5 Reasons Why I'm Giving Up the Sneaker Game

I'm embarrassed to say that the racks of sneakers pictured above are my sneakers. Sadly, the photo represents only a small fraction of the sneakers I've purchased in recent years.  The rack doesn't include the dozens of pairs I've given away to Goodwill or to friends. And it doesn't include the shoe rack I keep in my office with the shoes that I have acquired as a true collector - shoes that I've never worn and have saved the boxes for to preserve their value should I ever sell or trade them in the future.  The problem is I never trade or sell.  I'm simply an addict - not a dealer.  I fly on my own supply - a supply that is only meant for me.  This is not humble bragging!  I'm truly disgusted by my habit.  It's simply been an embarrassment to have spent thousand of dollars on sneakers - not to mention countless hours shopping for them online and at shoe stores around the world (Size? in London and Kicks Lab in Tokyo).   I'm kicking sneaker obsession beginning this 2014.  This is one New Year's resolution I intend to keep.

Perhaps you're wondering what's the big deal?  Why not just keep buying sneakers?   Well, I'll give you 5 reasons why I'm kicking the sneaker habit. 

Reason # 1 - The Sneaker Industrial Complex.  President Eisenhower once said of the defense industry in his farewell address as president in 1960, "[W]e must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."  The same can said today of the sneaker industrial complex led by Nike, the most successful. influential and powerful sneaker company in the world.  Nike and Adidas together have more money than God.  They don't need anymore money from you.  You shouldn't pay $200 to $300 for a pair of sneakers that only cost Nike 10% of the retail price to make!  As the Macklemore says in the song "Wing$", "Phil Knight tricked us all!"  Don't get swizzled and pimped. Don't get tricked by a business!  $200 sneakers won't make you jump higher. They won't make you play better. Yes, Nike makes some really good sneakers for playing hoops, but you don't need to spend $100 or more for a quality basketball shoes.  The sneaker companies have gotten so sophisticated in their pumping out so many different versions and "color ways" of the same shoe, hyping of release dates and reintroducing of the same shoe as "retro" to create a continually frothy market for sneakers.  

Reason # 2 - Kris Humphries' Posse is Much Cooler than James Harden's Posse.  Okay, this isn't right. Being in Humphries' entourage definitely is not cooler than being in Harden's entourage. Foot Locker ran this clever series of commercials last summer that featured NBA star James Harden sending a member of his entourage to Kris Humphries' entourage for wearing the same pair of sneakers two days in a row.  True, the commercials were funny as hell, but unfortunately it isn't parody.  The message was in fact aspirational - "Wouldn't it be cool if you could wear a different pair sneakers every single day of every year?  Lucky for you, Foot Locker is there to help you make it happen! But don't don't believe the hype.

Reason #3 - Imelda Marcos.  I remember in 1986 during the ouster of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos from power, one of the things that most symbolized the decadence of his reign was his wife's shoe collection.  When the opposition stormed the presidential palace, they found Imelda Marcos' collection of more than 3,000 shoes.  It was obscene then. It's obscene now.  Compare Imelda's shoe collection and [Insert NBA star's name here]'s sneaker collection (in this case it's Stephen Jackson, but it could be just about any NBA star).

Reason #4 - Robbin' the 'Hood.  Okay, my sneaker obsession has not led to my family's financial ruin, We are still able to make our house payments and afford a great lifestyle. We might even be able to afford to send our kids to college.  I have had the disposable income to support my sneaker buying habit.  The problem is the sneaker industry isn't primarily preying on me.  The sneaker industry, like the alcohol and tobacco industry before them, are aggressively targeting their overpriced products at those least able to afford them.  These are the people you see in videos storming malls around the country when the latest edition of retro Air Jordans or Lebrons are released.  My participating in the sneaker game unfortunately supports this redistribution of wealth.

Reason #5 - Minimalism is the New Black.  Minimalism is cool.  Owning more stuff will not make you happy.  The more you have. The more you want.  And the less happy you will be. It's a vicious cycle.  I'm giving up collecting sneakers in particular and stuff in general.  I've adopted a new lifestyle of living with just enough and I've already found that it leads to more contentment - and more time for blogging.