Sneaker collecting – Wikipedia
Sneaker collecting is the acquisition and trading of sneakers as a hobby. It is often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding. A person involved in sneaker collecting is sometimes called a sneakerhead.
The birth of sneaker collecting, subsequently creating the sneakerhead culture in the United States came in the 1980s and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols. [1] The sneakerhead culture has emerged in the United Kingdom[2] and the Czech Republic during the early 2010s. [3]
By the beginning of the 2020s, sneakerhead culture had become fully global in nature, partially due to “athleisure” attire becoming increasingly popular at both the low- and high-ends of the fashion world. [4] It also extended well beyond its original focus on shoes originally designed for use while playing basketball, with Kanye West’s Yeezy line of low-rise sneakers produced by Adidas serving as a well-known example.
Styles and marketing[edit]
Store display of new release Nike sneakers.
Several popular brands and styles of sneakers have emerged as collectors items in the sneakerhead subculture. Popular collections include Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Nike Dunks, Nike Skateboarding (SB), Nike Foamposites, Nike Air Max, and more recently, the Yeezy line produced by Adidas but sold & marketed separately from its primary sneaker models. Shoes that have the most value are usually exclusive or limited editions. Also, certain color schemes may be rarer relative to others in the same sneaker, inflating desirability and value. More recently, sneaker customs, or one-of-a-kind sneakers that have been hand-painted, have become popular as well.
Nike, New Balance, and Reebok also have custom shops where people can choose from the color, lettering, and materials that they want. Adidas discontinued their custom shop in February 2019.
Nike continues to use basketball stars to market new sneakers. In 2011, the Zoom Hyperdunk was introduced through Blake Griffin (a Los Angeles Clippers player and NBA 2010–11 NBA Rookie of the Year). Nike has also employed celebrities from outside of the sports world to design and market new shoe lines. One example is the Nike Air Yeezy, designed by rapper Kanye West and released in 2009, as well as the Nike Air Yeezy II, released in 2012. [5] West’s relationship with Nike soured after that point, however, and in 2013 he parted ways with the company and migrated his Yeezy line of sneakers over to Adidas, which were originally produced only in limited numbers but expanded to millions sold with each “drop” beginning in 2018. [6]
Skateboarding, since about 2005, has been a major player in the shoe collecting industry especially with the variety introduced with the Nike SB, Vans, DC and Supra product lines. As of 2020, Nike Dunks – a model originally designed for basketball, but later embraced by skateboarders in low-top form (hence the name “Nike SB”) – had emerged as one of the most widely coveted sneakerhead shoes, particularly in terms of unusual collaborations with the likes of Ben & Jerry’s and the Grateful Dead. The most popular Air Jordan archival models – nearly all of which sell out within minutes after a new version is introduced, or a coveted retro colorway (e. g. the original Air Jordan 1 in its black-and-red “bred” colorway that was later banned by the NBA) is reissued – include the Jordan 1, 3, 4, 5 and 11.
Sneakerhead subculture[edit]
The sneakerhead subculture originated in the United States during the late 1980s and had gone global by the end of the 1990s. Hardcore sneaker collectors in Britain, Europe, [7] and the US[8] buy online and go to outlets, sneaker events, swapmeets, parties, and gatherings in search of rare, deadstock, vintage, and limited edition shoes to invest in. [9] Given the extent to which former cult favorite sneakers have become popular with mainstream consumers, however, new launches of “hot” sneaker models increasingly take place via online raffles through sneaker and skateboarding boutiques, as well as Nike’s SNKRS phone app and Adidas’s similar Confirmed app.
