15 Things We Wish Would Happen in Sneaker Culture for 2015

Sneaker collaborations are supposed to be special, and that certainly was the case just a few years back. But now, it seems as though every footwear company has to collaborate with every store for every occasion. When stores stretch themselves out too thin, it leads to a lot of bad collaborations. It’s not a matter of exclusivity, it’s about execution. No matter how awesome the theme or storyline, if it doesn’t translate well on the product, no one’s going to care.

Let’s just admit it: sneakers aren’t that serious. At the end of the day, sneakers should be about having fun and meeting cool people who share the same passion as you. But when you have to constantly look over your shoulder or wonder if your love for sneakers could actually cause you harm, then it’s an issue. And it shouldn’t be that way, ever.

This problem can’t be solved overnight, but there are definitely some steps you can take to help prevent sneaker violence. Be smart about transactions, know your surroundings, do your research, and if you find yourself in a position where you have to give up your sneakers, just do it. They’re just sneakers, and they’re not worth risking your life.

Sneakerheads have been complaining about bots non-stop for what seems like the last two years now, and the roars just keep getting louder and louder to no avail. We’re not pointing the finger at just one retailer because, let’s face it, no online store is immune to bots. From the giant corporations with a half-million inventory of one colorway to a local boutique with a mere size-run, every store is a target to bots. There’s not exactly one set solution to solve this—but if sneakerheads are running into the same song and dance for every release, it really shows that retailers aren’t doing much to slow down bots. Only a handful of retailers have really been proactive about preventing this unfair advantage from ruining customer experience, but what about the other retailers who we want to support and give our hard-earned money to? Will 2015 be the year that stores finally take an aggressive stand on this? Let’s hope so.

More brands are beginning to step up their quality. We’ve seen collaborations from the likes of Kith and Concepts that push the envelope when it comes to premium materials. Adidas Originals brought the Superstar back to its French roots late last year. Jordan Brand is remastering its entire retro line this year, taking signature silhouettes back to original quality. It seems we’re just barely scratching the surface, and there’s plenty more that sneaker brands can do to ensure consumers are getting their money’s worth.

If you’re going to take the time to shoot a video, edit it, and upload it to YouTube, at least make sure that you’re not just regurgitating everything that sneaker blogs and press releases have already laid out. In other words, don’t just point out features and call out the obvious—you’re not saying much by letting viewers know that a sneaker is red. Establish your own voice and provide valuable information and commentary on things like the quality, fit, and performance of the sneaker.

The “Red October” Nike Air Yeezy II wasn’t the first red sneaker, but you have to be either be naive or blind to deny the fact that Kanye’s sneaker spearheaded the trend. A slew of all-red sneakers released during the “Red October” hype, and still continue to come out, nearly one year after the official drop. Sure, there have been a few winners, but mostly a lot of #struggle copycats looking to capitalize on the hype. Give it a rest, sneaker brands.

More and more high-end brands are showing an interest in sneaker culture, resulting in their own collection of footwear. More brands and alternatives are cool, until it compromises creativity and becomes an obvious copycat—retailing at a much higher price point, to boot. We’ve seen the Stan Smith get ripped off. Same thing goes for the Air Force 1 and Air Jordan retros. And you know it’s bad when the Spizike is getting knocked off. If these labels applied the same creativity into sneakers that helped put them on the map as a high-end brand, they could probably accomplish some awesome things. Until that happens, it just seems like they’re riding a trend and treating sneakers like the flavor of the month.

There’s no reason why a sneakerhead who remotely cares about fashion—which you probably do if you pay attention to sneakers—should be wearing carpenter jeans and sand-blasted, boot-cut denim. No, you don’t have to buy $300 selvedge denim. And no, you don’t have to wear skinny jeans and pinroll the cuffs. Still, are we not in 2015? At the very least, get yourself some nice raw denim Levi’s 501s for $50, and you’ll be good.

There are a lot of awesome brands that make up sneaker culture, and there’s no sense in just wearing one. If you open yourself up to other companies and dismiss the ridiculous notion of brand allegiance, you might just find yourself appreciating a ton of other styles. If you’re strictly about Air Maxes, try Pure Boosts. Set the Jordans aside for a few days and give New Balance and Saucony runners a try. Your wallet probably won’t like it so much, but your rotation of sneakers will be much more well-rounded and refined.

Yeah, you got them Js, but what does it matter when there’s #struggle written all over your graphic tee? Everyone knows you own the “Legend Blue” XIs. They can clearly see those all-white sneakers on your feet. There’s no need to rock a matching T-shirt with some cheesy cut-and-paste graphics and corny phrase, talking about how much swag you have or how fresh you are. Keep it simple with minimal branding or a blank tee, and let the kicks stand out on their own.

The saying “quality over quantity” has never been truer than with retro releases. This isn’t exclusively a knock on Jordan Brand, either. It applies to any brand that brings back sneakers from their archive, only to bastardize them by forcing an ungodly slew of new colorways in a short period. O.G. colorways followed up by some newer iteration is cool, but sneakerheads can do without the hundreds of other colorways being offered. It compromises the integrity of the sneaker that probably used to be coveted.

There’s nothing worse than someone who’s desperately thirsty for Internet fame that they have to resort to jacking other people’s photos. Maybe they’ve stole someone else’s outfit photo, or they took an already leaked photo and claimed they’ve got the scoop. Doing it for a few extra likes is one thing—what’s worse is when people use legit sneaker photos as a front to sell their fake kicks. Sneakerheads can be super scandalous, and everything people do just for social media fame proves it.

People who leak sneaker photos clearly have crazy connects, or maybe they’re even VIPs themselves. But why is it that everyone who has access to these exclusive previews seem to own a shitty flip phone from 2004? Either provide a solid photo or don’t provide one at all—iPhone 5C-quality or better, please.

Resellers make it hard to cop certain sneakers, but there’s no way that they’re single-handedly ruining sneaker culture. Sneaker culture is being ruined by violence, shady business practices, and thirsty sneakerheads who only use sneakers to build their Internet fame and impress others. There’s a big difference between striking out on a sneaker because of a reseller versus not even getting a chance to enter a raffle because people couldn’t keep their emotions in check.

There’s so much emphasis on trying to cop first that people set themselves up for getting got with fakes. Getting your pair a week early than the release date doesn’t make you any more important or cool. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, especially if you end up being called out for rocking with fakes. Patience is a virtue—just wait it out for the official launch.