💯 everybody out here saying they’re played out or have moved past them were never really sneakerheads, just a bunch of followers. Other types of shoes are great too, don’t get me wrong tho lol
That’s only if you don’t know what sneakers to get 😂 it’s not 2020 anymore bud all Jordan’s used to sell out/ resell even the ones that shouldn’t . Not it’s only a small pick that rise up
I've gotten much more into sneakers since last year now that a lot of models are more affordable and can be found sitting for retail. For me, they are the opposite of dying lol.
I came into this world a sneakerhead and I’m leaving it a sneakerhead. Nothing on the other side of “grownup” fashion can convince me to go get Derbies, loafers and dress shirts, I’m still a fan of streetwear, you just have to go looking for it, there’s so many brands out there. I think people are gonna come back to streetwear when the Zeitgeist calls for people to be more rough and loud but while we wait for that, people who still believe in sneakers and streetwear will just have to be more creative than before
My supervisor is 40+ years old.... One time he came with these Nike high tops in white with bright red accents.... He looked like a clown. Those shoes would have looked great on a teenager. Once you get to a a certain age. You look like you are holding on to your childhood.
As I’ve aged I have moved into sneakers U can wear with pants - vs sweats, slouchy joggers, or those godawful plaid pajama bottoms, excuse me, “loungewear.”
@curlyhairdudeify your supervisor sounds like someone who knows what he likes and is secure in his identity. Mostly because who cares what you think about him. He doesn't, that's for sure.
I feel like one of the main reasons that sneakers are dying is the fact that the average teenager or young adult is becoming more fashion conscious, it’s becoming less about what shoes you’re wearing with your outfit and more about how the shoes create a consistent look throughout an outfit. This makes silhouette more important than the rarity or significance of the story behind a shoe and silhouettes like loafers or boots fit the current landscape of fashion better than something like a jordan 11.
Sneakers are here to stay but the sneaker culture definitely has been negatively impacted by the reasons you mentioned. Will brands pivot well back to stories, when retros have been done to death in a cash grab move? The sour taste left behind by reselling and reps, what sneaker/brand will it take for the cutlure to morph into its new identity and what is that identity? Not that it has to shock the world again, but as a 20yr sneakerhead, reselling culture is the most incorrigible part of sneaker industry for me and it feels like we will never be rid of it. Something good comes along and scalpers will be in again. For now, im just wearing my loafers and Nb530s on the daily.
Many of the young kids and young adults outgrown sneaker culture. People now are prioritizing different things for finacial purposes or for personally reasons. Thats why brands like new balance has exploded perfect representation of how the culture has shifted. And companies like nike and jordan should reflect on the times we are in and adjust. Because noones paying 250 plus for a piece of leather anymore. There is always room for decent sneakers but the new jordan 6 crazy colorway having lines thats stretch across town NO, noone has time to do that crap anymore. We got jobs
i believe that its not dying at all. Its starting to get back to what it once was; a niche. But I agree with you with the whole focusing on the whole outfit thing. Even though I consider myself a sneaker head, sneakers were my gateway to fashion. Now I want to also have other shoes besides sneakers and I want to some up with outfits that were thought out
I been in love with sneakers since the late 90’s , I even have an entire backup of a now defunct sneaker review website somewhere on my desktop . I have had a lot of diff sneakers over my life, some were even stolen , but I am in my 40’s and I still love them because I never bought them to resell or impress my friends , I bought them because I love them and I wear them every chance I get.
That's hilarious because moved away from sneakers ten years ago, favouring classic shoes and boots, and now that my interest for them has been rekindked, they are no longer the in thing.
Sneaker culture isn’t dying anytime soon. For the past 5 years, there’s been a micro trend in the sneaker market. From the Nike Sb dunks,Jordan 4 Red thunders, yellow thunders. To the New Balance trend you were on to the Adidas gazelle’s. I think sneaker culture has just been overshadowed by high end fashion brands and so is “streetwear” which I think deserves to be redefined
Sneakers aren’t dying, if anything it’s just a slight pullback in how often people wear them as more things like boots and loafers enter people’s wardrobes. I wear a lot of dress shoes and boots most of the time but sneakers will always have their place in my wardrobe especially with warmer weather and more casual outfits. Sometimes I will even dress up some minimal white leather sneakers.