Originally popular among urban black youth and white skateboarders, by the 21st century, it had also gained a sizable Asian following especially in the Philippines, Malaysia, [10] India, and China. [11] That said, sneakers have had cult followings in Japan – where many American fashion brands remain highly covetable – since the 1990s, [12] and outside the US, Japan is one of the only markets where limited-edition styles (particularly Nikes) sold solely within the country have had region-exclusive drops. [13]
Sneakerheads collect sneakers from different brands depending on their preference. In terms of collectible sneakers that can usually be resold for well above their original retail price, the most coveted brands among sneakerheads are Nike, Air Jordan and Yeezy; models from more mainstream manufacturers such as New Balance, Puma, Vans and Reebok rarely yield significant returns, with the exception of certain collaborations with various athletes and, increasingly, celebrities with no direct ties to pro sports, including Rihanna, Drake and Vogue global editorial director Anna Wintour. [14] Nike (including the company’s Air Jordan brand) and Adidas are generally the most popular brands targeted by collectors. Popular fashion trends in sneaker culture usually overlap with streetwear[15] trends and styles.
As of 2016, the most desirable[16] colors for sneakers and apparel were black, [17] red, [18] and white[19] due to their longstanding association with late 1980s new wave music, the Michael Jordan era of basketball, [20] and old-school hip hop. [21] By 2021, however, bright colorways of Nike Dunks – particularly “collabs” with high-profile streetwear designers such as Virgil Abloh’s Off-White line and Sacai – began eclipsing even many Air Jordan 1s in popularity. Air Jordan 1 “mids” are the most wanted shoe.
Sneakerhead slang[edit]
A pair of grey “tonal” Nike low top sneakers
During the 2010s, teenage sneakerheads influenced by hip hop fashion and skater subculture began to develop their own jargon. Commonly used words include:[22]
“A. C. G” – All Conditions Gear, a brand of sneakers produced by Nike[22]
“ADC” – Adidas dot com[22]
“Beaters” – Sneakers worn despite creases, scuffs, stains, and smell[22]
“Bots” – Custom-written computer programs designed to cop sneakers in mass quantities, with varying degrees of success; much like the sneakers they’re used to purchase, the most desirable bots are sold in limited quantities and frequently resold via online forums such as Discord for well above their original purchase price[23]
“Bred” – Black and red sneakers;[22] if in reference to the original black-and-red Air Jordan 1 design, “banned” is used as a preferred synonym[24]
“B-grade” – Shop-worn seconds sold at a discount[25]
“Chucks” – Converse All-Stars, though the “Chuck” nickname has been used to describe them since at least the 1950s (e. Chuck Taylor All-Stars), in reference to their original designer, Chuck Taylor
“Coke whites” – Pristine white sneakers[22]
“Crispy” – Clean[22]
“Colorway” – The combination of colors or symbols on a pair of sneakers
“Cop” (used as a verb) – To purchase or acquire
“Cozy boy” – Fashionable but also comfortable[22]
“Deadstock” – A pair of sneakers that has never been worn[22]
“Deubre” – Also called lace tags are popular on shoes like Air Force Ones
“Don’t sleep” – Used literally relative to sneaker drops, e. collectible Nikes that are most often released at 7:00am West Coast time in the US, when many sneakerheads would normally be asleep; informally used as a synonym for “don’t forget”
“Dope” – Fashionable
“Double up” – Buying two identical pairs of sneakers[22]
“Drop” – Release of a new sneaker[26]
“Feezy” – Fake Yeezys
“Fire” – Very good[22]
“Flop” – Poorly sold
“Fresh” – New and cool[22]
“Fugazi” – Fake
“GOAT” – Greatest Of All Time[22] (most commonly a reference to Michael Jordan, in sneakerhead terminology, or the reseller store of the same name)
“Garms” – Clothes[22]
“Grail” – Very rare sneakers, as in Holy Grail, and commonly priced well north of US$1, 000 for a new-in-box pair
“GR” – General release, or common
“Gum sole” – Sneakers with solid rubber soles in their original light beige color[22]
“Gutties” – Scottish slang term for trainers/sneakers.
