Yep, I can just hear the ads now... Hi, I'm Lonzo Ball. I make millions playing basketball for a living. I even have my own signature shoe, the Zo 2.0. You'll never see me actually wearing them while I play basketball, but that shouldn't stop you from spending 500 of your hard earned dollars on a pair. BNM
My #1 complaint, besides new people joining and posting, is you bitching! Especially after you found out I used to tap your wife out right when I got released for good behavior! #BAM
It is. There has been some real issues with players and their shoes lately. Nike has been getting very upset with 'Bron and KD for NOT wearing their latest releases. LeBron had issues with how his 12's felt 2 years ago and would constantly wear older versions. NIKE was freaking out over it, but what can they do? In his first two games Ball had a couple tumbles and crashes where he was just running and planting. I honestly believe those shit shoes were the reason. This will get interesting if he doesn't even wear his own kicks after all the hype.
To be fair, when sneakerheads buy $500 shoes they sure as hell aren't buying them to wear on the court.
Who actually buys $500 sneakers? What is the approximate size of the market? Are these some kind of collectors, or just poseurs with more cash than brains? BNM
Not being a sneakerhead, or knowing any personally, I've wondered this myself. But based on the cross-over and tangential marketing I run across, the market is huge. I don't think that "collector" and "poseurs with more cash than brains" are mutually exclusive. Having collected various things over the years, and being the most financially responsible person I know, I don't think they go hand in hand either.
I'm not a sneakerhead in the least bit, but I thought they buy outlandishly expensive shoes for the style. Not to play basketball in, but to wear as fashion. That may be an outdated thing, though--the last time I was ever around such people was in high school.
I'd like to see a rock star do that. ESP representative: "Hey. Mr. Hatfield. I noticed you weren't using the Iron Cross Guitar onstage?" Hatfield: "Fuck that POS. I've been using them for target practice out at the ranch." ESP: "Wow. That's just great. That totally justifying a kid spending 5k to buy one."
Thanks (seriously), but I really don't care enough to devote an hour of my life to the subject. The fact that there are such things as sneaker heads is already more than I need to know. BNM
Yeah, I play a lot of ball in a lot of different leagues, and I personally don't know a single person that's ever spent more than $250 on a pair of shoes. Personally, I use a guest pass to the Nike employee store once a year to stock up on all the shoes I need at half price, That means I'm getting $170 - $200 shoes for $85 - $100 a pair. I can live with those prices. My only exposure with sneakerheads was that episode of Entourage where Turtle just had to have a pair of custom Fujikamas. Hence, my "poseurs with more cash than brains" comment. BNM
Curious why so against people that collect shoes? I'm one of em to be honest. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't gamble. I have great memories of playing ball at the parks listening to hip hop throughout the 80s and Sneaker culture was a big part of that. Some people buy tools, camping equipment, fishing gear....... I rock kicks FAMS.
Just not my thing. Seems frivolous to me. Tools, camping gear, etc. serve a useful, functional purpose. Spending exorbitant amounts on sneakers seems wasteful to me, but it's your money. You earn it and are free to spend it as you see fit. BNM
Luckily for me I get em free or half off...... that said, it's interesting that if a guy keeps 20 bottles of wine in his basement or smokes a case of cigarettes a week it's not even thought about. My next door neighbor must have $100,000 in tools and always keeps getting more. He's a god damn mailman! I don't have any tools but a hammer and a screw driver and we seem to get by OK. The other neighbor drinks like a fish and has like a $10,000 bicycle, to ME, THAT shit is crazy.
Or what about these guys that have these huge PC Gaming setups? Shit my laptop and iPad is all I need. To each his own I guess. Just curious about the negative tones for this niche culture.
