Buy Jordans Before They Come Out
Five Reasons Why You Should Wait Until Release Date For …
Sole Collector sheds some light on why staying away from ‘early release’ websites is a must.
words // Luis Sanchez
If you’re a consistent follower of what’s going on in the world of sneakers, you’re more than likely well aware of all of the drama concerning “early release” sneakers. Offered by a number of overseas retailers, there is an endless amount of questions surrounding the authenticity and legitimacy of these “early release” models.
With these sites offering buyers an almost infinite amount of anticipated releases, like the “Gamma Blue” Air Jordan 11 Retro and the upcoming “Carmine” Air Jordan 6 Retro, the first thing that comes to mind is, “This is simply too good to be true. ” Proving just that, buyers in the past couple years have begun to notice considerable differences between the “early release” sneakers they were receiving, and authorized authentic Nike product available at more traditional brick and mortar stores.
From misspelled Air Jordan branding, to unreasonable prices, there is plenty of reason why the old school way of waiting until release date to cop your new Air Jordans is still the most reliable route to obtain the kicks you’re after.
Sure to answer many of the questions out there and spark some debate, here are five reasons why you should wait until release date to cop your new Air Jordans.
Get the entire rundown below, let us know your thoughts on the current “early release” situation, and feel free to share your purchasing experiences in the comments below.
5. Price Gouge
When you really stop to think about it, it makes no sense to pay almost double the retail price for a product that’s nowhere near the same level of quality as pairs released at retail, which already recieve more than their share of criticism regarding quality. Also, since most of these “early release” shoes are overseas, shipping will cost a pretty penny. All that trouble and cost for a general release shoe, just to have them two months early?
4. Supporting illegal businesses
Something rarely pointed out is the fact that purchasing these early release sneakers supports illegal businesses. With unauthorized websites trying their best to pass these products off as authentic, the means by which they’ve obtained their sneakers clearly falls into a grey area. Perhaps direct theft is even involved. Also, supporting these sites takes away business from your local retailers and “Mom n’ Pop” shops.
3. No guarantee of OG packaging
Again, in relation to the unreasonable prices these sites are offering, it’s really not worth paying for a pair of “Gammas” or Retro 6s if you’re not even getting the original packaging or accessories. Take the “Concord” Retros from a few years back for example — many of these “early eelease” pairs were offered in unmarked Air Jordan boxes, or even damaged, second-quality boxes. No pull-out slider box, shoe trees or special tissue paper was included. However, with an authentic pair on release date, you’re guaranteed all of the original accessories and packaging at a cheaper cost.
2. No memory or thrill
One of the best things about this hobby is the memory we all have involving these certain sneakers, and especially Jordans. For many collectors, the memory of many Air Jordans begins with MJ debuting them to the world on an NBA court. These days, everything is seen for the first time on a website selling unauthorized products. When purchasing kicks on release date, there’s still that thrill and chase to build memories not often found with just simply paying extra for “early release” kicks online.
1. No Guarantee of Authenticity
Here’s the most important point in all of this: there’s really no way to guarantee these kicks are authentic Nike products. It’s pretty tough to ignore the growing number of signs pointing towards these products being fake. What’s making matters even worse is the fact that fakes are getting so good. Forum members who have bought shoes in the past from early release sites reported poor quality issues, and were instantly suspicious about their sneakers. And then there was the case of the infamous “Air Randy” miraculously ending up with multiple sizes of Concords with MJ’s #45 on the back. Thinking realistically, it’s more than likely that these “samples” were manufactured on the side and weren’t ever authorized Nike products.
We’re curious. What has your experience been like if you’ve purchased from an “early release” website? Were you satisfied? Did you suspect your shoes weren’t authentic? Share your stories below in the comments.
