Life Kit - Finding Your Inner Sneakerhead

Episode Date: December 22, 2020

Being a sneakerhead looks different in a digital world, where shoes sell out in minutes and YouTubers review new kicks. NPR's Jeff Pierre shows us how to navigate it all — and trust your inner sneakerhead.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hi there. If you listen to Life Kit, chances are you're looking for ways to make life just a little bit better. That is no small task in 2020. Finding small pockets of joy has never been more important. That's why we've done so many episodes that help you do just that. Maybe one of our episodes inspired you to start journaling or camping or biking, or maybe you started a little garden or found yourself doing more art projects than you used to, or maybe you just finally perfected your morning coffee, or you've given mindfulness a try. If Life Kit has helped you breathe

or inspired you a little bit more this year, then we have a favor to ask. Please consider donating to your local public radio station. Supporting them helps support Life Kit. Thank you. This is NPR's Life Kit. I'm Jeff Pierre. And growing up, sneakers for me weren't just something that went on your feet. They didn't feel like they were just a part of the culture. They almost felt like they were the culture. It was one of the best parts of my childhood. From the colors to the way people wore them, something as simple as a clean pair of shoes gave a lot of us the confidence to walk down high school hallways with our heads held up high and me a way to connect with people

in a new school. I even remember spending hours on Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York as a kid, going in and out of shoe stores, trying to talk down the price of sneakers so I could get the final piece of my first day of school outfit. But there are people who wear sneakers, and then there are sneakerheads. The sneakerhead world was something that I got back into while we were all stuck at home looking for ways to ride out this pandemic. But the sneakerhead world was also a lot different from what I remembered. And I wasn't the only one who thought so. Well, first of all, in my day, you would wait outside at Nike Town, right, and get your sneakers.

That is Jen Chambers. She isn't a sneakerhead, but she's watched her son, Kian, who was 15, fall in love with the culture. She remembers, like me, long lines on the day of sneaker releases. People talking in line, sharing stories about shoes they want or had, building that community. But today, those long lines at retail stores, like a lot of things, are changing with smartphone apps and technology. Sneakers can now sell out in a matter of seconds online. It wasn't just the pandemic. The spirit of the sneakerhead hunt was slowly fading away,

and it felt like it was harder to get in, for me and especially for kids like Kian. I got into this because, like, all my friends were into it. And it started out as, like, insecurity, I guess, because I wanted to, like, have good shoes like everybody else. And I felt that. Being a kid can be rough, and everyone has to find something to connect with other people. So on the day I met Kian, on October 29th to be exact, we weren't sneaker heads or sneaker collectors. We were two people who put our names into a sneaker lottery

for one of the biggest and most exclusive releases of the year. The Air Jordan Off-White 5s. The Air Jordan Off-White 5s. And the thing about these sneakers, which were exclusively released through Nike's sneaker app, it wasn't a matter of if sneakerheads wanted the shoe. It was almost now a game of chance, one that Kian and I both lost that day. It brought us together, true, but people like me and Kian, and even Jen,

have felt that being a sneakerhead can be an unwinnable game sometimes. Nike doesn't put out how many shoes they release for each sneaker drop, so it's even harder to know your odds. It does feel like no one ever wins. And they're just tagging people on Instagram and boosting their social pages. The they that Jen is talking about is what feels like an exclusive pool of Instagram influencers and celebrities. But you don't have to be either of those things to be a sneakerhead. So if you're hitting a wall, this podcast is for you.

And if you're like Jen, Kian's mom, trying to understand a sneakerhead in your life, this is for you too. We're also going to talk about ways to rethink the industry and how to find cheaper alternatives. So stay tuned. For a lot of sneakerheads out there, there are pretty much two options.

Win one of these lotteries and pay the retail price for a shoe, or if you miss out from that, buy the shoe from a reseller. And if you're buying from a reseller, you can expect to pay a lot more for the sneaker. So if you can't get access to an exclusive release, it might be easy for you to think that it's just a harder time to find nice shoes. But that was my first lesson about sneaker culture today. There's sneaker heads and there's hypebeast. And in today's market, there are entrepreneurs that are really masquerading as both.

That is Jacques Slade. He's a YouTuber based in Southern California, and he makes videos reviewing the latest shoes that come out. Hey guys what's poppin it's Jacques Slade back with another unboxing and this is something totally different than I have ever done. Brands like Nike and Adidas for example sent Jacques new releases in these big lavish boxes and here in this video Jacques is opening up a Yeti ice cooler oh my goodness there's literal smoke that is so look look look that is amazing I don't think it's a hard time to be a sneakerhead I I honestly think it is a hard time to be a hype beast. Which brings us to our first takeaway.

