..As I really retire myself from all that is the sneaker game, I just had some thoughts..
..Whoever doesn't think the sneaker game needs changes is an obvious idiot, I don't know how to change the game myself, but I know how to change the game within myself as a sneakerhead..
..As I pulled myself out the game, this past week, after taking a week off so far from twitter, I glanced at my timeline and I see the same bullshit over and over again, sneakers, complain about sneakers, talk shit about this person who does dumb shit within the sneakergame, raffles for sneakers, rape prices, people trying to trade forsaken things for sneakers, you know the usual shit, I also pictured myself being a part of this usual shit, which I admit I am, and most likely one of the forefront runners of it..
..I can say being out the game is definitely different, I don't stress over sneaker bullshit, I don't worry about whats the best place to raise the chance percentage of me obtaining the shoes I want, I don't care about shit like I used to, this is how I changed the game within myself as a sneakerhead, don't get me wrong, I wanted the barkley 180's, I wanted the camo high sb's, I wanted the Michael Chang pumps, but I simply just said "I'm good", I wasn't compelled to pull out my credit card and cop, I simply did not give a shit.
..This game is so contaminated with fuckery, it's at the point where when our friends get a shoe, we fucking congratulate them for getting it, like it was the birth of their child, a promotion, or a graduation...we congratulate each other over obtaining a muthafucking shoe, if you really sit there and think how fucking ignorant this is, you'll realize how fucked up the game is..
..Then we stress over fucking shoes, we go through the bullshit of getting them, we have our girlfriends or boyfriends, parents, wishing us "a get home safe" once we purchase the shoes from a store...you don't even understand the concern my fiancee has for me when she knows I'm planning to line up for some shoes...seriously, think about this, our loved ones concerned over our well being because were purchasing a fucking shoe, Then we get the shoes and then were hated on, were called hypebeasts by people mad because they didnt get the same shoe..
..Maybe I'm weak, Maybe I'm not built for the negative aspects of the game or maybe I'm strong enough to back out the game and take a chill, maybe I'm strong enough to pass on kicks that I'd like to have..
..whatever the case may be, I know all this bullshit that now comes along with something so simple as it used to be like walking into your favorite shoe store on a Saturday afternoon after chilling with some Capt. Crunch and watching Tv for the morning, Is not necessary..
..I'm probably blabbering about shit, that's been talked about over and over again, but since I've been asked repeatedly about why I retired or stopped copping kicks, I just wanted to express myself and let ppl know some of the reasons why I'm out the game..
..I hope you find some serenity in this sneaker game we love, Because I have..
-Def
35 comments:
i sold most of my shoes last month and im at peace.i can honestly say its stress free not dealing with resellers.i kept some of my favorites
though
i think the biggest aspect of backing out is the stress factor, you notice once ur out, that you'd be under so much stress and worry about a shoe, that it seems so stupid once u really look at it...
i honestly feel exactly where you are coming from DEF. The game is getting so WACK that NOBODY wants to be apart of it no more. Maybe when things die down, which i highly doubt, we can return to the game, but until then im with you my brother! @YungXWonder
Yall crazy lol def get the damn 180's must have just walk in the store pick it up hug the motherfucker and swipe swipe swipe "be a man" lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qtrAMK7_Qk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
russell peters
Def
Thank you for your commentary and insight with the shoe game. As an O.G. sneakerhead who has been retired for quite some time now it was good to see that the game was in good hands with you running things. I can understand your desire to step away from it and wish you nothing but the best in the future. I aint gonna lie tho I will miss your Random Rambo's and your commentary so maybe instead of retiring you can transition into being the commissioner, ensuring that the integrity of the game is still in tack with your absence, and there's no better way of doing that then calling em out on here and making sure they know whats really good. Peace be with you my brother and thanks again for your contributions
well said def. im slowly walking away from the sneakergame myself. hearing the latest news about teens getting killed for the olympic 7's is just ridicolous. i rather live another day then to get killed about a shoe. i hope you do come back soon cos i find ur blog well entertaining. i know we stress about shoes but reading wat u say about people just makes it more funnier.
Watermark your pic. Bitters
nobody is gonna bite that pic, my stickers are on my own sneaker boxes.
russel peters is corny, not funny at all.
im not retiring my site, this will continue, im just taking a break for now.
Great commentary. I believe next year will be my last year and for reasons as you've stated. It's getting ridiculous out here, hype beast, resellers, etc. Nike reaping the benefit of it all, providing us with limited quantity, and less of a quality product. Great post.