“Heat” – Rare sneakers that draw looks
“Hypebeast” – Trendies who only buy the latest release. Hypebeasts buy whatever the celebrities are wearing and tend to copy people like hip-hop artist Kanye West. By 2020, hypebeast became a derogatory term in many countries for a hipster whose style had begun branching out into designer streetwear. [27]
“High Top(s)” – A shoe that rises above or on the ankle mainly used for ankle support during sports. [22]
“J’s” – Another name for Jordan brand shoes
“JB” – The Jordan Brand logo (see below)[22]
“Jumpman” – Basketball player Michael Jordan, but in sneakerhead culture more commonly used to describe the Jordan logo depicting Jordan created by legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield and first seen on the Air Jordan 3 (and most new Jordan designs since then)[22]
“Ice” – Sneakers with transparent soles
“Instacop” – Impulse buying[22]
“Kicks” – Shoes
“L” – Loss/unable to purchase
“Lit up” – Great[22]
“Lows” – Also called low tops are shoes that sit below the ankle [22]
“Mids” – Situated between highs and lows in the Air Jordan 1 lineup, but generally viewed as much less collectible
“NIB” – Unworn, new in the box (as is required to sell shoes via popular reseller StockX)
“OG” – Retro re-release of an original design or colorway, derived from the term “original gangster” but generally limited to describing variations of the Air Jordan 1 High
“Quickstrikes” – Limited edition sneakers and prototypes with a regional early release, especially Nikes, [28] and are highly desirable[29] status symbols for American sneaker collectors. [30]
“Reseller” – A person who buys large quantities of unworn popular sneakers to sell at a profit;[31] also used to describe retail stores, both online and off, that sell collectible models at prices usually well above original retail, including StockX, Stadium Goods, Flight Club and GOAT
“Red October” – Very rare red sneakers by Nike and rapper Kanye West[22]
“Silhouette” – Design of a sneaker
“Sitting” – Referring to sneakers produced in large quantities that go unsold
“Slept on” – Unappreciated by the wider community
“Steezy” – Stylish[22]
“Tackies” – South African teenage slang for sneakers
“Threads” – Clothes
“Tonal” – Sneakers in a single color, as in monotone. [22]
“Trainers” – British slang for sneakers
“Unauthorized / unauthorised” – counterfeit[32]
“VNDS” – Very Near Dead Stock sneakers that have been tried or worn once/twice and that look new while maintaining clean, spotless soles and no marks/signs of wear.
“W” – Win/successful purchase
“Wild” – Amazing[22]
“Yeezy” – Sneakers designed by rapper Kanye West[33]
Industry growth and reselling[edit]
In response to the significant surge of interest in sneakers between 2010 and 2020, the sneaker market has begun to expand into a variety of different, and oftentimes unique, venues. The growth of online retailing and auction sites has provided sneaker collectors with new methods to find the rarest shoes. Sneaker retailers have begun to adopt creative means to release these limited-production sneakers. Some have implemented a raffle system – for both online sales as well as in-store ones, in some cases – where the winners are chosen at random, while others have implemented a first come, first served model. The SNKRS app was launched in 2015 by Nike to give more access to the latest sneaker drops in addition to expanding its consumer audience. [34] The app implements multiple variations of raffle systems – most notably 10-minute-long “draws” – and as of 2020 mostly eschews the older first come, first served model, given that the large majority of shoes sold via SNKRS are heavily hyped. (Nike still sells the vast majority of its products via its separate, non-SNKRS-related app, along with sales through traditional brick-and-mortar sellers such as Foot Locker as well as large department stores. )
Due to the popularity of these rare sneakers and streetwear culture, the emergence of a large-scale counterfeit market has risen to meet the demand for these highly sought-after sneakers. However, in response to the large counterfeit challenges, new companies have taken off. [35] The shoe reselling market is currently dominated by StockX and GOAT. Sneakers have some of the highest resale multiples among retail consumer goods, and the two aftermarket websites (each of which also allows for buying and selling via custom-designed phone apps) currently have a de facto monopoly on the niche, though eBay launched its own authenticated-sneaker initiative to compete with them (and mitigate their reputation as a common outlet for counterfeit sneaker sales). [36] The old-school sneakerhead community routinely expresses distaste for the resale community, especially buyers who only do so for profit’s sake, not appreciation for sneakers’ history or artistry. [37]
Apps like SNKRS were made to give ordinary buyers a fair chance to purchase a given pair, but with mixed results. While Nike has the financial wherewithal to continuously improve the app to prevent bots from exploiting it, this is generally not the case with small, independent sneaker boutiques; on many such sites, bots and proxy servers in particular (which “spoof” IP addresses to obfuscate the fact that dozens, hundreds or even thousands of purchase attempts are being made from a single buyer’s computer) have made it effectively impossible in most cases for people to purchase hype sneakers via scheduled drops before they sell out, which typically happens within 2-3 minutes and sometimes within a matter of seconds. While StockX and GOAT have not disclosed how many sellers on their platforms sell goods en masse, they’re believed to be the most popular outlets for doing so; StockX sold $1. 8 billion in merchandise in 2020 alone (including sportswear and some other lines, but predominantly sneakers). [38] Sneakers are resold for prices that can range from a modest 15%-20% above retail, and up to a 10x (or 1, 000%) return on the most coveted, low-production drops.
