NTers who joined from 1999 to 2002....come in here real quick.

[sonunox34]

Started lurking August 2002, finally figured out how to sign up in January 2003. I stopped caring about sneakers around 2007, but I stayed here for the conversations in Gen/Sports/Music.

Is that hat above representing the black/carolina suede 12s? I forgot the nickname, but I remember that thread being legendary.

 

[bjw1983]

Is that hat above representing the black/carolina suede 12s? I forgot the nickname, but I remember that thread being legendary.

NUBUCKS! I remember people spazzed over those ... And to think we were tripping about the package being $200 back then... COMPARED TO NOW??? LOL

 

[superblytrife]

Started lurking August 2002, finally figured out how to sign up in January 2003. I stopped caring about sneakers around 2007, but I stayed here for the conversations in Gen/Sports/Music.

Is that hat above representing the black/carolina suede 12s? I forgot the nickname, but I remember that thread being legendary.

Yep, that's the hat.  That thread was hilarious.  Lots of upset NTers. 

That hat holds a special place in my heart though.  My homie ended up getting the pack and the first time he wore the shoes/hat combo, we got ****** drunk at the bar like any other Thursday night in college.  Somehow we ended up bench pressing at this kid's house who still lived with his dad.  Well, pops showed up at like 5 AM to a house full of drunken strangers and in the shuffle to exit, the hat ended up under a 45 lb. weight.  The homie went back to the house the next day to find his hat a crumpled, crushed mess.  He never wore the shoes again because he HAD to have the hat to match.  

 

 

[00david00]

big ups to all the NT OGs

 

[wj4]

I also was a transplant from Nikepark. I was just looking at pictures at the time. I got my first real Jordans with the 15s in the 9th grade. Mom finally caved in and got me real Jordans, and not Jumpmans as long as I was getting good grades. I lurked NT for a while before signing up. The vibe back then was way different. The members were generally older, where as now there's a lot of kids here trying to get some "LOLZ". The members were very helpful and always looked out for one another. The term 'heat' has killed the subculture and Nike has taken full advantage by releasing limited garbage and kids eat it up. I still buy the retros I like, most are in the OG colorways, but I dare not pay those atrocious prices resellers ask. It's not that serious to me, especially since I can wear sneakers 3 times a week max anyway.

The members who worked at Champs, Footlocker, etc. used to look out for the locals too when they had the F&F sale. I'm not sure if this type of moral boosting activities still exist on the board.

It is interesting because I saw the whole 'hypebeast' thing formed from the start. I remember the Nike Dunk SBs. No one wanted them at first. There were skater NTers who copped them to skate in and trashed them because they were so cheap when on sale. All of a sudden, the values skyrocketed and dudes were going nuts. Dudes would arrive at local skateboard shops on delivery dates trying to see what stuff came out that they can flip When I saw Supreme Dunks and the likes selling for around $1k, I thought that had to be the climax. I never thought there would be a day Nikes would go for several grands, like they do now.

I agree that a lot of the colorways that drop now would've been variants back 10 years ago...Cav 4s, and the 'reverse Concord' 11 lows come to mind. I also remember that 'lining up' meant going to the store 15-20 mins before it opened to ensure you get yours. And this was only for the retro 11s that were $125 and if your boy is an employee, that's 30% off. Everything else pretty much made it to a sale. I copped those black/royal AJ1 for something like $50 because they sat so long. I guess they released again recently as a quickstrike and price is now more than double

Back then, dudes just go after the shoes they wanted. It may be the AJ 4 or some old school Barkleys they have to hunt on eBay. I still remember the homie shawno AKA 'Damn its me" picking me up to go get kicks when I couldn't drive. Also met a gang of cool cats at the various LA summits. I wish I had more pictures, but I believe this was the 2nd one. I know it was around 2001 because I was wearing the black/red 11s I too refuse to call them 'bred' or any of the asinine nicknames the kids use now. The first submit I attended was at Balboa Park. Cats actually balled for a while

View media item 592224View media item 592225

 

[Magic33]

That's the truth.

When you open a subculture to the public, you make a Faustian bargain. You get a window where it is extremely helpful and the true heads reap all kinds of benefits. You expand networks, access, information, etc. But, it's a ticking time bomb because there's no barrier to entry to the culture any more - no cultural capital needed for a person to join... especially since NT doesn't even screen members anymore.