RELATED: Jordan Release Dates
This Is How to Get High-End Designer Sneakers Before They …
FIRST THINGS FIRST: As a true “#menswear” enthusiast, I’m all-in for today’s luxurious designer sneakers. Seriously, just look around: It’s as if we all collectively blinked, and guys everywhere traded in their ratty, decades-old running shoes for sleek pairs with suede swooshes, “tonal laces, ” and eye-popping color schemes. Frankly, the only problem with all of this fabulous new footwear is actually purchasing a pair: No one ever knows when certain models are going to drop, how many pairs the manufacturer will be selling, or even where you can get them. (Yes, this is all by design. )
This summer, Adidas Originals may or may not release a collaboration with the musician Pharrell. Nike’s unlimited stream of limited-edition Jordans is rumored to include a Wu-Tang Clan–designed pair, as well as ultra-exclusive one-off models produced alongside New York–based designer-shoe meccas KITH and Extra Butter. (And good luck ever buying a pair from Yeezy, the Adidas line that Kanye West has single-handedly publicized to prominence. )
But don’t worry if you’re dying for a pair that is guaranteed to sell out. Just follow these three steps.
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Spot your new kicks
Traditionally, the biggest drop days
for new sneakers were NBA All-Star Weekend (in February); Black Friday,
in November; and the weekend before Christmas. But as sneaker culture has gone mainstream, there are now new sneaker drops on almost every day of the year. The only consistency is the time: Whether in a specialty store or online, set your alarms: 10 a. m. EST. You never know what specific models are dropping—brands cancel or announce releases with the unpredictability of your craziest of ex-girlfriends. (Nike is known to pull releases less than 24 hours before they’re due to go on sale). But there are apps out there that aim to predict, with admittedly limited reliability, the schedule of upcoming release dates. The best on both iOS and Android are Unlaced (free), or the Nike-centric J23 ($1. 99).
So if there’s a shoe you want—like, say the New Balance Deconstructed 580 (shown above)—your best bet is to follow those apps and then, like a hunter in a deer stand, set up watch on Instagram and Twitter for your shoes to flash by. Search terms like #KOTD (Kicks of the Day), #KicksonFire and #Heat. Also be sure
to follow a man who calls himself “Gucci Paul, ” an elusive thirtysomething Brit who has proven consistently trustworthy in the info that he posts. Regardless, the minute any noteworthy kicks drop, you’re bound to know about it on any of these shoe-dedicated accounts: @Sneakernews, @CollectiveKicks, @KicksonFire, @Hypebeast, and select retailers like @KithSet, @Cncpts, and @ExtraButterNY.
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Close the deal on your new kicks
Once you see a pair of shoes drop that you can’t live without, now it’s time to buy them. Or at least try. Most retailers, whether brick-and-mortar or online, now sell the limited-edition kicks through a raffle system.
It works like this: You apply for a particular style and size in advance, and then a lucky few are selected and offered the chance to buy. In person, you simply arrive and collect a ticket, but online sales are usually tied to social media. For example, Extra Butter’s process involves posting a photograph of the shoes on Instagram and directing followers to its website. If, like many frustrated sneakerheads, you don’t like the roll of the dice, you can try to stack the odds in your favor by turning to bots such as (from $95) or (from $325). These bots bombard stores with multiple applications for a single customer, significantly upping his chances.
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Try (again) to buy those new kicks
What if you don’t manage to score the sneakers you’ve been stalking, your first option is a reputable reseller. Sure, you could scour Twitter or eBay, but you’re at risk of shelling out for fakes. Instead, sneaker collector Thomas Sun suggests trying one of the top resellers including RIF (), Flight Club (), or Stadium Goods (). “Most of the people who take in sneakers at these stores for resale have worked there a long time,
so they don’t really get caught off guard [by fakes], ” Sun says. “And with legit product, always ask for the original receipt so you know it’s 100% Nike or Yeezy. ”
Really, really hard-to-find sneakers will cost you a high premium from a reseller—don’t even get me started on the recent black Yeezy 750 Boosts, originally $350, on sale now for $2, 000 or higher—but it’s a sweat-proof way of shopping.
But here’s the thing: In the case of most brands, buying them from a reseller won’t always cost you extra. In fact, a little patience could score you a bargain pair of kicks. According to Tyler Blake, the blogger and reseller known as @TheRealTBlake, the industry’s made it deliberately difficult to gauge how many pairs of any given shoe will be offered. A lot of pairs are likely to be reissued within days to help slake the thirst of that frenzied market. Blake himself regularly opts to wait out the initial hysteria and scour the websites for Foot Locker or KITH a few days later. “If a style is still sitting there, chances are it’s offered [on resale] for less than retail price. ” If a major store over-orders a particular style, it’ll discount them and sell through alternative channels, driving down prices for customers shopping the secondary market. Blake says it’s not unusual to find new sneakers 20-40% off within weeks or even days of their release at retailers like eBay or If you miss out? Don’t worry. There’s always another pair dropping tomorrow.
