Most of us are generally unaware of the specific quantity of a product when it comes to releases and that’s fine. It doesn’t really seem like that big a deal. Okay, we are aware of its status be it ‘limited’, ‘extremely limited’ or even just a general release and from this we can gather a rough quantity that allows us to prepare our obtainment plans and whether a campout or proxy may in fact be needed.

What we don’t know in knowing quantities though would unveil an ingenious side of Nike that most of us would never have seen otherwise. Nike in fact control release quantities so precisely that it controls the resellers market and they have been on it for years. Obviously trainers have been a huge thing since their dawn however, more recently the co-pilot on this flight the resellers market has become disturbingly large too raking in, as a whole millions of £ a year!
There’s nothing that can really be done to stop someone buying a limited release and then selling it for double the price. Hype is such a real thing that due to the limited number or the fact that Kanye was seen in a pair people are willing to pay these ridiculous prices and then proceed to have some inner feeling of exclusivity in having something no one else has (can afford to have).

Campless (trainer statistics) estimated 96% of the trainers on the reseller market are Nike branded so it’s no wonder Nike decided to get involved. They also estimate that only 4% of these releases actually make it to the resellers market. This is due to the previously mentioned conservation methods from Nike with precise quantity control. They have to assume on popularity of a particular shoe and act accordingly so that there is enough made for everyone who actually wanted a pair and not so much left over (to put it simply). Very occasionally there will actually be a very limited run of a particular trainer and that will go the way of the reseller or the lucky but more recently Nike are also trying to get around and discourage the use of Bots through verification methods.

Update*
Nike have also just announced that they will in fact be utilising the raffle system with some of their bigger releases and to be in-store only. You will have to apply via a twitter link, signing into your Nike+ account and then waiting 24hours for the winners to be selected. The email will entail a location and time for you to pick up your pair following a payment.
This is only currently being trialed in the states however if things run smoothly then we can only assume we will be using it over in Europe soon enough.
My only thought and concern for Nike would be that- If bots and resellers are cut out of the equation, would every one of their releases sell out like they normally do?

I think most of us can thank the vigilante- Nike in it’s attempts to abolish and control the resellers market in such a candid way.

Huge news of New balance adding the 998 to the customisable options on the website. The customisable option will be renamed the NB1 and for the first time, available in women’s sizes. The 998 is undoubtedly one of New balance’s most popular silhouette’s although are New balance taking a big risk here in releasing the 998 to the customisable public? Well, if it unfolds in a similar way to the Nike Air max 1 then they should be just fine. Only time will tell and I guess general releases and collaborations will need to be that little bit more special- you won’t see me complaining.
Some great adaptions and replications of popular colourways and some eye catching original designs have already been spotted- most likely created by those who had a little too much time on their hands at work…

However as always there is never good news without some bad, namely- US deliveries only meaning us Europeans will need to have a trustable middleman to ship our pair on and the fact that there are 4 grey and 4 blue options out of a possible 12 doesn’t leave much to play with colour wise. A larger variety of colours has been promised though throughout the summer along with a handful of different materials.

Overall the customisable layout and controls reign far superior to Nike’s (IMO) and with the additional colours and materials maybe the 998 will be just fine. Be sure to check out the site and spend countless hours perfecting yours.
*Below are a few I made up real quick.

I don’t find myself particularly excited by Ronnie of late due to my lack of attraction towards the last year or two of his trainer collaborations. This time around however, we see him back to what looks like his best- working with Asics AND Diamond supply! We have already been teased with the latest of partial product images which look tantalising to say the least.

If you are familiar with your brands though you should have always been expecting something in the diamond blue. The released images confirmed just that along with the silhouette being a Gel Saga and a promised ever popular GL-V. Obviously with the KITH anniversary GL-III’s dropping sometime in the fall they couldn’t have done a III. With regards to the second it was either going to be a saga or a GL-II, again recalling that he recently dropped a Gel sight.

A fair amount of hype surrounding these already with some precision media and Huge brands involved mean that you will need to start calling in your stateside favours now if you want a pair.
Due to release on June 19th 

 

The end of the month approaches and with it the next instalment of the Asics- Gel lyte iii anniversary releases. The German collaborators ‘AFEW’ step up next with the Japanese inspired ‘koi’ and they have certainly set the new standard for the remaining releases. Picking a pair up from the store you will be rewarded with the limited ‘bento box’ which is a wooden box encasing the trainers along with a dust bag, set of chopsticks, wasabi and soy sauce! The Japanese starter kit. You’ll be doing kung-fu in no time!

The colour blocked back panel and toes are an eye catching. The side panel outers feature a shaggy long hair suede and black and white insoles depict the recent japan day at the store and the making of the koi. The top additions for me have to be the patterned and partial transparent soles though.