You don't have to ride the hype train. So there are people who love sneakers and sneaker culture. That's your traditional sneaker head. But the hype beast was born through social media. They could be influencers on Instagram or just an average person. And they aren't necessarily in it just for the quote unquote hype, but their brand is new and exclusive products. The hype beast is a person that buys things just because they think it's going to give them some sort of social clout.

So when you say it's like not a hard time to be a sneakerhead, what do you mean by that? The reason I say that it's not hard to be a sneakerhead is because there's so many opportunities for you to get sneakers in the world today. You don't have to get the hype stuff. And that's another important point. Because so much of the industry is focused on hyped up releases, there's actually less of a demand on other staple and iconic shoes. So if you missed out on the off-white Air Jordan 5s like Kian and I did, you could actually get the Air Jordan Fire Reds, which have a very similar white, red, and black color pattern. And if you're missing out and you find yourself getting frustrated,

this is also an important time to reflect on how the industry works today. You know, ask yourself why you want that shoe. That is Adina Jones. She's a co-founder of a new platform called Another Lane. Was it fed to you? Was it an algorithm? Was it a hashtag that made you want this shoe? Most likely, if some hashtag or algorithm or social media trend told you you wanted, it's going to be scarce and it's going to be difficult to get. So Adina and her husband, Chad, created Another Lane as a way to bring sneaker culture back to the sneakerhead, as opposed to being built around

the release of certain shoes, back to the roots in a way. Outside of being a resource for resellers, Another Lane also digs into the history of sneakers, something we'll get into in a little bit. But Adina says understanding the sneakerhead past can help you stay grounded in today's world. Sneakers are what you make of them. Back in the day, and I still even believe now, it was about how you rocked your shoes, what kind of swag it gave you.

How you laced them up. Oh, how you laced them. Was the tongue on the outside? Were you letting it flop? What were you doing? And what kind of fit did you put together with it that's what it was about so you've unlocked your inner sneaker head you found your zen your balance and peace but as a wise person once said you gotta treat yourself sometimes so what do you do when you

want that hyped up release and you've missed out on a lottery we are so conditioned to to that. If something is sold out online, it must be sold out everywhere. Like the internet is reality. When in fact, right outside your door, there may just be your size sitting on the shelf. So even though you might have heard on our Planet Money podcast, for example, that brick and mortar stores are slowing down, it doesn't mean that the people inside those stores are less of a resource, which brings us to takeaway two. Trust your local sneakerhead community. They know when the truck shipments are coming or if they're coming at all. They know what shoe's been sitting in the back because they might just be one size left.

Definitely look at your local outlets. I would suggest consignment shops also. You may pay an upsell, especially on sneakers. But once again, you can go in, you can touch, you can talk to people. So go out and talk to people. Tell them what you like and what you're looking for. Build those relationships, but also be confident in what you like and who you are. Find the things that you like. If you like Air Max shoes, start by buying Air Max. There's tons of them out there. If you like Jordan

1, start by buying the Jordan 1 Low or the Jordan 1 Mid, or if there's an Adidas shoe that you like, like find the history behind all of these shoes and really use that to define your, almost like define your angle into what it is that you like. And your style doesn't have to be only about sneakers. Let's say, for example, that you like shoes, but we're studying environmental engineering and something like sustainability was important to you. A lot of sneaker companies are digging into the world of sustainability and realizing their impact on the environment. And they're starting to make shoes that take advantage of some of the new technologies that are more efficient or that are biodegradable or that are recyclable and things like that. Shoes cause a lot of waste and a lot of companies are really being active in that lane.

But finding your own style can be easier said than done. So I asked Jock for some advice. I would tell people to get bits and pieces from everywhere. Like, don't just use your circle as your influence. Get these bits and pieces from everywhere and use all of those to inform how you dress, how you put on a shoe, how you tie a shoe versus not tying a shoe, how you rock certain colors, how you pair a hoodie with a pair of slacks or how you wear a pair of jeans with a button up, like let all of those things kind of inform your style. And that will help you become more of an individual. Okay, so far, we've talked a lot about tips on how to find shoes like

your Jordans or your Yeezys by Adidas. But what do you do when you're just starting out your sneaker collection? Where do you go first? So from what I remember from chemistry class, right? Like there are basic elements in the world, right? So there are these basic element shoes that like if you're trying to build a collection, it would behoove you to have these because they're classic staple shoes that will take you from a boardroom to the basketball court to a party, you know, to maybe your, what was it? My baptism. Takeaway three, don't forget your classics. Actually, you should rely on these iconic

sneakers and they should be where you start your sneaker collection. On an everyday basis, you need staple sneakers that can go with your jeans, with this blue shirt, this white shirt, and you can have them throughout the week and then yeah, toss in like a lime green something or something with animal print on it. But for your everyday wear, you need to have sneakers that can rotate easily. These classic shoes, they're classic for a reason. They each have their own history and they've been styled in so many different ways throughout the years. So what sneakers fall on this classic list? You have sneakers like the Converse Chuck Taylor.

