Lots of talk about lately about sneakers and sneaker culture being ‘dead’ over the past couple of months (years?). Just a bunch of old heads like me complaining from our golden parachutes that things

Lots of talk about lately about sneakers and sneaker culture being ‘dead’ over the past couple of months (years?). Just a bunch of old heads like me complaining from our golden parachutes that things have changed and we don’t really like it. Surprise. It really reminds me of Nas saying ‘hip hop is dead’ in the most hip-hop way possible (by dropping a dope undeniable bop)…in which…anyone with half a brain knew that he didn’t ACTUALLY mean that hip hop was dead. It was merely his way of saying that something fundamental had changed for him…in which…anyone with half a brain knew that hip hop, had, in fact, changed.

As many (with half a brain) have argued: sneakers are not dead. We've got options at all price levels. It’s ABSURD how many dope shoes are sitting on sales racks right now just waiting to be picked up and turned into your next great story. The thing is, though, people seem to be forgetting that it’s gotta be YOUR story. As much as we’d like to make the brand story *our* story, it’s mostly not.

I’ve got nothing negative to say about anyone in particular (except the corporations). Most of us who are truly into sneakers aren’t suddenly *not* into sneakers. Far from it. We’re *not* into the circus that it has become. Almost everything we bitch about on social media is pretty much directly related to some beancounter at a massive corporation that decides to release things based on financial statements - they’ve *never* been interested in any culture beyond what they can squeeze out of it. It has *nothing* to do with shoes. These sneakers could just as easily be ‘widgets.’

I’ve always vowed to never be that guy that would hold age and experience against people younger than me…I’ll just choose to play by my own rules. I don’t have to get worked up about anything except my own perception. And that, if anything, is the lesson that us old heads should take from the ‘death’ of sneakers.

Reach back…tho…take an honest look at the landscape. Sure, there are plenty of clowns out there. But are there really not enough dope options to choose from?