Slang is informal words or phrases usually held to a specific definition unique to a particular context or group of people. It is the informality of slang that often leads people to use it incorrectly. People create their own definitions on the fly or, when corrected, are quick to comment that slang is “open to interpretation” rather than, perhaps, being willing to learn something about the slang’s origins and original intent.
In sneaker “culture” there is no word used incorrectly more often than “Grail.”
Now, I say “incorrectly” but I know readers will say “well, thats how I use it” and because it is slang, informal, that is fine… let’s not get on Twitter and tweet something hastily. The thing is, “Grail” has a very specific origin and with it comes a very specific definition. That definition is quite literally, verbatim, the way it is applied in our particular context (or “culture”) and so there is (arguably) a right way to use it.
The sneaker slang, “Grail,” comes from the disambiguation of the “Holy Grail” or “Grail Quest.”
For those who aren’t familiar, the “Holy Grail” is a mythical chalice (said to have been used by Jesus Christ at the last supper/first communion) that is an important theme in Arthurian literature. According to Medieval legend, the “Holy Grail” has special powers, specifically the power to grant eternal youth. As a result, in legend, the “Holy Grail” is perhaps the most sought after and difficult to obtain object in all of literature.
These 13th century tales have lead to the modern, Merriam-Webster definition:
Holy Grail (noun): something that you want very much but that is very hard to get or achieve
That is where, in my opinion, sneakerheads begin to get a little too loose with the slang phrase. I’ve seen the Air Jordan Bel-Air 5 be referred to as a “Grail.” However, a quick search on Kixify and I have located a plethora of pairs, in almost every size, great condition and as low as $231 (barely above the retail price of an Air Jordan retro in 2015).
How about a Yeezy Boost 750? Plenty of people are calling them “Grails” right now. They were limited and resale is high. Certainly that qualifies, right? In my opinion, no. At the moment they are rather abundant on eBay and are trending at approximately $1,500. So the “Grail Quest” is non-existent. We know exactly where they are. How about the “hard to achieve?” I mean they are expensive. Well, that is relative I suppose, but $1,500 is roughly seven pairs of Jordan retros at retail – if you really want them you can sit out a few releases. You could also earn $1,500 in just 206 hours (25 average working days) at minimum wage. So, in reality, they are rather achievable by most anyone of working age.
Whats that? You’d never spend $1,500 that took you a month to earn on a single pair of sneakers?! Yeah, I hear you, but see, in that same notion you’ve disqualified them from being “highly sought after.” After all, what is a “Grail Quest” that takes less than a month, really?
Listen, I’m not saying that you can’t use “Grail” lightly. Go ahead, it’s informal slang, right? All I’m saying is using it the “right” way, putting yourself on a real “Grail Quest,” achieving what you thought was not achievable… well, that – that is magic.
For me? My grail is the Nike “Glassjaw” Blazer Classic.
I have a deep personal connection with the band and their music. The Nike Blazer made specifically for them was released only to friends and family for a total of 30 pairs. I have never seen the 9.5 (my size), ever. Like every “Grail Quest” ever written, it is very likely I never will or will die trying. If I ever did find the person that owns it (and it was in any kind of good condition), I would literally trade my entire collection. It is a sneaker that I really “want very much” that is truly “very hard to get or achieve.” THAT is a “Grail.”
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