I feel like this is a very chronically online take. When I walk around NYC and recently coming from a trip to Morocco and Spain Ive seen tons of people wearing sneakers, an overwhelming majority actually. I think that people really into fashion are wearing sneakers less often I know this is true for me. But most people are still rocking sneakers.
I've been discussing this with friends. I work at Reebok, and since I work there it prompts me to look into the history of certain models. It's like you said when the shoe has an interesting story or connection to it that you resonate with, It really increases the value of the shoe to you even if It's not "hype". I've seen reviews on collaborative sneakers that the reviewer doesn't even know the collab... then why did you buy the shoe?
Based off my history with my style the importance of sneakers has definetely decreased for me personally over the years, especially with me wearing more loose fitting jeans where sometimes they even cover the whole shoe. I feel like in 2020 sneakers hit a peak, it was bound to crash and go down in popularity. This isn't to say sneakers are dying but I do feel like they're less important in an outfit now because like you said "the standards of style has gotten higher" which I love because it allows me to get deeper into fashion instead of just being surface level.
I love sneakers and I own some of them but mostly in white or black as I find them easy to style. I also have loafers. Lately, my country is having drought climate and it is so dusty so I usually wear sandals as it makes my feet sweat less and easy to wipe off the dust.
@drewjoiner, there you've said it, once it gets difficult to separate a fake from original, that shoe loses appeal. There a lot of Nike/Jordan fakes other, 2 pairs for a price of 1 😂😂😂, is so crazy
I've always worn trainers and will continue to do so. I'm an adidas guy and that will always be the case. Sneaker culture is not dying but it may have reached a high point.
Sneaker are here to stay. Like serious watch, and car, people…sneaker aficionados are always going to be around. I’m an older man, 55 GenXer, so I went from first wearing Chuck Taylors, to Air Force 1s when they first came out, to today. Today I own Allen Edmonds sneakers that look like…Chuck Taylors but made of suede, much high quality build. They look cool! So, sneakers are not dead, I wear them…and you young guys and gals will continue to wear them.
shoes and sneaker culture is based around functionality now. people want to wear what works for them. hypebeast stuff doesnt matter as much because everyone is broke and have different concerns than what is on their feet. as a millennial, i love kicks and i love looking at them and seeing what people wear but personally, alot of this means nothing if it doesnt actually fit. i donated a ton of shoes i never look at because im a normal dude with too many sneakers which ultimately doesnt equate to an elevated social status. not to mention, reps are so much better and even have higher quality than the garbage that nike and adidas pumps out. nobody wants to pay outrageous prices for something that makes them happy and they enjoy. they're kicks at the end of the day. you beat them up and wear them.
As someone who only wears heritage dress shoes and boots for weekdays, I certainly enjoy my sneakers during the weekends. Each style of shoe ranging from sneakers to dress boots offer a beautiful spectrum of stylistic choices and functionality. I think fashion and style changes with time as trends even out. Items of enduring value will remain. For example, I absolutely hate Ye’s lines of sneakers and suspect it won’t last into the next generation like Michael Jordan’s high tops continue to attract new generations of sneaker heads.
sneaker culture isn’t fashion culture i think you misconstrued the 2010’s moment of sneaker culture with what was going on in fashion. in fashion sneakers have never been the whole outfit, always just a part of it
For as integral as a lot of sneakers, sneaker cultures and sneaker brands have been integral to various communities (especially those from less affluent socioeconomic backgrounds) I feel as if the sentiment of the sneaker from the people holds more weight/is stronger than what these corporations think about their patrons/consumers. It’s about time that people are recognizing a shift en masse to finding sound sustainable footwear that can be repaired + last. Sneakers are made with such garbage/produced at such a large margin of income that it’s laughable. So much more valuable to even go vintage leather footwear + find a good leather worker.
Sneakers have never been stylish or posh. They are comfortable and relaxed . I wear them to walk around, run, bike (not the same ones of course...) But to dress sharply, dress shoes are my go to (JLobb for instance) and in bad/cold weather some boots (Church’s, Todds etc) are the best. Anyway, sneakers are not dead, they are less hyped which is good : tired to pay resell and reps are too much effort
You have to consider that hypebeast 20 something from 2016-2021 are now young adults that need to dress differently for their everyday life, in the "not internet" part of the world. They grow up, they evolve and surely they are not the the same mindset that they were 5 years ago. Sneakers are far from dying tho, they still dominate the shoe market, and a lot of brands are gaining popularity (thinking about Saucony, Diadora, Mizuno, Kahru, Hoka etc, that I see a lot more these day on the feet of everyday people). But yeah, the bubble crashed, the hypebeast fatigue is real and in my opinion it's for the better. Can't wait to see what new stuff the sneakers industry will produce to regain the kids favors.