The state of things today is not some perversion - it's the natural and expected result on something like NT becoming successful. Look what corporate America did to hip hop? Look at what 12oz Prophet did to graff. Desecration of the culture is the endgame.

And, as for that state of the hobby - it's a volume issue; the lowest common denominator rules. "Sneakerheads" get the state of the hobby and the treatment from Nike that they deserve. I can't honestly sit here and say that I would operate all that differently if I was Nike. Dudes got Stockholm Syndrome.

But, I still love sneakers. I have never Twitter RSVP'ed, or used a bot, or anything like that. That's only one aspect of things. 99% of the people in the hobby could be poison - as long as there's a small community of people who "get it" I'll just continue to rock with them. The rest of it is just noise. I'm not going to stop listening to old Kane albums because Drake dropped another record, so why would a bunch of people fawning over ridiculous sneakers stop me from appreciating what I've always appreciated on my terms?

I don't think a board like this has an impact.

It's no different than a club having impact on alcohol problems. You have to know about NT or have an interest in sneakers already to come here.

Social media changed it where people who never cared about sneakers are flooded with sneakers, either through celebrities or their friends.

 

[Magic33]

I lurked for a few years before joining.

View media item 591982This was the beginning of the end. After this release there was no slowing down the hype train. JB/Nike knew they had us right by the balls.

If you dont know about this fitted than this thread isnt for you.

I think packs and gimmicks changed things, but I really think it was Nike SB that changed everything.

 

[teamjordan79]

I lurked for a few years before joining.

View media item 591982This was the beginning of the end. After this release there was no slowing down the hype train. JB/Nike knew they had us right by the balls.

If you dont know about this fitted than this thread isnt for you.

I think packs and gimmicks changed things, but I really think it was Nike SB that changed everything.

I'd even say it was around the time when the Tiffany dunks dropped.

 

[ninjahood]

 

I lurked for a few years before joining.


This was the beginning of the end. After this release there was no slowing down the hype train. JB/Nike knew they had us right by the balls.

If you dont know about this fitted than this thread isnt for you.

I think packs and gimmicks changed things, but I really think it was Nike SB that changed everything.

da SB hypewave was divorced from da rest of da sneaker universe....foamposites could be had with little to no problems whatsoever

in NYC either thought they all eventually sold out with no sales

Originally Posted by currensy  


What's up with that fitted?

pack back in 2003...200 was actually a bargin.

here's my take on da whole thing, as long as you do your own thing and only cop what you really like you'll avoid da majorty of da bull ****.

another thing to keep in mind is have other interests...dont let this sneaker **** swallow you whole, cuz when you get to da nitty gritty

hardcore collector levels...they some corny geek pokemon card collecting type dudes.

..every event i've even been to rubbed me da wrong way as far as who i shared a interest

in footwear with....sneakers has a funny way of uniting people that would NOTHING to do with each other otherwise, and learned that

one day.

i'm a all purpose type of cat to begin with, so knowing about kicks, and being fresh is just part of my overall repertoire, but i'll be damned

if that's da only thing i plan to excel at. this is why i can talk about politics, cars, jewelry, etc..its good to be well rounded.

 

[Magic33]

da SB hypewave was divorced from da rest of da sneaker universe....foamposites could be had with little to no problems whatsoever

It eventually was bound to cross over and other sneaker brands and companies were going to start doing the same thing to market their products. Plus it brought a bunch of new people in to sneakers, and resellers, overpriced and overhyped sneakers became the norm.

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

In my 13 years on here, I don't think I've ever read an entire post from Ninja Hood. I see the Reptile avy and know bad grammar (intentionally used) will be used profusely. No offense.

