What's the deal with Spending $$$$$ on ONE pair of Shoes?
Its not just sneakers. Its a Lifestyle. Certainly the footwear industry has been on the rise for quite a number of years. Getting older I've realized that not only is it growing with my generation (90's baby). But also with the younger kids of today. What makes a shoe so desirable? Is it a foot fetish? No, Please don't ever let me hear you say that. Its a Footwear Obsession. It's what grinds people's gears.
Kevin Wildes, creator and producer of the ESPN show, It's the Shoes explained it well. "A big part of sneaker culture is [that] it's a way to tap back into your youth and that's why the retro market is so popular. Everyone talks about being a kid and really liking something and wanting something you couldn't have and now that you have the means, you can."
So let's look into one of the world's most infamous kicks. The Nike Air Mag.
The shoes were originally seen in the 1989 Film "Back to the Future". And after that. It was a wrap. Sneakerheads everywhere fell in love with this futuristic design. Kids who watched the film remember them from childhood. It was an iconic design that stayed with the generations to come. They finally released 1,500 pairs on Ebay in September 2011. The proceeds from these pairs went Charity. The shoes featured a rechargeable panel that lights up LED lights across the strap and the heel of the shoe. These shoes capture the essence of the "future". The essence seen in the '89 film that dubbed them the "Marty McFlys".
(Rapper Kid Cudi was one of the lucky few to be able to afford its whopping prices. He won 4 pairs.)
What do they go for on Ebay Today? How about $6,000? Haha.
Why buy it? Nike pitched it perfectly. They generously released a limited amount to the sneakerhead community/80's retro culture/Rich People. They knew that enthusiasts everywhere would spend a significant amount of money. Nike donated their own materials in manufacturing this shoe, so that the proceeds of these biddings would go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation that supports Parkinsons' Research. Sneakers aren't just about something to wear. Its a Lifestyle that people Embrace. Going back to what Wilde's quoted, "..wanting something you couldn't have and now that you have the means, you can." It's the perfect quote that embraces this ideology. They saw it back then when they were younger, and they want it now. They'll do anything to get their hands on them. And by doing that.... they generously donated $5.6 Million dollars.
As a first post, I think it's respectful enough to pay homage to one of the coolest sneakers ever made, but never released (until '11 that is... and only 1,500 pairs at that).
Few Pictures on its Design process from Tinker Hatfield and Tiffany Beers
xoxoxo FullCircle4
(by the way, the above closet is, none other than, Chris Brown's Sneaker collection. wink wink )
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