Shoes have always been a commodity, with rare and sought after pairs coming with a big premium after release. This trend has continued to strengthen to new heights with the hype train that is adidas BOOST. Since the initial Ultra Boost and subsequently the NMD, the hype has grown as BOOST becomes more loved by not just sneakerheads, but the general fashion culture.
This is particularly so with the Yeezy branding. Compared to the releases coming out today, the Turtle Dove OG Yeezy Boost 350 was very much slept on, and a very easy cop for most people who really wanted them. Since then, all four colourways of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 came out with hypetrain gone crazy, and with the introduction of the V2, it seems that Yeezys are less worn than they are bought, sold and traded. With some people getting up to 15 pairs in a single release, what does this say about sneaker culture? Has adidas cultivated something that is toxic - or did it always exist and has now permeated through to the new generation of sneakerheads - the BOOST fans?
Regardless of your thoughts, reselling, botting and the "portfolio" that is a sneaker collection is not going away. With Ultraboost 1.0 collabs and LTDs going for upwards of $1500 - such as the Hypebeast x Ultraboost, WOOD WOOD x Ultraboost and Sneakers'n'Stuff x Ultraboost - or the Nice Kicks NMD_R1, it appears that those who got in early are laughing straight to the bank.
The question then is, what does the future hold for the economics of Boost? With Yeezy numbers reaching extraordinary new heights and the proliferation of colourways that are now available, the Yeezy resell appears to be well and truly dying (if selling a pair for $700-$800 at a retail of $340 is "dying") - where is it moving to? Will adidas do what Nike has done, and release and re-release pairs in numbers until the resell market no longer makes it worth the effort?
In saying that - if reselling is becoming less profitable, and the hype begins to die, will it mean the eventual decline of BOOST? Is the hype on a shoe, and its resell value one of the biggest drivers of sales for a shoe brand? It is definitely a question that is worth asking - and some will say yes, but many will say no. Some are devoted to Nike, despite their decline in popularity and the value of their archives. Some, newer sneaker heads are utterly devoted to BOOST and the future of adidas with Futurecraft 4D. What the next 10 years of sneaker and streetwear culture holds is at this time, incredibly unclear. What we do know is that for the time being, BOOST is king.
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