Great post Def,
Next year will be my last year. Just too much going on with hype beasts, and resellers. Nike reaping the benefit releasing limited quantities and lower quality shoes. I never thought I'd see the day where people were camping out for the White/Red 14's. The game has changed.
you said it all man... i feel the same way only i get the sneakers that i actually like and need, i think i got it easy because i have a pretty small foot (8.5) so i don't really have to go to midnight releases or a couple hours before the place I'm going to opens... i just go in the morning and see if they have my size available and if they don't then I'm cool with it because deep down i know its just a sneaker... we should have people helping each other out in the sneaker game instead of cutting in line one another or ripping them off with high prices
@Alex323 totally agree with you man, thats how I am, if i dont get it oh well, i already have enough heat to last me for a lifetime.
damn def thats the truth...i use to be all stressed out about obtaining a shoe and figured out what the fuck for???? really? that cant be life. last pair i copped was november last year i had no interest in the concords..new release sites and kids killed the game. i wont lie i sold playoff 13s, white/red 13s, 3 pairs of foamz including dark royal, anny 11s, CMFT SC 11 and yes DB3s all for retail except the db3s. back to blowin even more trees!!!!!!
Feel you def. I was one of those that copped almost everything, but I don't have it in me anymore. I just can't see myself camping out for every shoe, tryna beat these resellers for a pair of chicago Xs or playoff XIIs. Once I realised that the only option was either camp all night or pay rape for every pair of kicks, it was easy to hang it up.
I think the worst part of the sneaker game is the stress that we make ourselves go trough. If it was only like the 90's where you would go to the sneaker store and buy any shoe at any time.
Not trying to promote my channel; but i touch on this quite a bit on the vlogs/pu reviews/silly sessions quite a bit. i don't look at it as a game; its a passion that i really enjoy. i dont even let the negatives bother me. traffic on the interstate for example. why let it frustrate you; traffic doesn't care for you so what give it any fucks in return. my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVILOb-J_pg&feature=g-upl
namaste Deftronic! I'm glad you're out there and doing well.
Not trying to promote my channel; but i touch on this quite a bit on the vlogs/pu reviews/silly sessions quite a bit. i don't look at it as a game; its a passion that i really enjoy. i dont even let the negatives bother me. traffic on the interstate for example. why let it frustrate you; traffic doesn't care for you so what give it any fucks in return. my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVILOb-J_pg&feature=g-upl
namaste Deftronic! I'm glad you're out there and doing well.
Not trying to promote my channel; but i touch on this quite a bit on the vlogs/pu reviews/silly sessions quite a bit. i don't look at it as a game; its a passion that i really enjoy. i dont even let the negatives bother me. traffic on the interstate for example. why let it frustrate you; traffic doesn't care for you so what give it any fucks in return. my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVILOb-J_pg&feature=g-upl
namaste Deftronic! I'm glad you're out there and doing well.
Not trying to promote my channel; but i touch on this quite a bit on the vlogs/pu reviews/silly sessions quite a bit. i don't look at it as a game; its a passion that i really enjoy. i dont even let the negatives bother me. traffic on the interstate for example. why let it frustrate you; traffic doesn't care for you so what give it any fucks in return. my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVILOb-J_pg&feature=g-upl
namaste Deftronic! I'm glad you're out there and doing well.
.:.Nate.:.
i really respect you taking the time to do this site and being honest as a collector for over 10 years the shit that goes on now a days makes me sick when i got my original concords i walked in footlocker paid and walked out years later people are being shot and stabbed over the same shoe wtf is this gaame come to keep up the good work middle finger to the haters
good post. i have been very lowkey for about a year now. i still cop but only with minimal effort. it feels good not giving too much of a damn anymore, LOL.
The best thing to do is disconnect from the blogs and message boards completely. Get away from the 24-hour news cycle with these sites rotating the same 'detailed pics' and release info for weeks before something drops. Unfollow them on Twitter unlike them on Facebook. Lose sight of the Jordans and LeBrons; forget release dates; and shrug when people ask if "you getting those?!"
Enjoy this cleanse, fam. And you might find yourself back into sneakers for the reason you loved them initially.
My girl asked me to take a break a few months back, and I respected it. She let me rock with a few pairs of the elite LeBrons. The old Angel would've grabbed elite LeBrons plus Air Max 180s, some LeBron 9 lows, and Gym Green foams just to have them.
This Angel, though? I picked up the Olympic Air More Uptempos because I remembered how much I loved those as a kid who never got them. It was between those and a pair of all-black Air Max 2 CB '94 from 2004.
The plotting and scheming and calendar watching and phone calls and texts and Twitter refreshes are all exhausting. Right now it's about sacrifice and more meaningful shopping. The Jordan 6 might be my favorite Jordan and the Olympics are wonderful, but I feel no emptiness with passing. It's pleasant, b.
I went out with my girl last weekend and wore my Oreo 6s, still absolutely crispy, while people are abusing their newest pickups. That's a blessing in itself, to know you can pull out something two or three or more years old and have someone wondering why they look DS. I know you know that feeling. Live in that moment for a while.
The goal right now is for sneakers to stop being the IT item. Kicks will always be popular, but once a new fashion trend emerges forcing people commit their dollars to more costly products, you'll see them going back to all-white uptowns and beef & broc Timbs because $170+ on kicks is outrageous. (Think: $400 Mitchell & Ness jerseys with $60 white-on-white lows.)
Embrace new hobbies while you at it, too. My thing right now is gadgets. I'm trying to build my own media server in the crib, feeding to multiple TVs and devices.
