I think that’s perhaps one of the best ways to describe a cool kid. But up until 3 minutes ago, I had never really put too much thought into what it represents. I think that the whole goal of trying to achieve this cool kid status or Hypebeasting out of control is an unfortunate one that finds its roots in a culture that has let down certain individuals. Probably a bold statement… actually yeh it is… but the justification of self-worth through the products you consume… why can’t people sort themselves out and we wouldn’t have this problem haha. But then again, I see nothing wrong with true passion and love of any subject, however obscure. It’s better than not having a reason to like something.
Buying must be a harrowing experience for you guys. You seem to know EXACTLY what you like but of course at the end of the day, as a business you need to sell for a greater audience. I’m actually far from familiar the whole ordering process when it comes to a retailer, but if all the new updates I see everyday on Crooked Tongues are any indication, I’d say you guys have pretty much nailed it. I’m not sure if I credit the sneaker designers, or you guys cause it seems as though there’s little in the form of ugly, unwearable trainers.
Good points – I’d never thought about it that way. I love material items, and I’m sure they fill a void in my life. Society will always push itself to the point where the population needs a form of escapism. A lot of my friends laugh at the whole hoarder thing – for the most part, few of my best friends have any interest in any sphere of the subcultures I’m obsessing over. I used to think they were crazy to not feel the same sense of feverish excitement over a tape, movie screening, shoe or t-shirt that I was, but as I get older I start to realise I’m the one with the problem! But it’s great to just be pre-occupied with something that’s got enough depth and reference points to just keep moving ad infinitum, even if that means it has a tendency to feed on itself during slow news weeks. While I think my blog output is a little too stuck in the past for its own good, I try not to become some prick who decides that everything post-2000 is shit. That’s the kiss of death.
We try to buy product we’re feeling… maybe we wouldn’t wear it all, but it’s got some authenticity at some level. By not wearing it, I mean I personally can’t wear slimline designs like the vintage Gazelle, but I still consider it a masterpiece. There’s a lot of people not feeling my Griffey Max retros either, because it’s all subjective. I mean, shit, I’d happily just wear three or four silhouettes until I die, but that attitude isn’t conducive to good buying. Bar those still making the gimmicky concept stuff I think there’s less ugly stuff out there – there’s some pointless bits if you’re a purist, but I think the recession may have put a dampener on some of the really bad shoes. It probably got sampled, but a lack of purchases at sales time meant it never made the cut. We still can’t buy into the truly experimental performance pieces, but it would be great to have them instore at some point. That recent Pegasus GTX runner is good, and had some crossover potential, but I respect Nike’s decision to keep it on the performance side. After all, that’s what the brand’s built on. With the Ashiko boot, we love it, but we’re aware it splits opinion fairly unevenly. Still, we wanted to buy into it and support it, but the next challenge is conveying the weight, texture and feel online. Physical retail is a far more tactile experience.
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