Who cares what those people do?
You sound like you've been around for a while.
Who cares if this crap propels some herbs to "god like sneakerhead levels."
Most of these dudes are johnny-come-latelys, and this is what I say about them - they got into this as followers and seek the respect of the people who influenced them. They spend an ungodly amount of money and amass a huge following in the process. The only problem is, the people who been there and done that - the people who they really want to impress - all think they are herbs.
I laugh at those dudes. The OG "sneakercelebs" laugh about them behind their backs too, while selling them stuff at prices they would have never dreamed of paying themselves on the other side. I know. I get texts like, "You know what that idiot just paid for my XYZs" And, then we laugh. We laugh when they act like they are getting hooked up by stores and the owners confirm that they paid full retail price.
So, "sneaker god, status." Please! These guys have an army of 16-year old followers - they fool everybody but the people whose opinions they actually care about. As far as those people, they spent hundreds of thousands to go from unknown, to objects of ridicule in their eyes.
The joke is on them and they're the only ones who don't realize it.