. It's thanks to websites like this that I was, and still am, able to broaden my love and knowledge for everything sneakers. as for the difficulty of getting sneakers nowadays, usually anything in life worth having is worth working hard for, so doing what you have to do to get your hands on a pair is a no brainer

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  5. Adding to what Sky mentions, I believe the manufacturers also have a part of the guilt here.

    It would be so easy for Nike or JB to simply say: Air Jordan XI concord, available in 3 months, making all the shoes the market asks for.

    Instead, they delay the launch, they limit the number of shoes a customer can get, and charge $170 dollars for a pair of shoes that probably costs $30 dollaras in the making.

    All this is legitimate bussines handling from Nike, no one can forbid them from charging whatever they value their product in…nobody BUT us buyers…

    If in the end, if hype exists, it's all up to all sneakerheads to not let it grow. And put an end to it for good.

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  6. The hype has been going on since the mid 90's now get used to it. Everyone knows hype mostly comes from high schoolers and younger but look back everyone we where in their shoes once when we were in school and parents would only buy you maybe 1 or 2 pair of J's a year. Now werent you guys excited and hype to get that 1 pair and would make sure you would get them for school on Monday. You guys seem like you don't like how boutiques or shoes gain profit, why? Shoes that we buy for retail that gain $400-5 on them over the years is a beautiful thing, who has the heat on their feet now. But just try and get the shoes release date and you don't have to worry about paying more, boutiques/websites have to make money just like we have to go to work everyday, never knock another man hustle, hustle harder!!

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  7. I have been since the late 90s and early 2000s. I think the hype is all the rappers out there hypeing it out to let everyone see they got it first. Ok, I can do dat too. Plus nowadays the younger generation are so hypeing it up. I live in NC were the sneaker was low until the last three years. I see these kids that think they are the shit with new jordans on. To me it is not worth it. There is no hype to me anymore cuz Jordan quality has fallen off. Plus here in NC the you actually did not have to line up for the space jams but there was a line for the cool greys. The cement 3s and the Boardauxs 7s were still in foot locker and Jimmy jazzs after a week. All in all it is the media and the kids hypeing it up.

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  8. all it has to do with are the brands themselves. they catch on to thhe trends and feed it back in the day a limited edition was still easy to get only once it was finished that was it now days they slap a production number on it and get it hyped, brands love blogs it makes their jobs easier and now they know that from looking on the blogs they will bring something out knowing it will sell out in seconds and make maximum profit. it cuts out risk

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  9. The Blogs Site and also The resellers are making it worst on other its sad to see a good pair of kicks are being miss handle in that type of way

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  10. I miss the good ol days of Jordan releasing 6 pair of shoes a year! An O.G.colorway, Bulls colorway, Allstar, Playoff, and North Carolina coloway! thats it six pair no retros! no team crap! just six lil ol pair and you knew when they was coming out and even Asay's, Team Sporting Goods and Dick's got em so it wasn't that big of a deal….the 90's was great…Being a Sneakerhead is a full time second job!

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  11. Hype begins with the footwear companies. Sneakers are being produced today in smaller quantities then they were back in the 80's and early 90's, which in turn causes hype.

    While we reminisce of the days when we could walk in the store at any hour or any day to pick up the newest Jordan's, lets keep in mind that the sneakers were being produced in larger numbers back then. Limited release like we see today were far and few between back then. It was like the companies produced sneakers for everybody. Today, these produce SOME sneakers for everybody and produce others only the most dedicated will get their hands on. It wasn't like that back in the day. I could get my AJ13's on the day of release or two days later. Now, you have minutes if you want to get a pair at retail price.

    Sometimes I hate how hype caused the game to change, but at the same time it makes it exciting in so many ways, not knowing whether or not you're gonna get the latest pair. It raises your adrenaline. It also makes me appreciate my newest pickup more, knowing I wasn't just able to get them whenever I wanted and had to "conquer the odds" in order to add a pair to my collection.

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  12. Perfect example the jordan banned 1s.I have NEVER heard of camp outs at nike factory stores until now smh.And you have these resellers who are cashing in on the hype.Cmon use your god given common sense why pay 550 to 600 for a shoe that was 109 before taxes?Everyone blames the resellers but its not their fault that you want to spend 500 on a 100 dollar shoe because of a bunch of hypebeast saying that thats the best shoe on the planet.Dont get me wrong the banned 1s was and is a excellent shoe but I wouldnt dare pay 500 to 600 for them.I even saw a ebay auction where a guy was selling a size 18 for 1250.00.I dont have any issues with resellers because there are some good ones who love the sneaker culture .I have issues with these hypebeast who dont have a mind of their own and hype up a bunch of bullshit and make it bad for other sneakerheads who may have not been able to get a certain shoe on the release date and have to kick out double or triple for the shoes.

