Originally Posted by Mr CoOrdinate
Well I understand and get what both of y'all are saying. I agree and disagree. The jewels are nice (the real OGs) because of leather quality and shape. I don't want Nike to retro something and just screw it up completely and then see guys out everywhere wearing crappy made jewels. But I am glad that Nike is thinking about us. I just wished they would reach out and ask us lol. I think that if they are dead set on retroing some jewels, I really don't want them to reuse the OG colorways. This way you can still tell what's what, but if everything is on point about them, then by all means OG it up
I love hunting for OG kicks. Sometimes I get lucky and it don't take long, but usually I'm searching and searching for a long time.
Bold mine.
But, that's the thing. WE can still tell what's what. So, who are you (not just you, but the collective "you") worried about not being able to tell?... The next man? The casual sneaker fan? Others who you want to impress?
See, the interesting thing about this issue is it puts a lot of our professed values to the test. Sure, many of us say we chase down OGs because the shape is better looking and the materials are higher quality, and shoe overall is just way more comfortable. BUT... if they retro the shoe in cheaper materials, butchered shape, and they feel like bricks, how does that effect the originals? The originals are still all they were when there was no retro. So, why should we be mad? Why do we care about a product we won't use?
Well, one reason one would care is because while he professes to love the OGs for all the reasons above, really a lot of love comes from having something rare, something exclusive. So, when retros come out, that threatens to pull the cards of a lot of dudes who claim they hunt what they hunt because the quality, shape, and comfort is on point, and not to "break necks."
Now, I'm not saying that wanting to have things others don't is all wrong. We'd all be lying to ourselves if we said we didn't care at all about that. But, in some cases, how one feels about retros can be a barometer for how they weight exclusivity among the various appealing attributes of OGs. And, a lot of times, I think people actually prioritize that aspect more than they claim to.
Hell, you can make a compelling argument that retroing a shoe brings down the prices of the OGs and therefore those of us who are dedicated OG-seekers should want to see retros because it triggers an OG market correction in our favor (as consumers, but not as resellers). Under that premise it's hard not to argue that arguing against retro-ing isn't just hypebeasting masquerading under a false cloak of nobility - the most heinous hypebeating of all!
BTW, I'm not trying to call anybody here out or anything, just trying to have a real discussion about sneakers that extends beyond "those are fire."