 

[ninjahood]

 

da SB hypewave was divorced from da rest of da sneaker universe....foamposites could be had with little to no problems whatsoever

It eventually was bound to cross over and other sneaker brands and companies were going to start doing the same thing to market their products. Plus it brought a bunch of new people in to sneakers, and resellers, overpriced and overhyped sneakers became the norm.

hypebeasts only jumped shipped from SB's to foams and other self sustaining series that were selling on their respectives fans own strength

once that gravy train of gimmicks, and one trick ponies known as SB dunks ran dry, jumped da shark, and collapsed on da weight of

ridiculousness....

hell i remember when da eggplant foams in 2009 got a initial hype buy its hardcore fans and outta NOWHERE you saw hypebeasts starting

to aim for em outta nowhere...this is da first time IN MY LIFE i started seeing foams with skinny jeans.

hell complex had a video with Clart Kent and a round table of other taste makers, and most of da hipsters COULD NOT FATHOM why there

was such a huge uproar over da eggplant foams...to cats who were in da know it represented AT DA TIME da pinnacle crossover sneaker:

da best colorway of da flightposites, along with da most popular foamposite model.

that interest amongst foam enthusiast caught da wind of cats who would've NEVER bought foams in da first place to try to get em because

they wanted to be "down too" meanwhile sounding like complete fools in da process talking bout " these are my

first pair but this is da best foamposite ever" to da chagrin of owners of royal blue, WHITE pearls, and volt foams....

da bottomline is there's alot of culture vultures in da sneaker community..its actually at a all time high....made lames everywhere, and no end

in sight.

 

[hennessy]

When I was 11 and in 5th grade my best friend came to school one day with a pair of white AF1 mids. I really liked them but didn't want to buy the same pair so I went into Footlocker and found these...

I didn't stop buying Jordans from there. I found Niketalk when the black/red 11s dropped in 2001. I lurked for a little and then joined in 2003 when the WC3 came out.

Would always buy retros to wear to school and the latest model for basketball. I started with the white/blue 16s.

I used to get my dalitso on in middle school. Who remembers these shirts?

The SB scene came full force in 2004 and started to die out around 2008. I remember unloading all my DS kicks right before I went to college and I stopped going on NT at that point as well. I won't lie SBs turned me into a reselling monster and I didn't wear the majority of the kicks I owned when SBs came out. I really thought I was doing it by reselling for a few hundred dollars here and there. When you're that young and don't have a job it's easy to get caught up in a cycle where you just keep buying and then selling when something new comes out. As much as you want to wear everything you have, you can't afford to when you're that young (unless you're spoiled) and it kind of becomes a contest who can barter for the rarest pair of kicks. So lame looking back. I see the younger kids going through what I went through back then hoarding DS kicks, or wearing them once or twice then selling to get something new but it's SOOO much worse today because of social media and the exposure sneakers have gotten.

Now I'm back on NT after finishing college and getting a job. I went back and bought a few pairs of the Jordans I had from 2003 and earlier but I don't mess with new stuff. The retros with Nike Air (in OG colorways) are the only Jordans I think are worth trying to buy anymore. I will go hard and try to buy them but if I can't get them for some reason I'm not paying a crazy premium. I'll spend my money wisely on something else. I've moved on to high-end sneakers and dress shoes for the most part.

 

[dahuhuhyah]

 

[160jordansdeep]

after not getting the db 5's

i'm really thinking of giving this b.s up all together

i kind of felt this way back in late 2008 and 2009 into 2010 and fell out of kicks for a minute

but now i really dont have the same love/feeling like i had for kicks

all these silly rsvp/twitter raffle crap

all the younger collectors from 2011 until now killed the "so called game"

small shops killing the customer for each retro release in the past 2 years

the all the riots /campout's for the concord 11's in 2011 and the galaxy foams 2012 destroyed this already selfish hobby
and the reason rsvp raffles started to happened with bigger stores

now buying kicks you need a twitter instagram ect
this hobby has become full of 13 to 15 year old's

 

[HankHill]

Remember when you could buy used sneakers for LESS than when they were new?

 

[eightfivefresh]

 
Word, I agree with a lot here. All I want is mostly OG's. These new gimmicks Nike/JB are pulling is straight ridiculous. It's crazy how the classic Bulls home/away cw's are seen as boring. It boggles my mind, those are the hottest cw's and are classic, how can they be wack?

Been lurking since 2000 & joined in Fall '01 before the AJ XI "BLACK & RED" (Eff that "Bred" crap) Retro dropped. 90's Kids RUINED the Game for me. All I do is go after the OG's for the most part. Nike is feeding these Popularity-Striving Savages & it sickens me. 

