That's where Internet start-up Campless is changing the game.Īccording to Campless there are roughly 11 million sneaker auctions taking place at eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ), the most popular secondary sneaker marketplace, each day. at a price that is often two to three times the cost of retail. There was a time when wearing a used piece of apparel was a serious faux pas among the fashionable, but when it comes to sneakers that are not available in stores, a sneakerhead will do what he or she has to in order to acquire them.ĭue to the limited inventory released into the retail market and the increasingly high demand for models from the likes of Adidas, Nike, and its high-profile subsidiary Jordan Brand, the only way the vast majority of people who want a particular pair of sneakers is to buy on the secondary market. In addition to driving sales of new releases to the retail market, the sneakerhead community is creating an entirely new market for athletic footwear, the second-hand market. Sneakerheads immediately began flooding Adidas' site to find out more about the shoe.
#SNEAKERS SUBURBAN FAUX PAS SERIES#
Springblade technology, which features a sole comprised of a series of plastic blades that propel a runner forward, was featured in a photograph taken by the quarterback as he held the pair he'd just received.
#SNEAKERS SUBURBAN FAUX PAS TV#
One of the company's latest sneaker innovations didn't make its debut in a press release or TV spot, instead it randomly appeared in the Twitter feed of spokesman Robert Griffin III. Not content with playing second-fiddle to Nike, Adidas is also leveraging social media to attract the attention of sneakerheads, albeit it in a more covert way.
There are those among the ranks of the sneakerheads who cry foul at the surprise nature of the restocks, but the bottom line here is that a restock, surprise or not, offers those who lost out during the initial release a second chance to get a pair and that isn't a bad thing. Most times the only way to know about a restock is to follow Nike's official Twitter feed, which will offer a surprise link to its online store where the previously sold-out models are waiting for buyers. Because a particularly coveted model will likely sell out within minutes of release online, Nike will sometimes, and without warning, issue what is called a restock. This type of devotion to footwear has even led Nike to use social media to offer sneakerheads the ability to purchase shoes that had previously sold out. Given that a pair of signature shoes can range in cost from $140 to $275, that's no small investment. Each time a new color scheme or model is debuted on the hardwood, the sneakerheads begin their quest to add them to their collections. The arrival of sneakerheads is taking that concept to the next level - players like LeBron James now sport as many as 10 versions of their signature shoe during the regular season, followed by a completely different model in various color schemes for the post season. Nike released several models of his eponymous shoe, the Air Jordan, every year, each in a different color scheme. This drives up demand among sneakerheads who famously camp out in advance of a release to get a pair.
The two footwear makers routinely announce dates for particular models months in advance, as do retailers like Foot Locker (NYSE: FL ) and Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL ). In what can only be described as an acknowledgement of the buying power of sneakerheads, companies are taking a page out of Hollywood's playbook and providing fans with a lot of information regarding upcoming releases. Forbes recently estimated that sneakerheads represent about 5% of the $22 billion retail sneaker market in the U.S. At one time an underground community of fanatics, sneakerheards are now a semi-mainstream collection of enthusiasts whose demographics run the gamut from suburban teens to celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Jason Sudekis, and Jerry Seinfeld. For the uninitiated, a sneakerhead is a devotee of athletic footwear.
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