I know what you’re probably thinking right now while you’re looking at the title of this article: “We’re all hypebeasts sometimes? That’s not true! I’ve been collecting sneakers for (fill in the blank) years, and I don’t get caught up in the hype!
That’s good that you don’t get caught up in the hype, and it’s certainly something to be proud of. However, sometimes it’s unavoidable. The thirst surrounding a certain product, be it a limited edition Jordan, a rare Foamposite or anything Kanye West puts his stamp on can sometimes create a whirlwind of hype that’s impossible to not get sucked into.
Since Kanye was mentioned in the last paragraph, let’s start by talking about the Yeezy Boost, the last insanely hyped sneaker that dropped. When the first images leaked, a lot of people were talking about how ugly the shoe was. How it looked like a poorly constructed knockoff boot of some sort. How it looked floppy. How it was poorly designed. Then the hype train started building. New York Fashion Week and All-Star Weekend came around. Kanye has his groundbreaking fashion show. Adidas rolled out some very clever marketing tactics. And all of a sudden, everyone loved the shoe.
People who were bashing it, from your local sneakerheads hanging out at the mall to prominent sneaker Youtubers like YoAnty suddenly couldn’t get enough of the shoe. They thought it was a really great design, and either mourned not being able to get their hands on a pair or blabbed about how great the shoe was in hand when they actually got their pair.
The amusing part about this whole chain of events is that folks seemed to brush off the fact that they’d been hating on the shoe ever since the first images leaked on IBN Jasper‘s Instagram. All the prior shit-talking had seemingly vanished into thin air. People are allowed to change their opinion. It happens all the time. However, since sneakerheads are ashamed to admit that they got caught up in the hype over a certain product, they act like they were with it all the time even when they were bashing it before it released.
It’s OK to admit that you got caught up in the hype. It happens to the best of us. Companies like Nike and Adidas know how to market a product so you feel that you can’t live without it. They have teams full of people who spend all their time at work building up the hype, and are very good at their jobs.
So next time you fall into the hype machine (trust me, there will be a next time), don’t be shy about it. It’s OK to get stoked on a hyped shoe. Just keep your cool, don’t get too thirsty, and be willing to laugh at yourself after it’s over.
-RDwyer
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