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Five Reasons Why You Should Wait Until Release Date For …
Sole Collector sheds some light on why staying away from ‘early release’ websites is a must.
words // Luis Sanchez
If you’re a consistent follower of what’s going on in the world of sneakers, you’re more than likely well aware of all of the drama concerning “early release” sneakers. Offered by a number of overseas retailers, there is an endless amount of questions surrounding the authenticity and legitimacy of these “early release” models.
With these sites offering buyers an almost infinite amount of anticipated releases, like the “Gamma Blue” Air Jordan 11 Retro and the upcoming “Carmine” Air Jordan 6 Retro, the first thing that comes to mind is, “This is simply too good to be true. ” Proving just that, buyers in the past couple years have begun to notice considerable differences between the “early release” sneakers they were receiving, and authorized authentic Nike product available at more traditional brick and mortar stores.
From misspelled Air Jordan branding, to unreasonable prices, there is plenty of reason why the old school way of waiting until release date to cop your new Air Jordans is still the most reliable route to obtain the kicks you’re after.
Sure to answer many of the questions out there and spark some debate, here are five reasons why you should wait until release date to cop your new Air Jordans.
Get the entire rundown below, let us know your thoughts on the current “early release” situation, and feel free to share your purchasing experiences in the comments below.
5. Price Gouge
When you really stop to think about it, it makes no sense to pay almost double the retail price for a product that’s nowhere near the same level of quality as pairs released at retail, which already recieve more than their share of criticism regarding quality. Also, since most of these “early release” shoes are overseas, shipping will cost a pretty penny. All that trouble and cost for a general release shoe, just to have them two months early?
4. Supporting illegal businesses
Something rarely pointed out is the fact that purchasing these early release sneakers supports illegal businesses. With unauthorized websites trying their best to pass these products off as authentic, the means by which they’ve obtained their sneakers clearly falls into a grey area. Perhaps direct theft is even involved. Also, supporting these sites takes away business from your local retailers and “Mom n’ Pop” shops.
3. No guarantee of OG packaging
Again, in relation to the unreasonable prices these sites are offering, it’s really not worth paying for a pair of “Gammas” or Retro 6s if you’re not even getting the original packaging or accessories. Take the “Concord” Retros from a few years back for example — many of these “early eelease” pairs were offered in unmarked Air Jordan boxes, or even damaged, second-quality boxes. No pull-out slider box, shoe trees or special tissue paper was included. However, with an authentic pair on release date, you’re guaranteed all of the original accessories and packaging at a cheaper cost.
2. No memory or thrill
One of the best things about this hobby is the memory we all have involving these certain sneakers, and especially Jordans. For many collectors, the memory of many Air Jordans begins with MJ debuting them to the world on an NBA court. These days, everything is seen for the first time on a website selling unauthorized products. When purchasing kicks on release date, there’s still that thrill and chase to build memories not often found with just simply paying extra for “early release” kicks online.
1. No Guarantee of Authenticity
Here’s the most important point in all of this: there’s really no way to guarantee these kicks are authentic Nike products. It’s pretty tough to ignore the growing number of signs pointing towards these products being fake. What’s making matters even worse is the fact that fakes are getting so good. Forum members who have bought shoes in the past from early release sites reported poor quality issues, and were instantly suspicious about their sneakers. And then there was the case of the infamous “Air Randy” miraculously ending up with multiple sizes of Concords with MJ’s #45 on the back. Thinking realistically, it’s more than likely that these “samples” were manufactured on the side and weren’t ever authorized Nike products.
We’re curious. What has your experience been like if you’ve purchased from an “early release” website? Were you satisfied? Did you suspect your shoes weren’t authentic? Share your stories below in the comments.
RELATED: Jordan Release Dates
Frequently Asked Questions about buy jordans before they come out
How do you get Jordans before they release?
However, with an authentic pair on release date, you’re guaranteed all of the original accessories and packaging at a cheaper cost. One of the best things about this hobby is the memory we all have involving these certain sneakers, and especially Jordans.
