Am I missing something?

Keano

Member
Messages
287
My son has a pair he got when he was in China - clearly knock off - but i wonder how many out there think they have the real deal
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
I did find myself wondering how so many "super limited release" trainers have found their way to Ilford.
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
So went onto eBay to buy a car, what I discovered was shocking.

Even used cars go for as high as 250,000 quid! Limited or not they're only metal!.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2015-Ferr...589098?hash=item3f85f868aa:g:TTYAAOSwNm5ZqoPa

So went onto eBay to buy a fishing rod, what I discovered was shocking.

Even used fishing roads go for as high as 2,000 quid! Limited or not they're only carbon fibre!.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Daiwa...639528&hash=item544b5f3de0:g:XaMAAOSwTapV6p72

So went onto eBay to buy a train set, what I discovered was shocking.

Even used train sets go for as high as 2,000 quid! Limited or not they're only metal!.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-Train-Sets-/152688217734?hash=item238ced4e86:g:R5sAAOSwVRNZhy8t

Horses for courses , people value things differently, not saying I'd ever spend 2k on a pair of trainers but even £300 on a pair of shoes would be deemed crazy by some but not me
 

Ianed0

Member
Messages
241
Clearly for people with far too much money to burn, that said my 21 year old spent £400 notes on some Gucci trainers recently:rofl5:
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
Trainers can be just as influence on modern fashion as handbags and other expensive accessories. They have been shaping youth culture since the late 70s with many pairs from adidas, asics and nike being designed by famous fashion designers. From adidas originals, brought to the mainstream by Micheal Michalsky, to the Nike boots designed for Marty McFly or the iconic yellow and black asics seen in Kill Bill, these shoes are a hugely important part of trends. I love trainers and own about 30 pairs. I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hundred on them but I fully understand why people would.
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
Can't believe a serious discussion about trainers is developing - oh well, here's my tuppence-worth.
Re: mass market - the importance of the designer is, imho, only a relatively recent development as celebrity culture has taken hold.
Obviously trainer culture developed from the sporting world where the designer was not important - rather the sport star associated with the product.
Or sneakers to use the correct parlance. Converse started everything not Adidas nor Nike. Chuck Taylor All Stars being the first mass market shoe.
Then came Weapon in the early-mid 80s with the Bird/Magic BB rivalry. I concede Air Jordan took Nike to whole new worldwide audience but at least these sneakers had their origins in sport.
It probably is worth mentioning Adidas but this, again imho, is hardly down to the designer. Rather Run DMC & the rise of hip hop in the 80s.
For me this is where the worldwide concept of a fashion only trainer was born. It is also something which has always grated as it propagates the existence of the "all the gear no idea" merchants. Whereas, from a sporting perspective, getting the very best "shoe" you could afford was always a must. An essential tool of the trade as it were.
 

D Walker

Member
Messages
9,827
Me too, surprised, I used to have 5 pairs on the go at once, but I used to run up to 80 miles a week on average for a long time!!!!
After all, they are called trainers!!!
Edit, I used to chuck the high mileage pair every 3 month!!
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
Can't believe a serious discussion about trainers is developing - oh well, here's my tuppence-worth.
Re: mass market - the importance of the designer is, imho, only a relatively recent development as celebrity culture has taken hold.
Obviously trainer culture developed from the sporting world where the designer was not important - rather the sport star associated with the product.
Or sneakers to use the correct parlance. Converse started everything not Adidas nor Nike. Chuck Taylor All Stars being the first mass market shoe.
Then came Weapon in the early-mid 80s with the Bird/Magic BB rivalry. I concede Air Jordan took Nike to whole new worldwide audience but at least these sneakers had their origins in sport.
It probably is worth mentioning Adidas but this, again imho, is hardly down to the designer. Rather Run DMC & the rise of hip hop in the 80s.
For me this is where the worldwide concept of a fashion only trainer was born. It is also something which has always grated as it propagates the existence of the "all the gear no idea" merchants. Whereas, from a sporting perspective, getting the very best "shoe" you could afford was always a must. An essential tool of the trade as it were.

True in some ways (although jumping from WWI to the 1980's misses many significant milestones such as adidas selling hundreds of thousands of trainers in the 40s and 50s or the rise of Puma when the Dassler boys had a fall out) but today, association with a sports star, music artist or fashion designer all play their part in sneaker culture. The original post was about the value of one pair of Adidas and the disconnect between why they can command that price when you can buy any old pair for not much money. Not understanding modern culture is totally fine of course, but there are many who value these shoes very highly indeed and collectors can be found all over the world, trading rare pairs for huge sums through online forums and even in specialist shops. I know is a store in Berlin that has a once a year sales of rare trainers and hundreds camp outside the night before to get in and grab a bargain. Surprising to some and certainly not of interest to all but important to millions of others.
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
True in some ways (although jumping from WWI to the 1980's misses many significant milestones such as adidas selling hundreds of thousands of trainers in the 40s and 50s or the rise of Puma when the Dassler boys had a fall out) Sales mostly in a sporting context I believe - my Father's athletics spikes for example were always Puma. As you say - not the point of the original post though.... rather a fashion question. Where CTs held sway for decades. It also explains the number of kids who bought Converse Weapon on the back of this ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJEa2c_939o
The vast majority of which never saw a BB court. Prior to this point Nike et al, on a social/fashion level, weren't even close. How did Nike compete - they signed Jordan and the rest, as they say, is history.

but today, association with a sports star, music artist or fashion designer all play their part in sneaker culture. The original post was about the value of one pair of Adidas and the disconnect between why they can command that price when you can buy any old pair for not much money. Not understanding modern culture is totally fine of course, Oh I understand it - I just don't like it. There's a big difference. To my mind it is pure exhibitionism and somewhat pointless...but there are many who value these shoes very highly indeed and collectors can be found all over the world, trading rare pairs for huge sums through online forums and even in specialist shops. Whereas making money out of a culture/fashion is nothing new. So long as there is a conveyor belt of mugs willing to get ripped off - I don't blame the traders for trying it on. I know is a store in Berlin that has a once a year sales of rare trainers and hundreds camp outside the night before to get in and grab a bargain. Surprising to some and certainly not of interest to all but important to millions of others.

Value can be created in the strangest of ways.
 

VMSRTI

Member
Messages
1,704
My 12 year old and his mates can tell you the name of every designer "trainer" there is. Most cost hundreds and many cost thousands and I simply don't get it.
We let him buy a few knock offs from our recent trip to Vietnam and he's reasonably happy although he can tell you every tiny difference between the knock offs and the real deal.....
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
I can add nothing to this conversation other than to ask would the footwear I buy in North Face be classified as 'trainers'? :laugh:
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
My 12 year old and his mates can tell you the name of every designer "trainer" there is. Most cost hundreds and many cost thousands and I simply don't get it.
We let him buy a few knock offs from our recent trip to Vietnam and he's reasonably happy although he can tell you every tiny difference between the knock offs and the real deal.....

A friend of mine's son bought some knock off trainers in spain , he was playing football on the beach when the heat got to them and the soles peeled off
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,102
My brother in law came over from China with a family set of Nikes. Knock off or not, they've pretty decent.

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