I just feel like the over the last years like 2017-2021 there was just such a huge sneaker overload in therm of hype. Also it felt like a time where it was less about the style and more about the brand and there also wasn't a big variety in brands and even those brands were just kind of releasing the same silhouette over and over again. I think sneaker were kind of just played out after reaching this height so people naturally starting looking for other alternatives. having just another pair of some rare nikes wasn't that special anymore. BUT I don't think it's dying it's more like people need a break but I could totally see 10-15 years from now sneaker culture reaching new heights again. (great video tho!)
I wouldn’t say sneakers dead but more that they were a gateway for people to step into fashion. No longer is a cool shoe and wearing whatever a fit anymore. People now care about each individual piece and how they mesh together. Case being how popular baggy pants were recently, which completely cover this “symbol”
Reps are inevitable because of brands doing nothing about the resell and artificial scarcity. I wouldnt put a large blame on the rep makers. Well i am biased as i bought rep uktraboosts in the past. However These days i keep it minimal and almost only wear GATS and new balance 990 in grey. My other shoes are leather loafers, derbies and boots
Just wanted to say I really like the post vid vids 😭😭😭 what made me gravitate away from sneakers is just the hype beast phase/reseller culture and reps. I still wear them all the time but just ones I would genuinely like if no one knew what they were now haha 😅😅
Sneakers will always matter to the hood but because the hype ran towards high/european streetwear its not in the spotlight. Lately find myself revisiting the styles I thought were cool as a kid jordans arent going anywhere but I do hope the resell prices come back down
For me, I have zero loyalty to any brand or product. Companies like Nike and other big sneaker producers care about my money, not me personally. So I don’t care that Replicas are being produced. I just want the product I’m interested in. Here’s an example - I like a sneaker, it’s limited, I don’t hit on it, I have an option to pay $300 more than retail price to some random individual reselling, OR pay around or below retail cost for the same product. Everyone wants my money, who has the best price?
I think if anything, reps have brought this along more than anything else. You can get equal or sometimes better quality for less than retail. Why would you go through all the stupidity of modern day resell, and why would you be loyal to a brand?
#pvv Spring in Mumbai, India has begun too. The crazy hot summers will be here soon. I’m currently enroute the Onitsuka Tiger store in a mall to see whether sneakers are dead or not. 😋
Sneaker culture isn’t dying, the current fashion trends aren’t focused on sneaker brands currently. We see more diversity in shoes because of what’s dominating which is the quiet luxury aesthetic. I think sneaker culture will never die because people will always have an appreciation of sneakers despite brands or hype.
You may have had a little biased view and confused sneakers culture with Hybeast culture, Sneaker is not dying - Hypebeast is Dying. I think Sneaker is a daily thing ( not only Jordan or Adidas samba are sneakers), streetwear goes with sneakers and it will be back, leather footwear is now a trend ( from business formal, quiet lur, old money ), I find it luxurious but boring, and mature. Some young people will put on sneakers for school, travel, shopping, walking, coffee shops, hanging out, and picnics they come in a wide range of selections, and colors, comfortable and less formal. Anyway, it also depends on the style one is going for.
Can you make a 2024 summer sneakers video? I want a new pair of shoes and are leaning away from sneakers but am stumped on what to get I need some inspo😭
At this point I just rock whatever is comfortable, I'm in my late 20's and I need some comfy shit to rock. Half the new release are just uncomfy af....I'm sorry but the 1's are just painful to wear...