These sites provide a trusted platform where buyers can buy shoes from sneaker resellers, though on occasion both are accused of delivering counterfeit shoes that somehow passed their “legit checks, ” the specifics of which are kept close to vest. On both StockX and GOAT, a buyer places an order for a given pair of sneakers, and the seller sends the purchased item(s) to StockX or GOAT facilities for inspection and verification; products are shipped to buyers if they’re successfully authenticated. [39] StockX allows registered users to watch and track resale prices in real time, along with publishing longer-term pricing & sales trends for sneakers that have been available for extended periods of time. [40] Additionally, sneakers bought from StockX arrive with a QR coded tag on the shoes as an ostensible guarantee of their authenticity, but some buyers have nonetheless claimed that the shoes they’ve received are fakes – though given the opaque nature of online sneaker reselling in general, it’s rarely possible to discern whether such claims are accurate.
See also[edit]
Benjamin Kapelushnik (sneaker reseller)
Just for Kicks (documentary film)
Sneakerheads (TV series)
2010s teenage fashion
References[edit]
^ Skidmore, Sarah (15 January 2007). “Sneakerheads love to show off shoes”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
^ “United Kingdom ‘sneakerheads’ the rise of streetwear and being an Sneakerhead in the Uk”. Urbanworld Streetwear. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
^ “Czech ‘sneakerheads’ flaunt their best trainers”. Czech Position. Archived from the original on 20 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
^ “Athleisure Has Finally Gone High Fashion”. GQ. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ Kim, John. “Nike Air Yeezy 2 – Officially Unveiled”. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
^ “Finally, Yeezys You’ll (Probably) Be Able to Get Your Hands On”. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ Charles, James (January 24, 2015). “Sellers pay the price as eBay fails to deliver on its promises” – via
^ “Finance & Footwear: Investing In Sneakers Could Pay Off Big In The End”. May 5, 2016.
^ Taylor, Ian. “The Best Sneakers To Invest In: Converse Chuck Taylor”. AskMen.
^ “Malaysian sneakerheads”. Archived from the original on 2016-05-08. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
^ “Nike fan buys his first flat by pawning collection of 283 pairs of Air Jordan trainers”.
^ “To The Max: How Tokyo Became A Sneaker Mecca”. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ “The Coolest Japan-Exclusive Sneaker Releases Ever”. 26 Nov 2020. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ “The Best Sneaker Brands In The World Right Now”. FashionBeans. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
^
^ “Why a Sneakerhead Destroyed His Rare Air Jordans”. Washington City Paper.
^ Chandran, Nyshka (September 28, 2016). “Why sneakers such as Yeezys are a solid investment: StockX”.
^ “New Exhibit Laces Together Sneakers And History”.
^ “A Sneakerhead Turned His “Laser” 1s Into fragments and Breds”. Complex.