My bad for the lengthy comment, like I ain't got my own blog. lol.
i hear ya, def, i hear ya. but what about just grabbing up the easily attainable gr's that come along? those camo sb's won't be hard to grab. i totally get what you mean about qs releases and jordan retro's etc. basically anything fucking hyped. which nowadays is a fucking heap of shoes. that shit is just stressful and not worth it. i been hitting gr's for a lil bit now with no trouble at all and still staisfying my sneaker craving. but you're also right in that you have enough heat to sink a small fishing boat. maybe if i had a taste of all that then gr's just might not make the grade.
glad you've seen the light my man. i remember after ppl started hyping garbage shoes and the quality went down hill and the prices went up i was second guessing myself yet i ignored it. i think once i saw a dude quit his job the line up for some yeezy 2's (which they ended up doing twitter raffle) it kicked in for me. seems like everyone is a "sneaker head" now but most of em just have re-retros of everything. mainly a consumer thing now. ppl just eat w/e is new up. i got into kicks for the artistic appeal, something about the design aspect of certain sneakers. good read.
This is true the game is fucked up but I'm here through thick and thin I love it
@Angel so right i did the same thing fucked facebook bunch of bitches bitching. i think once i desconnected from the internet and sites you feel more free, less obligation to get the shoe, more ease to pass on them. its hard to get out the loop but it feels good to free your mind from dates and pics and sizes.
I'm with you on this Def. I got out after the Bordeaux 7 release last year. There are better joys in life than what the sneaker game now has to offer.
-zoomzoomin6
I'm with you on this Def. I got out after the Bordeaux 7 release last year. There are better joys in life than what the sneaker game now has to offer.
-zoomzoomin6
like you said the amount of stress that goes into the sneaker game now is ridiculous. i get the new hyped up kicks to trade for 200-2005 sb's and maybe some really good quality ronnie fieg's. my list is about to checked off with one or two more pairs. Thats that after that stress free, eatin captain crunch. Thanks for everything especially your insight.
-Ryan
Ayo Def...Real shit...honest shit...FUCK THE SHOE GAME...the fact that there are ppl sleeping on filthy dirty sidewalks, sleeping in the streets, doing all the shit derelicts do to attain a gotdamn pair of shoes is un-be-fucking-leavable...Last time I camped I had to deal with line cutters...ppl showing up and almost fucking it up for everyone and security shutting the release down...it just ain't worth it...most ppl nowadays are resellers looking to make just enough money to piss me off...I got about 250 pairs and I don't see a real reason to continue...I'm bowing out of every release and taking a lengthy hiatus from this shot for a minute...I always respected ur site and thought the shit was hilarious...I feel ya on bowing outta this shit...Much Respect Homie...
Ohhhhhh and I Definately respect the money u save from this shit...FORRRR REALLLL....I'm buying a 2nd house with the money I'll save...lol
I walked away from the shoe game like 2yrs ago. Quit NT and the whole 9. Saw your site and some of your reviews and it bought me back. Problem is you cant put your heart in the shoe game. Im in it but half assed.I wear a big size so i never went crazy for not getting a shoe.Imagine how much bitching you would have heard from me...Yeezys didnt even come in my size!Chill is how you got to be nowadays. i dont deal with rape prices. My latest pickup was from 21Mercer. Really wanted a shoe and thought i would have had to buy from a reseller but on ebay it was selling for double. Went down to mercer and my luck i copped the last pair,i went on a humble and got lucky. It seems wrong to just leave the game but i think you should still get some random stress free pick-ups and lets be honest the game aint changing its going to get worse. As long as someone can flip a shoe for double the price you think morals are going come into to play.Just do you Def and go cop something sweet but dont let it run your life, Shoes are not a necessity so if you miss out or cant cop it who cares!
My house got robbed while I was out at a pool party, about 2 weeks ago. The thief took 48 pairs of shoes ranging from 2 pairs of Carmine 6's, GID Rookie LWPs, Copper Foams to my fucking Uptempos that you would only get like 60 bucks for..they also took about 2,000 dollars worth of Ralph Lauren clothing, and they also took gold jewelry, including my grandfather's watch that was passed down to me after he passed away...
All in all, around 13,000 dollars worth of possessions were taken from me. About a year and a half of hard work from a near minimum wage job, and spending COUNTLESS hours finding deals and shoes in DS condition...all of it gone.
& it happened because I used facebook to upload pictures so I could start putting them up for sale on SoleCollector, so I could narrow down the collection before I left for Basic Training in the Army...
So, at 19 years old, I am having to force myself to get back into something that I used to love with all my heart, it was my life..and now I struggle everyday to even get on Solecollector or Modern Notoriety or something, that is how much it was ruined for me. Hopefully one day soon, I will get a new cop, and the love will come back, but right now, I am just so mad at the world...it's a perfect example of how the sneaker game can fuck up your entire life if you pour too much of yourself into it.
Im hanging it up in dec when those 11z drop..
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