Sneakers Shouldn’t Be Talking, But People Are Talking About Sneakers
The sneaker collection and discussion forum known as NikeTalk has been a pioneer for the sneaker media since its inception in 1999. Every topic about sneakers imaginable would be discussed, from sneakers that would “talk” like those shown below to possible colorways that the brand wants to see if the public will enjoy. There was plenty to talk about during this initial period as well, as Michael Jordan had started to become synonyms with the idea of success under Nike’s tutelage. With a focus on providing a positive experience for an already committed customer base towards the popular brand Nike, the online community was mostly an underground movement of cultural icons in the sneaker industry.
NikeTalk provided an exclusive opportunity to discuss upcoming releases and created a positive space for those interested in sneakers to come and talk about something they are passionate about. The truly amazing part of the forum was the different types of cultural representation that appeared on the site. While you had to know that the site existed and had access to a computer regularly, the site gave sneakerheads and store owners from across the globe instant availability to the most popular brand on the planet at the time. This powerhouse of a digital public showed great prowess in adapting to a new customer centric market.
A digital public, in my opinion, is the collectivization and digitalization of an already existing community. In this way, they have the same goals, recognizable characteristics, or discussion topics that might be seen in an in-person community; just adapted into this new wired format. There are millions of different digital publics, spanning from forums about lifesaving research to discussions about television shows to polls on outcomes on the different types of sports to the NikeTalk forum that has been discussed. Each of the online atmospheres bring different individuals, each with varying ideas to be shared.
This is where the original sneakerheads went to discuss what was going to be cool, so you had to be in on the action to be somebody worth anything in the community.
To fully understand the explosion that is the sneakerhead culture that NikeTalk brought about, we must first understand that the internet did not create sneakerheads. While the internet greatly expanded the membership of passionate shoe enthusiasts, there was already a cult-like following before the internet recorded it. The footwear giant Nike, started in Beaverton, Oregon in 1964, having a significant following in the sports retail industry, allowing for athletes to take center stage in popularity for the time. With its greatest competitor Adidas, founded in Bavaria, Germany in 1924 following closely behind, the innovation and marketing between the brands created a buzz around sneakers like no other. This buzz, along with the advent of the first internet, brought about the first big sneaker community site called NikeTalk.
Since its inception was right around when internet forums were beginning to become extremely popular, NikeTalk was released alongside similar website BapeTalk.
These two retail giants battled it out for which company could create the greatest new product, and the fans gained massively from their efforts. The true super fans would flock to the internet to discuss their opinions on the newest release, make fun of each other for their sneaker choices, and created an early marketplace for buying, trading, and selling shoes. NikeTalk became a center for sneakerhead activity, which would later disperse into many different websites as the culture expanded as NiceKicks and SoleSavy as some examples. This is where the original sneakerheads went to discuss what was going to be cool, so you had to be in on the action to be somebody worth anything in the community.
While this might seem like an excellent idea where any individual can bring intelligent conversation about something they are passionate about, sneakers specifically had a neutral effect towards societal separations. As described in the article “Digital Human Capital: Developing a Framework for Understanding the Economic Impact of Digital Exclusion in Low-Income Communities”, the authors discuss the negative impacts that low income individuals would receive since they did not have access to the internet. Not only were they removed from this exclusively online group, they would also be excluded from different other communication channels and possible financial institutions that could drastically support those people. Essentially, without common access to the internet, they disadvantaged individuals would continue to be impoverished without financial aid for the initial investment for access. This article shows how significant not having access to the internet is for these individuals, while sneakers could possibly bring other problems.
In the article “Provocations on Sneakers: The Multiple Significations of Athletic Shoes, Sport, Race, and Masculinity” the authors discuss the implications of sneakers in current culture, and how they are significant towards male society. When Michael Jordan began to dominate the basketball scene, the question of masculinity spawned from the creation of the line of a champion. The addiction of collecting the best of the newest releases to become the best sprouted from this, the article claims. Trying to be the best is human nature, and if there was a way to buy your way to success, imagine how this might influence those without beyond practical levels.
An iconic interview moment for me is an interview with Papoose, an up and coming rapper out of New York. On the sneaker show Full Size Run, Papoose claims that “its not about having great (sneakers), its about having the latest ones. Everyone at some point or another is going to get great sneaker. But I had’em first”. While in the interview he also mentions that he is doing well for himself, with a new clothing line and more records on the way soon, the amount of money that he has collectively spent on sneakers is insane to the average consumer. In the interview, he claims to have 5 pairs of these given to him by Kanye West himself, with each pair valued at around ten THOUSAND dollars. The amount of spending on frivolous luxuries is without a doubt beyond comprehension, especially since someone actually purchased two of the pair from Papoose after the interview. These sneaker media sites aren’t even hiding the expenses that sneakerheads can incur.
NikeTalk was a revolutionary forum for sneakerheads from around the globe to input on products from the most influential company in the footwear industry. As long as you can afford these products without financial problems later on, the community advanced the sneaker community beyond compare. High cost sneakers might be addicting, but if it’s an affordable expense, there is no faster way to receive clout in the ever expanding community that is footwear. While I say all this, I am a hypocrite because I also collect sneakers. Definitely not to the extent of some of the induvial previously mentioned, but I have a humble collection that I draw from time to time. I’ve caught the sneaker bug, and I can’t wait to see how the digital public progresses.