Drew I feel like you're going through a mental and spiritual levelling up. Don't mean to sound patronising. I'm 33 and feel like I'm going through the same thing due to changes in my life. Peace bro ✌️
I don’t think sneaker culture is dying, its the hype beast mentality is dying. hyper beast typically would flex it on social media then resell the shoes for x amount of money.
for me they are hard to maintain they might be damaged even when you not using it and glue might be damaged if you wash it and i dont want to wear dirrty shoes im happy with my crocs and timbs
I see a lot of comments of what they see and it’s really just the law of attraction. If you are into higher quality goods like leather jackets, loafers, boots, most things found on sense, etc. you gravitate to looking for those on other people when you step out into the world, especially if your whole friend group or everyone you follow on social media is on the same marketed bandwagon. The fact that Drew acknowledges the clickbait word of “dying” to evoke emotion, just goes to show the culture’s opinionated short attention span and easily influenced lifestyle. Brands recognize this and are acting upon it. I think the baseline of all of this is that people are steering away from the consumer hypebeast mentality of buy buy buy and instead getting your bang for your buck on goods that will cut through the trends and last throughout time.
#pvv Winter was trash in the Midwest… and although warmer weather is nice… I’m not looking forward to it. And I’m also looking some cowboy boots to throw into the mix, for myself.
Sneaker Culture didn't die, hype beast culture did, the rise of replicas that are almost indistinguishable from the originals killed reselling for many shoes. I believe that Gen Z and some Younger Millennials are just exploring more options beyond sneakers and their fits. This is weird because I see more people dressing in specific styles so shoes should still be a part of the outfit if not the outfit depending on the aesthetics one is going for. My perspective on this is a 22 dude who recently wanted to find their own style and not in on the trends from middle school to the pandemic. Honestly, I don't like spring that much, for me it's just the period between winter and summer. I like summer for the heat and winter for the snow, the other seasons I'm meh.
Sneaker hype is dying,as another bro said:"The bubble crashed".But,Sneaker culture is permanent.Will U never wear AJ in this year？It's still an important part of Outfits and expressing oneself.
This is why I just stick to one shoe airmax 90 its f*cking timeless can wear it in any occassion just get different colourways people on the street in UK always ask me "where I get them from" I colour co-ordinate them with my garments and I'm good 😎.
One of the biggest reasons is that there are not enough original good looking FLY pairs of sneakers releasing. They making clown shoes and shits for superhero’s 😂😂😂 As well like what was mention, the story telling is not good or immersive partly due to the sneaker business not involving the culture that made it popular.
I think simply put, sneaker culture is dying because it’s mainstream. It’s pop culture, there’s nothing left for the diehard sneaker head, and when there is “gate keeping” etc labels are thrown at sneaker heads who aren’t going for Dunks, Jordans and whatever big collab. Listen to the Complex Sneakers Podcast listen to people like Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty and these people will tell you what the problem with sneaker culture is now. The immense commercialisation (of a product I know it sounds funny) reverts the cultural status of these items to being just fodder and meaningless. Things have to become smaller scale for sneaker culture to stay alive, otherwise it’s not a culture it’s just a collection of items.
I agree with you about Travis Scott sneakers most are ugly and it's the same thing and same colors over and over. And I got enough sneakers to much. Now I want more luxury pieces. I recently got a black label leather jacket. Black label ralph lauren vest with leather and a RLX parka. Yeah they more expensive but times and can be worn with boots, dress boots and shoes. And with boots and shoes I'm not picking up shoes every week. With boots I'm saving and taking time to purchase and it's more special. Sneakers feel like McDonald's and Boots and shoes is more like a Expensive steak house or sea food restaurant. Do a follow up video
Nah I think it's an economic problem there will always be a market for sneakers and better looking pair's or interesting designs will always sell better than regular ones just not at crazy prices 400-500$ that's the minimum wage where I live ofc kids would go but reps since not even their parents can afford it lmao...and when lot's of kids have reps of Jordan 4 for example you feel stupid for buying the og one's tbh I want to see good looking sneakers for 30-50$ and good quality pair for 100-150$ max with enough stock so you don't have to pay later 10 times the price to reseller's...
#spidey i wouldnt say they are dying (i work at footlocker in australia) but i definitely think that its not as important as people made them be a few years ago. #pvv 👊👊 im in the southern hemisphere and fall/autumn is alright, im really waiting for the colder weather so i can layer clothes alot more. hope youre doing great tho ;P
No ive bought reps because they're nearly identical (except the box and the smell), and im not paying these outrageous, fictitious inflated prices to these scumbag resellers. Reselling is dying, thank ya jesus. Gotta get a real job guys!