^ “Jordan low bred”. Archived from the original on 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
^ Kurie, Brendan. “Sole sensation: High-end sneaker culture thrives in New Bedford”.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y “Your Definitive Guide to Sneaker Slang”. Coveteur. April 18, 2017.
^ “Everything You Need to Know About Sneaker Bots”. 27 Jan 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
^ “The History of Michael Jordan’s “Banned” Sneakers”. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
^ Sneaker glossary
^ “Grundbegriffe des Resellings • Sneaker-Reseller”. September 11, 2018.
^ Hipster hypebeast
^ Nast, Condé. “Five Easy Steps to Re-Selling Your Sneakers on the Internet”. GQ.
^ “Here’s Our Favorite Sneakers Worn at Nike’s Air Max Con in New York”. Highsnobiety. March 25, 2016.
^ “VladTV // Sneakers”.
^ “Reselling Sneakers Might Be a Better Investment Than Buying Stock in Apple”. Complex.
^ Chesler, Josh (July 22, 2015). “10 Sneaker Terms You Need to Know When Getting Into Kicks”. Phoenix New Times.
^ Sneaker guide
^ “Just Did It: My long road to redemption on Nike’s SNKRS app”. For The Win. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
^ “GOAT raises $25M more to expand its mobile sneaker marketplace”.
^ “Explore your passion for sneakers — let eBay take care of the paperwork”. CNN.
^ “Nike Will Probably Never Eliminate Resellers, and Here’s Why”. Complex. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
^ “StockX’s Annual Snapshot Report Sheds Light on Market-moving Trends, Industry Insights, and Record Growth in 2020”. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
^ Griffith, Erin (2019-06-26). “Buy Low-Tops, Sell High-Tops: StockX Sneaker Exchange Is Worth $1 Billion”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
^ “How To Make A Fortune Selling Sneakers”. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
Further reading[edit]
Michael Khan, “Sneakerheads show sole devotion to footwear”, The San Diego Union-Tribune (September 28, 2004).
Richard A. Martin, “The Rebirth of the New York Sneakerhead”, The New York Times (July 11, 2004).
Michael Tunison, “‘Sneakerheads’ Kick It Up a Notch in Search for That Rare Pair”, Washington Post (Saturday, February 17, 2007): D01.
Eric Wilson, “Front Row; Sneakerhead Bonanza”, The New York Times (March 23, 2006).
Bloomberg, “Sneaker Culture and Street Wear on Bloomberg TV”, Bloomberg TV (January 31, 2012).
Cool Hunting, “‘Where the Ladies At'”, Cool Hunting (October 11, 2005).
Douglas Brundage, “A Close Reading of Hypebeast’s “Streetwear Impact Report”, Medium (May 26, 2019).
External links[edit]
Sneakerhead University on – series about sneakers etc.
Sneakerhead News in Brasil.
Sneakerhead News in spañol.
