Is there a simpler Nike silhouette than the Cortez? One of the reasons I never really got into most of the Off-White x Nike collaboration stuff is because I always thought it looked like a pain in the ass. I’m a guy who likes to wear my shoes out and about while hiking or biking or river walking or whatever, so to me these always looked like a trap…shoes that are simply not very conducive to activity. You’ve got floppy flaps here and exposed whatever there and 2 sets of laces (or 3?) to keep tied and you’ve got some ridiculous zip-tie/hang-tag hanging off of the laces with some stupid ass rubber spikes on the bottom of the shoe…they just looked like the definition of ‘doing too much’ to me. And as a consequence, I’ve just stayed away from them.
BUT. I’ve recently come into possession with a number of Off-White x Nike shoes (mainly through @tradeblock), and I’ve mostly traded for slightly used pairs so I could see what all of the hullaballoo is about.
And I’ve gotta say, I should have stuck with my instincts. These shoes are a pain in the ass to wear. I feel like I’m putting together a puzzle on my feet every time I put them on. These shoes are the opposite of minimalism. They are maximalism. And I really don’t need that for my feet.
So when I was wearing a pair of these Off-White whateverthefucks the other day, I came across a pair of Cortez’ in a second hand shop. And…I know Cortez’ are considered like a basic b*tch shoe, but I’m a basic b*tch sneakerhead. So looking at these Cortez’ next to these Off-Whites…I scooped. Then I scooped another. Then another. And I went on a rampage. Over the course of 3 weeks, I went from ONE pair of Cortez’ to TEN pairs. Or is it TWELVE? I don’t know, I lost count. But it was the simplicity that drew me to them. In the face of complexity, I chose the simple option.
In line with the ‘collectors week’ - it makes me think of this thing I read in an article about collecting: “Many [collectors] are motivated by nostalgia for simpler times…”
Is that why I collect? Is it because I love the hunt for simpler times?