I dont think sneaker culture is dying i think sneaker HYPE culture is dying n thats a good thing it make sneaker culture go back to the essence of what it was and use to be
Sneaker resell is dying, which is bringing down demand. People mistake "sneaker resell" for "sneaker culture". Stories is what drove sneaker culture when it was underground. Now that hype and resell took over, regular consumers are getting burned out.
I have this problem, I feel like my style has outgrown sneakers, but I'm still not ready to get some loafers or boots, I'm in a limbo where i just all stars at the moment
I was in this exact situation for a few months, I began selling what I could of my 1’s and others to my friends and I just bought a pair of doc marten loafers and love them, really brings a whole new aspect and feel to your outfits if you have some clothes to match that feel.
Maybe get some minimal leather sneakers if you’ve been more into athletic type sneakers. For my personal taste, the Thursday sneakers really match my taste and are a lot sleeker and elegant
If the sneaker's quality were actually proportional to their price, reps probably wouldn't be this devastating to their sales, there is no point in paying for premium quality if that quality is no longer there and can be found for cheap in reps
Kinda true but at the same time its more abt demand like the commonly repped sneakers have a retail of 100-200 usually its just that the resell is so high, its not like nike is selling off white 1s for 5k
Yeah, But I would say the sneaker game started to get good again Late 2011 around the Last shot 14, Black Cement 3s, and the Concord 11 releases. I basically wore all Jordans and foamposites at that time.
No ones trying to pay 3-5x over retail anymore. Especially when you can get higher quality shoes for that price and not have to go crazy about resellers etc. I can get a 300-500 derby or beautiful boots that will last and get better with age. Vs a sneaker that retailed for 150-200 and being resold for 300-600+
Personally I'm at a point where sneakers hold less relevevancy to me. Much like you, sneakers were my gateway into being interested in what I wear, and I still like them. However, I find myself reaching for boots and loafers/Derby's more and more to the point where I think my personal style has evolved to where sneakers don't fit in with how I dress like they used to.
it’s all cyclical. nothing truly dies, it’s just the level of popularity fluctuates around them. for example, skinny jeans were popular in then 2010s era, but were also in the 70s with rock n roll and that particular era. baggier jeans are popular now and were in the 90s before that. new generations always bring back styles that are considered vintage to them. they can put their own twist on something that they didn’t grow up wearing initially. more elegant clothing had been around, it just wasn’t as popular at the time and you saw streetwear era clothing far more. i think style is most important individually. everyone can have their own style and wear what they like, whether it’s sneakers or sandals or whatever. wear what you like, what you think looks good on you, regardless of what is popular or what kind of attire you decide to wear
The early 2010s had the hipster chic look too, with classic men's fashion and grooming making a huge comeback. Definitely big in the more Indy music and arty scenes, but it's true that street wear and athleisure were more massively popular.
Ill never forget that once on a holiday in NY, one guy assumed I was NY level rich and I asked why and he said its because I was wearing ‘dress pants’ (thrifted trousers from 70s) and ‘smart people shoes’ (brogues) and it absolutely blew my mind how uncommon formal shoes were that he had that perception. Ive just never really been a trainer person, I just always preferred more formal type shoes. I wonder if that level of ubiquity of trainers is slowly coming down now, because back in those days I was made aware of just how uncommon it was to see other young people in non-trainer shoes and it hasnt really ever left me
As I’ve gotten a bit older the sneakers impact on my outfit has steadily gone down but as long as sneakers stay the comfiest option in terms of footwear, I will most likely continue to pick them over dressier shoes, I would think the majority of people kinda have the same mindset, for everyday things it’s usually comfort over style.
It's dead for people who came in to sneaker culture for wrong reasons. It's mainly dead for Fashion folks because they are mainly into following trends and sneakers had a good time last 15 years. For real sneaker head, it's never gonna die.
Love that the bubble has popped on this culture. Resell is absolutely ridiculous. Especially as inflation remains up, these vultures need to be humbled.
The hype is dead. And resellers killed it. Sneakers became Pokémon cards and people void of style/taste were the driving force. Now real “sneaker heads” will thrive while purchasing “bricks”. Fast forward 10 years the hype will pick back up and said “bricks” will be desirable. Me personally I can’t wait until the reseller leeches are out of business
We just haven't seen as many cool sneakers in a while or even top designers to make an impact. You should do a breakdown of the top sneakers of each year and compare how good each year is.
