The Sneaker Savant

Yes, the grey market argument makes sense to me. I know some of y’all might tell me it’s like believing in the tooth fairy, but based on my knowledge of how factories produce things...and how they’ve produced MY things - this is *right* in line with their business model. 90% of what I’ve had created in limited numbers - I STILL see on their websites as available for purchase. They ALWAYS have extras.

When I asked my dude in China about the grey market theory, this is what he said: “So Nike is gonna give me an order to produce a few thousand of a shoe and I’m just gonna stop producing after that when I have the designs and models and materials and I am fully aware of the demand and value of these things that cost me next to nothing to make? No way in hell. Not in China. It’s not a country that values ethics like that and especially not business/commercial ethics.Money is king here. And nobody enforces intellectual property rights out here so what’s stopping them?”

When I asked my dude at Nike about the grey market theory, this is what he said: “I’m kind of in the middle and prefer the A1 fake over the @warrenlotas approach. I do think they are made by the same factory and the same makers that control the legit pairs and the variant market. I don’t think they use scraps, though - the material vendor and the factory are like a few blocks away.”

Again - I have no proof. And most likely - you don’t have any proof either. So many people *swear* they know. I’ve gotten into it with quite a few people on the ‘gram and finally I just started responding with ‘when you have proof, please let me know.’ Talk is cheap.

Do I think the *whole* market of reps are ‘grey market’? No. Not even close. I think a VERY SMALL AMOUNT are. But still...they’re there.

And for those that aren’t - these manufacturers are doing EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER to capitalize. But could you imagine waking up to having had $32M in shoes confiscated? 😂