A Stan Smith. There is the Nike Air Force One, which is a classic shoe that came out in the 80s. Where I come from, we call them Uptowns. Another one I would say is a simple black and white Chuck Taylor. Air Max 1. Lastly, the Nike Cortez. Growing up, personally, my favorite were the Air Force Ones of the 1973 Puma Clydes. Now, we could make this list a lot longer because there are so many sneakers out there etched in history. And if you look into these shoes, you'll start to see how deep sneaker culture goes. Like, if you don't know what a pair of Nike Cortez's are, just think about the shoes that Jenny bought for Forrest Gump. I'm saying they're classics.

People are like, oh, they must be hard to get. No, they're not. Like these are the shoes that are mass produced. They are there for you to get. So, yeah, you know, you can look classic and be in sneakers for a low price. You can also think of these sneakers as your neutrals that can go with any outfit. And the nice thing about these shoes is that they're always in style. And if they're not, you can help bring them back.

All right. So you're well on your way to becoming a sneakerhead. You found a pair of sneakers that really speak to you. And you put together the outfit and someone on the train even stopped you to tell you how they wore those same exact sneakers during their high school state championship game and swore that they were good luck sneakerhead success but what do you do when something like this happens not only just like we now used to buy my brand new white jordan's i just bought this is of course bugging out a character from Spike Lee's 1989 classic, do the right thing.

It's a dilemma that we could all be faced with as sneaker heads. How do you keep these shoes fresh? What advice do you have for people? So yes, there are, you know, expensive things you can buy to keep your sneakers clean in the, another lane household.

We are a Palm olive. We are a Palm olive toothbrush and something to get into the grooves of your shoe. There's a whole science to cleaning shoes. And there are even YouTube channels dedicated to restoring old vintage shoes like the 1985 Chicago Jordan 1. So those are some of the tools. Also, we have a horsehair brush that you would use to brush

down suede. Because if you are thinking about reselling and you have worn your shoe, you definitely want to take care and cleanse the bottom of the shoe. And if you are wearing your shoes after a wear, take them off and dedicate a day that you're going to clean them. You can actually go a long way with a simple toothbrush, water, and dish soap. And you don't need too much. You also don't want to scrub too hard. And when you're done, a wet washcloth to wipe down the surface will do you just fine. You can also throw your shoelaces in a washing machine. Another thing that can hurt the resale value of sneakers are creases near the toe of the shoe that form when you take steps.

When I was younger, I would take a pair of socks and stuff it into my shoe. But today you can actually buy plastic crease protectors that you can slip right into the shoe. Okay, so confession time. I've been trying to get a pair of shoes on Nike's sneaker app since August. But I can report to you guys now that my days of taking L's are over. While I was making this podcast episode in the middle of an edit, I got the chance to buy my first pair of shoes on the app. It was a vintage remake of the Nike Blazer 77s with an asparagus snakeskin green swoosh.

So I haven't decided if I want to sell them yet, but the one thing that I know is that sneakerheads and even the non-sneakerheads out there, don't stop shooting your shot. Okay, let's recap. Takeaway number one, you don't have to ride the hype train. You don't even have to be a hype beast to be a sneakerhead. And the exclusiveness of some shoes doesn't mean that it's harder to get all shoes. Next up, takeaway number two. Trust your local sneakerhead community.

It's really a thriving ecosystem of people all over the world. You can meet a new friend or you can meet someone who helps you get insider information. And takeaway number three. Don't forget the classics. They're always affordable and most importantly, they're always in style. For more Life Kit, you can check out our other episodes. We have one on how to make the perfect playlist and another one on how to give great gifts. You can actually find those episodes at npr.org slash life kit. And if you love Life Kit and want more, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter. That's at npr.org slash life kit newsletter. And if you have a good tip, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us a voice memo at life kit at npr.org. PR dot O-R-G. This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglas. Megan Cain is the managing producer. Beth Donovan is the senior editor. Our digital editors are Beck Harlan and Claire Lombardo.

Shout outs to my dog, CeeLo. And our editorial assistant is Claire Marie Schneider. I'm Jeff Pierre. And thanks for taking this trip with me. I just wish I didn't have the student podcast challenge podcast music in my head as I was reading this. Because like our ender music is like, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, and I'm like, nah, nah, nah. Nike's on my feet. Keep the cipher complete. That's what I need. 2020 has been rough, but there have been some bright spots. Hi, Sam. On July 9th, I donated a kidney to someone that I didn't know.

Hi, Sam. Well, the best thing that happened to me this week is that I made a new friend. The best things that happened to you this year. Listen now to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR.