Sneakers are now investment pieces. They’ve joined the echelon of such covetable items as Rolex watches, vintage Porsches and Hermes Birkins. Yet how did something as seemingly accessible as sneakers come to be highly sought after pieces purchased not for wear but for their potential appreciation in value?
As with most wildly expensive things, it comes down to quantity and availability. The less there is of something, and the harder it is to obtain, the more people will be in want of said thing (supply and demand, you get it). It may seem trivial and childish, but there are those who take pleasure in lording over others what they can’t or failed to have, especially when it comes to material objects (and especially when those material objects are sneakers). In turn, there are those who capitalize on this desire to have what other’s can’t, creating the sneaker market as we’ve come to recognize it today. Like luxury items, sneakers have come to be signifiers, maybe less so of one’s wealth but rather their knowledge of what’s most covetable, and their ability to acquire it, which raises questions in regard to who they may know or their connections. But ultimately, it’s still about status.
So if you’re looking for your next investment, let it not be stocks or whatever else it is that real adults put their money towards, but instead buy these $170 Nike x Travis Scott Air Max 270 Cactus Trail sneakers, which you will then be able to resell for an exorbitant price. If the rapper’s previous collaborations with the brand are any indication, the payoff will be significantly more than the buying price. For context, the lowest bidding price for this pair of Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low is $1,195, while they initially retailed for a quaint $150.
Besides, the Air Max 270 Cactus Trail are pretty fucking cool, and it’s immediately evident they were conceived from the mind of Scott himself. They feature materials as unconventional as polar fleece around the ankle and have the air and feel of a 90s hiking shoe, due in large part to the grooved midsole, overwhelmingly tan and neutral colorway, and the retro blue lace lock. Even if they’re not your particular taste, buy them now and admire them for a few weeks (or months or years) then sell them for 15 to 20 times the price to some desperate hypebeast. Or, keep them for yourself as a collector’s item of sorts. Dare we say — you could even wear them if you so pleased.
The shoes drop tomorrow at 10:00 AM, but you can sign up to be notified of their release below. Just don’t forget to set your alarm.
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