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Where Does Hype Come From?

Hype surrounds any product, whether it's a movie, video game, piece of food, place, or more specifically, sneakers. The more politically correct term for hype is demand. Demand isn't ever considered a bad thing- unless it's about kicks. But why exactly do sneakerheads hate "hype"? And more importantly, where does it stem from?

The answer to the first question is simple. Hype generated from a particular shoe results in waiting. This period of waiting ranges from hours, days, and sometimes even weeks for a shoe. If you don't wait in line, the resell price will be ridiculous. It's a lose lose situation, and it pisses off people who don't have the resources to keep up with releases.

The more important question is where does hype stem from, and throughout my experience with kicks I've noticed it seems to be a question only answered during times of rage or disappointment. Salty/bitter/angry/homotional sneakerheads (Seriously guys, they're just shoes), blame Nike.com (which is ridiculous), blogs, resellers, other consumers, and even celebrities. Most of these theories are laughable and based purely around anger. Sneakerheads want to blame anyone and anything that can justify why they couldn't purchase their pair.

But why doesn't anyone ever give props to the shoe itself? Seriously. Has it ever crossed anyone's mind that maybe the hype that goes along with shoes like the All-Star Galaxy Pack, Concords, etc.  is from a dope design? Obviously the hype is never proportionally reasonable, there will always be idiots ready to sleep outside for a week for a shoe, resellers who want a quick buck but fail to realize their profit is minimal, and blogs that constantly give a shoe publicity and therefore subliminally convince the reader it's a must-cop, but the main desire for a shoe is, point blank, from the design..

A blog never starts off a "First Look" as "THIS SHOE IS SO LIMITED AND YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD COP." Nike never releases a statement saying "THERE ARE THIS MANY PAIRS, IT WILL BE WORTH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN YOU RESELL." Celebrities never say "YOU AREN'T ON SHIT UNLESS YOU GOT THESE LIKE ME #BALLIN'!" And NO ONE ever says "MAN I JUST LIKE THIS SHOE BECAUSE ALL THE COOL PEOPLE LIKE IT!" (At least seriously).

Like I said, all of the factors mentioned beforehand have some influence whether you want to accept it or not. But at the same time, what mainly captivates someone is the dazzling colorway, concept, or technology of a sneaker. Sure, if the Yeezy didn't have any affiliation with Kanye West it would sit, but at the same time the intricate details of the design of the shoe would be gone if it wasn't a YEEZY. To say "remove the nickname and it would be trash" is foolish because then the part of it that makes it so desirable-THE DESIGN- would be lost.

This is true for ANYTHING, Concords, Black Cement 3s, even fakes; someone is attracted to it because of its aesthetic appeal. The more universally awesome the design, the more people want it. The more people who want it, the higher the demand. The higher the demand, the harder it is to cop a pair because there simply isn't enough supply. One idiot flocks to House of Hoops a week early for Galaxy Foams and everyone else jumps the gun because they're afraid they won't get a pair if they don't wait. Once again, why do they want that pair? Because they are captivated by the design, exactly how you were captivated by Concords when Jordan won a championship in them. Exactly how you begged your mom for that one pair, or hustled your ass of just to purchase it and stare at it like it's your first born. That patent leather made your mouth water, the ice sole gave you chills, that elephant print fascinated you. In 2012, the nebula upper blew your mind, and the glow in the dark outsole was the cherry on top.

Hype is just the root of sneaker collecting. It's that same passion that is deep inside all of us, that moment where you see something and say "I gotta have it." Unfortunately, now the culture is just more popular than ever, and consequently this previously simple want is blown out of proportion into ridiculous campouts and prices. Don't hate hype, and more importantly, don't act like it's something new. It's been around since the first person bought something. Instead of hating it, accept it, and realize that majority of the time it mainly derives from a flat out sweet kick. Not a celebrity, not a blog, not a hypebeast, but the design itself. To hate hype is to hate shoes themselves, and maybe if you realize to roll with the punches and understand that demand will always derive from something cool, you'll learn to be a happier person and not so god damn whiny. Sure, it sucks that it's so hard to get something as simple as a GR nowadays, but there's nothing you can do. Hype will always exist, and as brands push the limits of innovation, creativity, and appeal, it will only increase.

Hit me up on twitter at @chabes12 to discuss.