Adidas Stream: Heat or Hype: Do you actually care about sneaker collaborations?

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Heat or Hype: Do you actually care about sneaker collaborations?

So uh, is this still happening, Dave White?

Once upon a time, the idea of a sneaker company working with a boutique shop or an artist to produce a fresh take on an old favorite was unheard of. It used to be an all-business relationship between the two but once stores stared to become more cognizant of their “brand”, they began to work their contacts on the other side, you started to see kicks in colorways and themes that you never imagined were possible (or legal). Even as recently as a few years ago, sneaker collaborations were reserved for the most exclusive of exclusive names and the subsequent kicks were either given or sold to a very select number of people (aka “cool kids”). Thanks to collaborations like the UNDFTD Air Jordan 4s and the Supreme Nike SB Dunks and others, there was a period in sneaker history when wearing a “collab” was as hot as it got.

Nowadays, it seems like every week you’re hearing about a new collab that’s going to drop in limited numbers, which is both exciting and kind of a bummer at the same time. Nevertheless, we’ve grown to acknowledge their presence and importance in the game today; so much so we actually named two of them as the most anticipated sneaker drops of the month. Quite the accomplishment considering that many of the kicks that are being used in these collabs are ones you normally don’t give a second thought to. Because seriously, the only time the Nike Hyperdunk 2012 got any kind of buzz here on Kicks On Fire was when it was first revealed and when UNDFTD said they were going to release their collab of the model.

The beauty of an outsourced sneaker is that when a fresh pair of eyes and an open mind get a chance to play around with possibilities (see the recently released BAIT x Reebok Question and see how they turned that iconic look on its head), the results can be beautiful and highly creative. But would those same sneakerheads actually care if they had just been regular general releases, or is the allure of “limited” or the “story” behind the shoe the actual driving force behind people to buy these collabs?

So for this week’s edition of Heat or Hype, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the higher profile collabs that have come out so far this year from various stores and artists and ask what actually matters to the fans. We want to know if it’s the collaboration that matters to you or if the sneaker is strong enough to stand on its own and doesn’t need a co-sign to be relevant.