The Soletary Life

Does this look familiar?

For sure most you have stacks of shoe boxes of adidas, Nikes, Jordans, Reeboks or Pumas or maybe a mix of them all. This may seem like a regular sight for most of us who are into sneakers. This stack of mine is incomparable to what others have. Others have way more than what's up there. I've heard of a guy that has an extra bedroom just for his kicks. Another one keeps some of his shoes at his parents house while the rest he has at his own crib. On extreme cases, some rents storages to store their kicks. 

I remember back when I was in the tertiary level, sneakers wasn't that of a big deal for everyone (except for the few, can I say OGs?), I want to say I was one of the few who wore those baggy jeans with white shelltoes on or Weapons with the tongues out and I never really rocked Js on my foot but I was sneaker knowledgeable. I took notice of the movement catching on back in 2008. That was when sneakers were getting a multitude of releases in different colorways. The boom in social media has also accelerated the process. Sneaker websites, sneaker forums, Facebook pages/groups, YouTube channels, etc., left and right, it was everywhere for everyone to consume. 

There is an Imelda in each and every one of us. It starts out with just one shoe, then another, then another. Next thing you know you want every releases made by sneaker companies. And the companies are not helping too. With waves of release after release, coming up with different colorways or themes to incorporate the design into a shoe, new marketing, new technologies they claim works and add that to the athlete or celebrity that puts their name on the line.  We are just drawn in, to buy more and more. But when do we say enough is enough? When do we say that 'I am satisfied'? We are just caught in the middle of consumerism. 

Most of us justifies our 'cop' of the day as a reward after a month's hard earn grind. Or at some instances we hear or read, "As a kid I had that pair, its only right I get it again" or "I couldn't afford them when I was in high school or college, now that am working I can.". It all sounds good. At first. Somehow its a story of rekindling with your youth. A triumph of success to finally affording something you've always wanted. But when you start buying the same shoe in different colors, then there's something wrong. Too much of something is too bad. But then again others justify it because "they can afford it" or "its extra money from the month's budget". But what about those who barely earns? Buys multiple pairs then struts around and flexes on social media of their new acquisitions? I've seen posts with stack of boxes on a house, by the looks of it needs more funds for renovation than his next cop. Some still lives with their folks but has money to drop on the weekends new release. Or has a kid out of wedlock but still struts and flexes like he's got everything under control (or maybe he does?).

It has come to a point that most are in it just for the attention. The most number of likes and shares they get on their posts. The praise and approval of a stranger. That pretty much sums it up. What bothers me the most is how this affects the youth. We have created an environment wherein materialism and consumerism is acknowledged as a sign of acceptance. How far will you go to get noticed? Is it even about the sneakers anymore? 

This is not a rant, a bashing or a diss to anyone who's reading this. This is merely a reflection and a realization of one's self. Maybe I am all that I have mentioned above. Maybe am not. At the end of the day its just rubber that will keep you grounded and wear out as the days goes by. Don't let it get into your head and live your life out. There is more to life than getting the latest releases or copping a new pair.