The Sneaker Savant

Heard Ras Kass on @talibkweli People’s Party podcast the other day and he said something along the lines of ‘are you a consumer or a connoisseur’. And it made me think of what’s going on with sneakers (and just about everything else in the world right now)

Obviously it was in reference to rap/hip-hop. And if you don’t know who Ras Kass is, he’s basically an incredibly talented underground MC. An MCs MC. Can’t say I’m the biggest fan, but his skill is undeniable and I have a great deal of respect for anyone who takes what they do as seriously as Ras Kass does (and I saw him one time in like 2002 at this tiny club called #palookavillesantacruz in Santa Cruz).

It doesn’t take a genius to realize what he was getting at. Are you in it for the craft? Or are you in it because of the market forces? Were you into it before you realized that the market forces changed the dynamic of truly being into something because you like it vs. being into something because everyone tells you you should be into it?

Are you mindlessly listening to whatever they’re putting in front of you? Or are you out there trying to discover what it is you’re into? Are you mindlessly ‘beasting’ over whatever Nike puts in front of you? Or are you out there actively searching for the things that you like?

There’s nothing wrong with being either a consumer NOR a connoisseur; however, there IS a difference. I started out as a consumer, then became a connoisseur, then became a consumer again, then back to being a connoisseur. I’m being VERY intentional about what I choose to put energy into, right now.

Nike’s full catalog has a range of probably 1 million or more pairs - and you’re getting caught up on ONE specific pair? I’d say you’re being a consumer. If there’s a pair you’ve been hunting down for years but still haven’t found the right pair - I’d say you’re being a connoisseur. If you don’t care about labels...you’re probably a connoisseur 😂