Cop | Definition of Cop by Merriam-Webster
\ ˈkäp
\
Definition of cop (Entry 1 of 4)
Definition of cop (Entry 2 of 4)
cop a plea: to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid standing trial for a more serious one
broadly: to admit fault and plead for mercy
Definition of cop (Entry 3 of 4)
1
dialectal, chiefly England: top, crest
2: a cylindrical or conical mass of thread, yarn, or roving wound on a quill or tube
also: a quill or tube upon which it is wound
Definition of cop (Entry 4 of 4)
copper
2
copulative
3
copy
4
copyright
Must-Cop Sneakers in the Back Half of 2021
The front half of 2021 has been action-packed in the sneakersphere. We’ve seen both Grail-worthy drops and a slew of heater GRs. And we’ve also witnessed people still drunk on the Dunk, collaboration kings reigning supreme, and Lil Nas X getting a little satanic. The never-ending hype cycle continues to turn, and the secondary market is still popping June has come to an end, which means we’re heading into the back half of 2021, with the release calendar already looking stacked! Figuring out what to buy can be overwhelming, so here are the must cops for the back half of Jordan 4 ‘Shimmer’The first half of 2021 saw the Air Jordan 4 pop off. We had the ‘White Oreo’ AKA ‘Tech White’, the Union colab, ‘University Blue’, and a rumoured ‘Red Thunder’. With all these releases attracting some major attention, we weren’t surprised when the ‘Shimmer’ started to match those excitement levels. A relatively neutral low-key colourway, it first surfaced in 2020, and was then officially revealed more recently via the Jordan Brand Fall 2021 preview. A women’s release, it’s reminiscent of Off-White’s AJ4 ‘Sail’ from last year, which might explain some of the hype that’s been SB Dunk High ‘Strawberry Cough’The ‘Strawberry Cough’ is indeed an interesting release. Designed by artist Todd Bratrud, it’s been inspired by the Strawberry Cough marijuana strain, and was meant to drop as part of 2020’s 4/20 celebrations, however mysteriously didn’ Nike SB Dunk High combo just sat idle for the past year, living on only in the form of leaked pre-release imagery. That was until July 1 when official pics emerged ahead of an alleged release! At the time of writing this, there’s been no updates, but we do hear it’s meant to arrive before the year is Credit: YankeeKicksImage Credit: Good Times AtlantaOff-White x Air Jordan 2 LowThe Off-White x Nike combo has been going on for a number of years now, and at this point you either love it or you hate it. But whatever your feelings are on Virgil Abloh and his design legacy, it’s going to be hard to go past the Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low! The fact that it’s dropping on the 35th anniversary of the AJ2, mixed with the very on-trend ‘aged’ look, makes this a 700 MNVN ‘Honey Flux’Whether Yeezy is your go-to or not, you can’t deny that Kanye West and adidas are on a roll right now. The year 2021 has seen our release calendars constantly stacked with Yeezy goodness, from the Foam Runner to the bread-and-butter BOOST 350 V2. While a bunch are scheduled to hit shelves in the back half of the year, one that you need to keep your eyes on is the 700 MNVN ‘Honey Flux’. Perfectly embodying the 2021 Yeezy aesthetic, you, might live to regret it if you pass up on Credit: YankeeKicksImage Credit: YankeeKicksAir Jordan 1 ‘Bred Patent’An Air Jordan 1 in the classic ‘Bred’ colourway, constructed using patent leather. For almost every sneakerhead, this is a no-brainer! While it’s not exactly the OG that we’ve come to know and love, it’s probably the closest thing we’ll get for another couple of years, not to mention the shiny point of difference this could add to your rotation. Image Credit: @die_sel666Image Credit: @die_sel666Image Credit: @die_sel666Bad Bunny x adidas ZX 8000 ‘Ice Cream’Whether you’re one of the multi-million Bad Bunny fans or not, his adidas ZX 8000 ‘Ice Cream’ will be hard to pass up! The recent rumours about the shoe were quickly followed by a clear in-hand look, causing hype to skyrocket. While the melting lateral side is super cool, it’s not the main reason we think this is a must-cop. The subtly tweaked branding is what has convinced us that it’s worthy.
Frequently Asked Questions about what does cop shoes mean
What does COP mean slang?
Definition of cop (Entry 2 of 4) transitive verb. 1 slang : to get hold of : catch, capture also : purchase. 2 slang : steal, swipe.
What sneakers should I cop?
Must-Cop Sneakers in the Back Half of 2021Air Jordan 4 ‘Shimmer’ The first half of 2021 saw the Air Jordan 4 pop off. … Nike SB Dunk High ‘Strawberry Cough’ … Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low. … Yeezy 700 MNVN ‘Honey Flux’ … Air Jordan 1 ‘Bred Patent’ … Bad Bunny x adidas ZX 8000 ‘Ice Cream’Jul 5, 2021
What does refs mean in shoes?
8. Retro. Simply put, a “Retro” release is just a release (or re-release) of a colorway that happened after the shoe model’s initial release, particularly in the Jordan Brand world.