From Michael Jordan to Kanye West: How a sneaker collection became a symbol of personal wealth

to sneakerhead They like to say that each pair of shoes makes a statement about the wearer. But for those of us who didn’t grow up with the language of footwear, this statement can be difficult to decipher.

Fortunately, this year we received a textbook-sized manual on the subject. 1,000 Deadstock Sneakers: The Dream Collection it is an encyclopedia sneakerhead – Enthusiasts and collectors who often purchase sneakers through the resale market – This can also serve as a learning guide for those entering the world of sneakers for the first time.

Published in October, this coffee-table-worthy tome explains both the general and the specific How sneakers and their collection became a cultural force. For example, he explains in layman’s terms how the Internet has helped and hurt the sneaker resale industry, and why red and black versions of the Air Jordan 1 are more popular than other versions of the same color combination.The answer is with Michael Jordanhis eponymous line takes up more than 100 of the book’s 544 pages.

The author of this book, Larry Deadstock (a pseudonym for a French sneaker dealer with the same name as his Paris store), paint Modern sneaker culture landscape This may remind the reader of a religion. As he explains, the culture has its pantheon of revered figures, but it’s ordinary people who keep it alive in day-to-day life. Deadstock, which he co-wrote with French journalists François Chevalierspoke fondly of the camaraderie of the sneaker dealer community: “The passion for sneakers can bring a lot of different people together.”

At first glance, 1,000 pieces of Deadstock sneakers Lives up to what it advertises: Beautiful photo illustrations of discontinued sneakers collectors might consider the best the best

. But for the uninitiated, its added value lies in its delightful mix of authoritative interpretations of the cultural significance of various styles (like the Air Jordan line and the Adidas Superstar), with playful touches on Deadstock’s personal taste (like stickers The same labels promote certain models in certain color combinations, with names like “Purist Pair,” “Overrate,” “True Banger” or “The Classic”) and are inspired by the picturesque world of sneaker resale Sexual anecdotes. One story explains why a French father paid a dealer €1,800 in 2012 to buy his teenage son the newly released Nike Air Yeezy 2, which sold for $245, which was almost Makes sense.

Included among the sneaker’s high-contrast graphics and celebrity photos are Q&As with carefully selected experts, including dealers from Europe, Asia and the United States, rap journalists, Parisian basketball superstars and designers. Saleh Bunburyformer student The influential and controversial Yeezy line.

Not surprisingly, more than half of the book’s pages are devoted to the creation of Nike, and likewise, most of the people mentioned in the book who created and promoted sneaker culture are associated with the Nike brand. Tinker HatfieldHatfield, the architect of Nike’s Oregon office, entered the shoe industry in 1985. As Deadstock explains, Hatfield drew influence from the Center Pompidou in Paris (known for its visible interiors) when designing the Air Max 1, a running shoe with visible interiors. There are bubbles in the soles.

1,000 pieces of Deadstock sneakers He credits Nike and Hatfield in large part with making sneakers fashionable.tennis star Andrew Agassi, John McEnroe and Mats WilanderFor example, Nike’s Air Trainer sneakers made them a favorite among sports consumers in the 1980s. But these three simply laid the groundwork for athletes wearing sneakers, especially basketball shoes, with a fashion-led lifestyle.

Air Jordan 1, named after Chicago Bulls rookie Michael JordanMade his NBA debut in November 1984. Jordan wore the shoe while on the court in uniform and, more radically, in Nike sportswear. The black and red sneakers were soon banned by the NBA for containing less than 51% white, and Nike’s clever campaign (“The NBA can’t stop you from wearing them”) saw sales soar. Its appeal is enduring. 2011, rapper Jay Z Wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1 “Bred” (black and red) in the “Otis” music video with Ye (kanye west).

Rap, along with basketball and sneakers, is the third leg of a mutually influencing triangle. Ye, for example, rose to prominence as a producer and rapper in the 2000s and gained acclaim as a fashion designer over the next decade, in part for his sneakers. First working with Nike and later more famously with Adidas, Ye designed sneakers that, while clearly containing elements of each brand’s DNA (like Nike’s signature visible air bubbles and Adidas’ tubular soles), Deadstock writes, ” They don’t look like traditional sneakers “sneakers” and they left fans speechless. The Yeezy Boost 350 launched in the mid-2010s via an Instagram giveaway, where hopefuls could enter by entering their shoe size in the comments and tagging three friends. (Adidas and Yeezy, then known as Kanye Vee The collaboration between the pair fell apart in the fall of 2022 after the rapper made comments that, according to the book, “violated the sportswear brand’s core values.”)

“He’s not the first rapper to have a brand, but he’s one of the only ones where you’ll see other rap celebrities wearing his pieces, like Migos anyone DJ Khalid”, said a reporter specializing in rap Mehdi Maize during an interview 1,000 pieces of Deadstock sneakersadding that “his relationship with the Kardashians has pushed his popularity into another dimension.”

That being said, Deadstock largely credits an unknown person with the fact that the sneaker went from sneaker to status symbol to lifestyle.The Air Max 90, for example, was originally designed for running, but “due to the shoe’s popularity in streetwear, Nike was able to break into the lifestyle footwear segment.” When it launched in 1990, it sold for $110 , which sells for about three times the price of regular running shoes in France and the U.S., according to Deadstock. Become a symbol of personal wealth.Rapper and self-proclaimed “top guy” (including then-President George H.W. Bush) adopts this style. Likewise, in the 1990s, Nike’s All Conditions Gear line of hiking apparel struck a surprising chord with New York’s underground rap scene.

In many cases, sneaker wearers influence companies as well, rather than the other way around. Launched for basketball in 1985, the Dunk lost out to the similar-looking Air Jordan 1 among basketball audiences, but was often discounted due to what Deadstock describes as a “thin yet sturdy sole” and “reasonable price.” Nike’s response Is launching a low-top version that is more suitable for skaters’ needs.

According to Deadstock, sneakerhead They’re an organic and popular phenomenon that has emerged in the sneaker industry, sometimes surprisingly. Sneaker reselling started out as a hobby, a loose network of enthusiasts who camped out in front of sneaker stores, bought extra pairs on release days, and then sold them at a premium to those who missed out. With the help of the Internet and forums like NikeTalk, sneakerheads around the world began meeting and collaborating to obtain regional and exclusive releases that were only available in certain countries.

in the preface 1,000 pieces of Deadstock sneakersFrench-Algerian journalist Mouloud Ashour Think of Deadstock’s book as a love letter to the secondary sneaker market. “In the years leading up to the explosion, Larry and his team had been scheming and working hard to gain a foothold and survive in this space. His job – reselling sneakers – had always been an honest job , recently, it was recognized as a legitimate profession. Just like a piece of art in the art market, a pair of sneakers also has a market value. “Each pair is a work of art. ” (In recent years, sneaker resale shops have even collaborated with sneaker companies on iconic designs, a ouroboros moment in sneaker culture.)

Of course, the idea of ​​buying sneakers just to resell them for a profit (sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of dollars) may irritate some purists. Deadstock’s most positive release today Resale is often “the only way to get sold-out sneakers” and “an important part of the market” For those who would not otherwise have access to them. In other words, resale likens the sneaker market to a basketball game: Some people may be better prepared for success, but anyone can participate.

Source: Washington Post