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  13. You wanna know the definition of hype? Look at eBay and look up Air Jordan V Retro Tokyo 23. $1,500 and up for a pair of Jordans that didn't get released in the U.S. They only cost $149.99 at retail. I love Jordans as much as anyone out there, but that is way over hyped. I only buy one pair of each release and I am satisfied with that.

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  14. RDogg23 I agree with you 100%.I had no idea the retail price was 149.99.I was able to get a pair and had to pay way over retail.I didn’t pay any where near 1500 smh.I even saw a auction for a little over 3000 for them smdh.Why because of 2 factors 1 it was a non usa release making it that much exclusive 2 HYPE.

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  15. i cant speak on how it was back in the day becasue im 20 years of age and i was only a few months when mike won his first championship but i can speak on what hype haver done for me since I've a sneakerhead and honestly i personally think you guys are right i check websites everyday for shoes and mostly thats all i look at are shoes but when i first started to purchase shoes i would only buy the shoes that everyone wanted and try to get them early as possible and that would sometimes means paying 2x the retail value of the shoes just so i can rock the shoes 1 week early in a way it was like i was working just to buy shoes. the hype the internet, media, and word of mouth effected on what shoes i bought. nowadays i only get the ones i want and not really care for hype if i like them then ima get them.

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  16. i walked into footlocker 2 weeks ago saw the true blues and was like whattt look like a bootleg shoe and this 15 yr old kid walked in and nearly passed out at the sight of the shoe…they really cant be that in love and have been waiting for the shoe especially since they werent even born and verrrry young when they retroed in the first place official sneaker heads know that they've had a lot of these shoes and it brings back memories lol…i wouldnt buy from a reseller maybe more because i've owned maybe all the jordans that i've wanted growing up ANYWAY…but this hype thing is nothing more than a bunch of kids wanting to be down somewhere in some way because honestly there was noone rockin jordans and rockin vans the next day sorry u a faker just wanna follow stay in ya lane…and when are the black navy n white low 13's dropping daaaamn i miss those HAD THEM WHEN I WAS YOUNG see how the shoe brings me back lol….e z

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  17. i walked into footlocker 2 weeks ago saw the true blues and was like whattt look like a bootleg shoe and this 15 yr old kid walked in and nearly passed out at the sight of the shoe…they really cant be that in love and have been waiting for the shoe especially since they werent even born and verrrry young when they retroed in the first place official sneaker heads know that they've had a lot of these shoes and it brings back memories lol…i wouldnt buy from a reseller maybe more because i've owned maybe all the jordans that i've wanted growing up ANYWAY…but this hype thing is nothing more than a bunch of kids wanting to be down somewhere in some way because honestly there was noone rockin jordans and rockin vans the next day sorry u a faker just wanna follow stay in ya lane…and when are the black navy n white low 13's dropping daaaamn i miss those HAD THEM WHEN I WAS YOUNG see how the shoe brings me back lol….e z

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  18. I can’t believe no one mentioned this! During the 90’s everything was big alon with Jordan’s. we rocked reeboks, addidas, fila, nike, pumas. The kids don’t wear those brands anymore so the demand for j’s are higher because thats what they are wearing. It is hype but it’s not. When we were coming up we wore everything I had shaq’s, kemps, dion sander’s, barry sanders, bo jackson, denise rodman’s, penny’s, barkley’s, grand ma ma’s, etc. We had a broader selection of shoes to choose from because there were so many other good athletes that had shoes that we wanted besides jordan’s. It’s the chidren that has made the shoe game what it is along with the shoe companies. Just don’t have the biggest selection of other shoes they are willing to wear over jordans or nike.

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  19. I agree with all of you that posted. The reason I may spend a bit more and buy from a reseller is because I don't want to stand in a line that began at midnight for the Cool Grey 11's or Space Jam 11's. Those lines are just downright dangerous to be in. I will not do it. I've seen people running for their lives just to be the first in line at a general release (Bordeaux's, Wolf Greys, True Blues) relax people, there are five shoe stores inside the mall to choose from, you're gonna get your size! LoLoLoL!!!!!

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  20. jus do like i do date sum 1 that works in footloccer or any sneaker store…not only are there no lines, and you get ur pair and size, but u get them at a discount…lolz but to comment on this hype issue…. its mainly dew i believe to tha fact as i thinjk sum1 said b4 that theres not much 2 choose from sneaker wise…its jordan, or nike.. and nothing much after that….all tha lines and "hype" on 2days release's comes from tha younger generation….they hype it up and go out and buy there pair, or buy from the resellers jus 2 wear them tha next day…..i personally wait at least a yr after tha sneaker was relased 2 break them out tha box, jus so that all tha ppl that are not REAL sneakerfans have worn theres out…..most of tha time its 2 ez 2 wait since i have so many pairs and every retro that comes out i either have tha OG or the original retro…most of tha time both as tha case wit tha tru blues

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