Is the sneaker climate changing yet again? Here are my thoughts on the latest adidas Yeezy 700 release.
I was able to add to cart and checkout without issue for the adidas Yeezy Boost 700 in the ‘Mauve’ colorway so I decided to give the shoe a try.
While there are still plenty of people ‘beasting over Yeezy-branded footwear by adidas, the shoe sitting is an interesting look. This is the second release in a row where pairs sat for days after its release. In some cases, I believe the shoes were pulled to make it look as if they sold out in order to later restock them (an effort to maintain the brand’s buzz).
It’s an interesting time in the sneaker world because you’re either into kicks or you’re into the hype. And there doesn’t seem to be much room for in between. Resellers can’t make a profit off the shoe which means adidas isn’t selling through. Higher production numbers, unappealing colorways, loss of interest, politics, the $300 price tag…all of these could be a factor to the decline of the Yeezy brand.
One thing I find interesting is that the product being made is good. The materials are nice and the comfort is there. Aesthetics are subjective — everyone will have a different opinion on that — but the build quality and craftsmanship are all here (and for $300 they should be).
Are sneakers really on a downward spiral or is there just too much to consume? With releases nearly happening on a daily basis, is there more product than there is demand? Sneakers used to be a once-a-year purchase for most and now they seem to be a several-times-a-week type of thing.
Leave your thoughts on the adidas Yeezy 700 ‘Mauve’ down below along with your thoughts on the current climate of the sneaker scene. With resale value dwindling are more of the new generation losing interest and moving onto streetwear? Are declining basketball sales an accurate indication that the game is being played by less people? Perhaps it is more an indication that there is too much product being made in general and it’s an unrealistic expectation to sell through every make and model.
We’d love to hear your thoughts.
FIRST.
I agree with your sentiments. Overpriced but really nice quality and comfort.
I’m actually a huge fan of them aesthetically. I’m too old to double up and I don’t care about reselling or anything like that. Now that they’re sitting though, maybe I can get them for sub $300.
I think it can be attributed to kanye’s decline more than anything, but also the price and the shoes are kinda ugly. I’m somewhat glad that yeezys and jordans are sitting more these days; the hypebeast thing has overwhelmed the sneaker world in the last several years and is kind of annoying to me. Maybe kids are starting to realize the emperor has no clothes.
Great comment kwame
I was thinking about why basketball shoe sales are declining, and it partially has to do with less people playing ball- in america. Last time I was in socal, the courts I used to get runs in were somewhat dead. I feel less kids are going “hey, lets do something fun. Lets play basketball” then they used to.
Ive worked in several countries overseas, though, and it seems like more people are playing than ever before around the world. Its just that oftentimes the shoes are not affordable to them and they play in fakes, old running shoes, or even flip flops or barefoot.
Also, i feel most ball shoes are not as aesthetically appealling for off court use as they were back in the day for casual folks, and the fit of the shoes today are not as accomodating for different feet as they were with leather shoes. Theres too many shoes these days that i tried on and instantly ruled out cuz they only fit one type of foot, and that wasnt mine. Anyway, thats my 2 cents.
Geezus this shoe is ugly. Maybe I’m too far gone but I have the slightest idea why anyone would want to wear anything from this line.
I’m not a fan of the Yeezy line, I don’t like any of them and (to me) they’re overpriced because all of the hype surrounding them. I don’t think ball shoes declining sales is because less people is playing the game, I could think is because there’s too many colorways of every signature sneaker compared to the golden era of the 90s, when we got between three and five of them, most of them in the athlete’s team colors (and that could be applied to the retros too, how many non OG Air More Uptempos did we get in the last two years). I might sound old, but that’s my perspective, sneaker culture is no more related to the love of the game (or sport), now is totally influenced by people outside the game (Travis Scott, Virgil Abloh, Don C, Drake, Kanye, etc.) and overhyped brands (Supreme).
It’s just that there are too many releases these days and people become bored of the product. And gone are the days when there is a new release, there is new tech or something totally new that we get really hyped up (for me that is hype).
I really don’t like this idea of brands relying on collaboration and suddenly a cheap shoe becoming a six digit priced item. I would still prefer buying expensive shoes because of the comfort, performance and durability it gives rather than just paying for the “name” and “publicity”
For Basketball, brands become inconsistent and releases of new signature brands have become faster. I remember before you expect a new signature shoe come after a year unlike now, a new one may come after 6 mos.
Taste and influence has become a problem with modern consumerism. I remember the Wave Runner getting a lot of distaste…and then give it a few months of IG posts and YT vids milking them, and I guess the force-fed appreciation of resale for people to suddenly be on-board. I mean let’s be real, it’s hard to believe that these particular people really had natural taste for anything they’re into. Supreme, Bape, etc. Same goes with Jordans in the mid 2000’s. You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t have any real liking to basketball in general despite going after those. You’d want to ask, “those looked good to you without anyone saying so? ” Did some window shopping and wished you had the money for it? Most of these people already have the money/plug.
These days I think there are way too many people out there whose “personal taste/preference” is almost entirely dictated by what’s currently trending, whatever will allow them to “flex” the hardest, or if they can flip a sneaker for 3 times the original price. And it’s sad to see ’cause it contradicts the whole concept of said “personal taste.” When a brand unveils a new shoe and puts it out on social media, there are people who often just jump on the hate train and start calling them trash or whack, but as soon as it’s announced that the sneaker is limited, those same guys start dropping fire emojis and checking when the release date is. I wonder if “sneakerheads” nowadays have actually experienced walking in a store, seeing a pair of shoes sitting on the shelf and just thinking: “Holy sh*t these are the cleanest f*cking pair of kicks ever!” That goes along with a genuine appreciation for the history of those shoes and the significance (if any) they have to the brand.
When brands over-saturate the market with the same sh*t it just makes people less excited and more skeptical about the “innovations” or the “changes” these brands make. And when a once hyped shoe becomes way more available (*ehem Yeezy’s) people begin to lose interest and start worrying about if they’ll see someone at the mall wearing the same pair of 350’s as them. I know Kanye promised that everyone who wants yeezy’s would eventually be able to get them, but that obviously isn’t what “yeezy fans” want.
In terms of basketball sneaker sales, I don’t think the game is necessarily being played by less people, it’s just that guys who used to buy Kobe’s and LeBron’s on a yearly basis are probably now putting their money towards sneakers or streetwear items they can wear off the court. In the end, I think we’re all victims of hype and current trends in one way or another. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out in the near future. I have to say though, been a while since shoes like the Jordan 33 and Kyrie 5 got me really excited to grab a pair of hoop shoes.
Over production, over production, over production. The market is absolutely over saturated. Consumers are fatigued at the moment. Young bucks are buying new releases and if you ask them why, they won’t give you a straight answer. The chunky sneaker trend is anti-fashion. It’s ugly on purpose, with a purpose to do nothing but drain the pockets of consumers. There is nothing special about this latest Yeezy release. There is no story to tell. There is no history to this shoe. If Yeezy made ketchup popsicles the kids would buy them up and say they were delicious. Brands are just doing what they’ve always done, maintaining a consumer culture. Bah Humbug! BTW, I’m wearing some weird Volcom alpine boots I found at Ross for $30 today because they have wool lining and it was chilly outside today. That’s your practicality reality check for the day.