I personally think streetwear in general in going trought critical times, I live in Florence and everyday I wear tie and derbys with a loose jeans or pleated trousers and a collar shirt coat. I often get complimented by people because of my "elegance" and no one consider me as "out of contest" because wearing "classy" is becoming normalized trought the years. I always hated tracksuits/sneakers/skinny jeans and now I can confirm people agree with me, I see more people with knitwears, pleated trousers, ties and shirts ecc... instead of puffer jackets and hodies. Strictly talking about shoes, jordan 1 and dunks for example became a bit cringe in less than 4 years. The fact that I love of wearing classic shoes (ang classic menswear in general) is that I always get the point. Never old fashioned (a dunk panda is way more boring than my loafers at these days) and always presentable in public . If you know how to not be overdressed in any occasion and dress in the right way, sober, with a contemporary blend (I use my carhartt jeans loose fit to be more contemporary, and always look good) you can travel in the future and always be stylish. Convince me the contrary.
.Hoodies are literally essentials and tracksuits are made for running and performance activities it's not for fashion. Also Streetwear isn't going through critical time. It just what is considered streetwears change in different era in the 20s it was supreme, babe, Gucci etc. People these days priorities quality of the product and the overall look of the product over it's brand. Also Streetwear simply can't go out of style the whole purpose of fashion is to look good while experiencing yourself basically fashion is a form of art different artist have different art style and they express themselves differently in their art. it's the same in fashion. Old and classic dress look good but everyone can't express themselves in a classic dress
Once you master the classics you get bored and want something new. Been wearing menswear for some years but now i dunno crap about other styles. Hell im here cuz now my wardorobe is all bussines and i legit forgot how to wear sneakers or sportswear in general.
I think a lot of millennials and older gen zs who used to be big into sneaker culture are getting older and entering the real world, thus transitioning away from sneakers as a result of them entering the word force which has different expectations of their appearance.
I think that the hypebeast aspect of sneaker culture has died but people haven't necessarily moved away from sneakers, they just focus way more on the actual style and functionality of a sneaker rather than its value. Sneakers are looked at like the rest of fashion now, rather than their own separate "hypebeast culture."
Hype/resell culture died thankfully. One thing I highly disagree with as an avid authenticator. There’s no 1:1 reps no matter what you might believe. Even the most repped 1s (and by default, hyped) have significant flaws that couldn’t be replicated before, much less now since the hype culture has died. I don’t appreciate misinformation like this being spread as well as people justifying their neediness to feel important by buying reps of highly sought after collabs. As someone that regularly collaborates in authenticating on Reddit and also used to analyze the top tiers of reps, you have no idea what you’re talking about if you state that reps are indistinguishable from authentic pairs, couldn’t be farther from the truth. The odd thing is that those of us who know what to look for and what some of the best batches of reps look like/what flaws they have, are the ones who can spot it. It’s like, people bought tons of fake Off-White 1s/Travis Mocha 1s and were trying to impress the sneakerheads, and ironically, most of those avid sneakerheads could completely tell they were wearing fakes. It’s such an odd behavior but it stems down to insecurity and neediness.
I dunno, I’ve been into leather shoes (Allen Edmonds, Ferragamo Tramezza, etc. other high end shoes) so I’m not afraid of the cost of a nice shoes. I’ve been wearing them less and wearing my Vans Authentics and New Balance 572s and Common Projects BBalls and Achilles and have been happy as a clam. Sneakers aren’t ever going to be done. But maybe “Sneaker Culture” has hit an Apex, yes. I feel like a lot of fashion “grail” items are like that now, especially as we approach more financial “epidemics”. Just sayin.
i totally agree with your opinion on sneakers. i feel like i’ve outgrown them and also i’m just not into the typical streetwear style anymore and it think it’s hard to combine a chic outfit and not ruin it with sneakers
Only sneakers I’ll ride or die for is Chuck Taylors. I’m not really interested in having mkre sneakers in the near future. Sneaker culture is cringe, hyper capitalist, and trashy imo
RU-vidrs are one of the reasons, Sneakers are dying. No originality, they all do the same content. Sometimes they do 10 videos of the same pair of sneaker.