I remember when as a Sneaker Collector (what we use to call ourselves) we were part of a small minority community. When I came to college my freshman year in 2003, ppl looked at me like a weirdo, b/c I had a locker w/ about 10 sneakers in it. Now, being a "sneaker head" is so common place... it's depressing what the game has become. With high demand, usually quality is sacrificed & that's exactly what happened.

I could go on a major rant, but I won't. There's a major difference between those who truly love what we're into & then there's the other 90% who really could care less. If you were an early NTer or even Nike Park follower... you know what I mean. It was GENUINE. smh

 

[eightfivefresh]

I don't understand why this thread is limited to those who joined in 99-'02.


Butttttttt...
I remember wanting/seeing Jordans for the longest time ever...Simply because I loved watching MJ and couldn't ever afford a pair.


I remember they'd use to sit at FL and go on sale...SALE. Same with the AJ 17s @ Copelands for $99...Ya just don't see that anymore.

The thread is limited to this time frame b/c this was when NikeTalk was in it's Infancy & only the true sneaker aficionados were a part of it. Not saying there weren't more afterwards, but it began to get diluted more & more as time went on.

 

[stillin729]

Things slowly started to turn when Nike realized the market for limited availability

This was the origin IMO
View media item 592528

 

[T Lo Sweater]

Man I give no ***** about a sneaker these days. Every now and then I'll cop a favorite retro, but i'm pretty much done.

This. My friend was told he has to use the nike bot on twitter. He was able to reserve his pair but when he went to the store, he couldn't get it

Then footlocker was giving tickets out to the first 50 people in line. These were guaranteed shoes. Hes a number in the 30s. Yet they still couldn't give him a pair

It's just a turn for the worst mab

 

[dahuhuhyah]

This. My friend was told he has to use the nike bot on twitter. He was able to reserve his pair but when he went to the store, he couldn't get it

Then footlocker was giving tickets out to the first 50 people in line. These were guaranteed shoes. Hes a number in the 30s. Yet they still couldn't give him a pair

It's just a turn for the worst mab

Bot users just doing too much

 

[airthompson]

I've been into Jordan's since the OG 12's in '97, so I have a lot to say about the changes. I still occasionally cop here and there, but only sneakers I really like.

Firstly the materials of majority of these Jordan's make it easier for me to pass. Then we have this price hike from damn near $99 to $125, then $125 to $135, then $135 to $160. And now another price hike is coming $160 to $170? Same goes for other Nike shoes.

I love sneakers but I think Nike/JB is trying their absolute hardest to make longtime customers stop buying them.

 

[storm2006]

Check my join date

 

[bip roberts]

here's my take on da whole thing, as long as you do your own thing and only cop what you really like you'll avoid da majorty of da bull ****.

another thing to keep in mind is have other interests...dont let this sneaker **** swallow you whole, cuz when you get to da nitty gritty

hardcore collector levels...they some corny geek pokemon card collecting type dudes.

..every event i've even been to rubbed me da wrong way as far as who i shared a interest

in footwear with....sneakers has a funny way of uniting people that would NOTHING to do with each other otherwise, and learned that

one day.

Real talk.

I have people in this hobby who are sneaker friends; I won't deny that. But, in terms of my day to day social circle, very few people I actually surround myself with care at all about sneakers - outside of knowing the quirkiness of my relationship with them. But, I don't assume to have anything in common with somebody because they claim to love kicks. A decade ago, there was a much greater chance that you and that person have a lot of other shared views and cultural touchstones.

I haven't ever been to a sneaker event in my life and I don't see why I would ever go. Every time I think about sneaker events, and even sneaker releases, all I think about is what the jux quotient would have been if this was 1995.

 

[mugen81]

Even though I am not a old head of NT( I lurked this board hard back in 06), I really just can't get down with the prices anymore( now the gloves will be copped) but other then that I stay in vans or chucks... I just don't like the attention on my feet anymore, sold most of my collection/gave to good will and kept what I considered "heat" lol....last J's I bought where the black/red 4s( gave away true blue 3s and fire red 3s because of that midsole cracking which didnt happen back when I was in hs smh)