In addition to the fantastic job and why I respect this release particularly more so than the previous is the fact that AFEW also teamed up with Kwills (Dutch Artist) and are releasing a 1 of 1 pair of ‘Black Koi’. The shoe resembles the main design but with a few compelling alterations. This extremely limited pair is being auctioned off on Klekt and all the proceeds will be going to the Children Hospice in Regenbogenland. How admirable! If you happen to have a spare €4000 to relinquish then do it for the kids.

The early 90’s were a monumental time for Nike for the simple fact they brought out the majority of their most popular silhouettes. As time goes on though, particular pairs that maybe weren’t such an success have been known to be brought back to life. Starting off usually with an OG colourway they will be introduced in an unlimited number if they are deemed a success.

I have one particular pair in mind- The Nike Air Huarache.
So unique and there really wasn’t anything like it at its time of release back in 91’. Another of Tinker Hatfield’s brilliants- taking inspiration from the early Nike Air Flow with a Mexican sandal twist. Following the success of the Air Huarache a number of altered remakes came out like the ‘huarache flight’ and the ‘huarache light’. Neither was quite the sensation its predecessor was but still successes.
More recently however, it’s less about brilliance and more about getting your mum to buy you a pair of triple blacks to go to school in. The Air Huarache has unfortunately been lost to the youths yet trends concurrently rise and fall so it’s merely a matter of time before I can unbox my pair again and re-box the next trend.

The so far nameless convened once again last night to deliberate and share opinions on the latest of topics. An increased number of participants including one of the main men behind SoleBloc was a great addition. Talk of the upcoming sneaker event in Glasgow made it a very exciting time with everyone more than happy to offer a helping hand. A particularly cold night warmed only by the heat on our feet.

Matt and Ed, once again with the mad photography skills.

Some of you may or may not watch trainer reviews or even research much before you buy. If you had to start though, this is the place. Brad Hall last week got his hands on a pair of Jordan IV’s and proceeds to share his particular and unorthodox opinion with the world. Definitely worth a subscribe if we are to expect anymore like this one haha!

 

 

We see ourselves hypnotized by the newest silhouette craze- the sock dart!
The sock darts were introduced back in 2004 and only made a return 10 years later at the end of last year.
This time around we are inundated with multiple colour-ways to choose from releasing every couple of weeks. Yet every pair, in every size sells out instantly?! Doubtful that all pairs purchased will be for rocking purposes although it’s only a matter of time before the craze dies down and we will no longer be looking at £200+ for a pair.

Thanks to a certain someone the meeting of Glasgow’s finest sneakerheads was finally orchestrated! A strong turn out with the great interest and enthusiasm for each person definitely means that regular meetings are imminent. It was nice to finally meet some of my peers who, up until now I have only known through the world of social media. Although not having the best trainers in the room anymore might be a tough adjustment.
After we took a few photo’s and got to know each other a little more we done what any group of men would do and took to the nearest pub. After a few we called it a night and we were left with the news of Glasgow’s very own sneakerfestival- ‘Sole Bloc’ coming this August!
Great night overall with a great bunch of guys!
Thanks to Ed & Matt for the photo’s

 

This weekend (25/04) brought about Crepe City- the UK’s biggest sneaker event since 2009. At one of these events, usually located somewhere in central London you can expect to find an array of the rarest of trainers along with the freshest and most popular of scene related brands, showcased and sold by big time companies and individual sellers with too much stock.
Making a trip to a Crepe City is a must for any enthusiast at some point. Whether its to search for a long lost grail or even just meet some of your online compatriots for the first time. It’s certainly a promised unique experience that you’ll be sure to return to.

Speaking to one of the more known names within the community- Mark Robinson shared his unique experience with me:-
“Rising at 0630 I headed to the airport to convene with the rest of the SneakersER crew- Alan and Rob. Straight away the excitement and banter was flowing even involving a certain Rob being ripped by the starbucks girl. We hit Crepe City around 1100 after a breeze of a journey. We picked up our passes and headed in for a look around before the doors opened. As expected with every event- things get bigger and better! What really took me was the social side of things, the large number of people who knew me from my online presence was amazing. I had all sorts of people of all ages approach me and introduce themselves to me or thanking me for previous proxy’s, each one as nice as the last. I managed to catch up with a few familiar faces myself namely the Crepe City guys- Ronal and Morgan who made me feel nothing but welcome, Ross from the Adidas gallery who was happy to take some kicks off my hands. The day ended in a flurry when I managed to end a very long chase of the Air max 95- voitech. I really have been after these for such a long time and coming to Crepe City today just made this possible.
After the event I headed to a bar and was accompanied by a number of familiar faces and to tie things off I exchanged words with a few heads regarding the Glasgow event…”

Big thanks to Mark for the detailed run down from his day at Crepe City- I’m sure a most other stories will tell a similar tale of good times and good purchases. Be sure to check out SneakersER if any of your trainers are a little worse for wear. It’s a rising Glasgow based company with a rolling number of great reviews! http://www.sneakerser.com
All photos were submitted by Mark Robinson.
Crepe City Pictures