9 Reasons You're Too Young to Be a Sneakerhead
Dennis
This entry was published by Dennis. He is the newest addition to the Grailify team and he provides you with the most important sneaker news every day.
2016-04-03
Some time ago we asked a painful question: Are you too old to be a sneakerhead? Now let's turn to the other end of the spectrum. Is it possible to be too young? Do you need knowledge, experience or wisdom to be part of the scene? Please form your own opinion and start the discussion. Now read on - here are 9 reasons that suggest you might be too young to be a sneakerhead.
1. You don't have your own money: this is common knowledge. If you're still in school and not earning your own money, who owns the sneakers on your shelf? Most likely, the rightful owner is your mother - or your father. And what does that make you? Definitely not a sneakerhead - more likely a spoiled brat.
2. You still live with your parents: this is a simple extension of the above example. Even if you have what you call your "own" money, you're living as a parasite under someone else's roof. You basically save a few hundred euros a month and spend it on trainers. Grow up.
3. You know nothing about the past: we know you young people can't change the fact that they weren't around when Tinker changed the world in 1987 or when guys actually went jogging in Gel Lyte IIIs. But come on, if you're into sneakers, you have to know your stuff. If you're only concerned with what's hot right now and never look back at where we came from, you haven't earned your place in the scene - yet.
4. You haven't seen trends come and go: It's not your fault you're so young, but if you haven't seen a trend or two come and go, then you don't understand the game. As Einstein said, the "only source of knowledge is experience". Gather your experience and then join the conversation.
5. You don't pay respect: if you don't respect the elders in the scene, you haven't understood the essence of the world. Write it down: Everything you admire, whether it's Yeezys, Boost or Flyknit, every little thing was built on something that was done in the past. You owe everything to the older generation and if you don't understand that, you're too young - for anything in the adult world.
6. You don't honour the old: this is an extension of number 5. you should know where you come from and respect the past. Vintage sneakers are sacred remnants from the golden age when trainers were first invented - for sport. Respect the originals and the people who revere them, because that's your foundation. If not, you are useless.
7. You only know the Swoosh and the Three Stripes: Nike and adidas have become the dominant forces in the industry - there's no way around it. When you're young, you often think that's it. But it isn't. The older you get, the more you learn to appreciate diversity. There's a world of inspiration and stories that come from all the other brands, even the smallest ones. Do you understand that?
8. You're not educating yourself: if you're 16 and all you know is your daily dose of internet knowledge telling you about tomorrow and next week, maybe it's not your fault. It's your generation's problem. But if you're interested in sneakers, it's also about knowledge. Read books and try to understand. This is not advice.
9. You don't know the culture: You might think that sneakers are a closed world. But that's only because you have no idea how things work. This one shoe is part of a whole world of influences from design, music, fashion or sport. Everything is interconnected. As in the famous poem by John Donne - "no man is an island". You're not an island either - otherwise this island would be gone tomorrow, you little greenhorn.
1. You don't have your own money: this is common knowledge. If you're still in school and not earning your own money, who owns the sneakers on your shelf? Most likely, the rightful owner is your mother - or your father. And what does that make you? Definitely not a sneakerhead - more likely a spoiled brat.
2. You still live with your parents: this is a simple extension of the above example. Even if you have what you call your "own" money, you're living as a parasite under someone else's roof. You basically save a few hundred euros a month and spend it on trainers. Grow up.
3. You know nothing about the past: we know you young people can't change the fact that they weren't around when Tinker changed the world in 1987 or when guys actually went jogging in Gel Lyte IIIs. But come on, if you're into sneakers, you have to know your stuff. If you're only concerned with what's hot right now and never look back at where we came from, you haven't earned your place in the scene - yet.
4. You haven't seen trends come and go: It's not your fault you're so young, but if you haven't seen a trend or two come and go, then you don't understand the game. As Einstein said, the "only source of knowledge is experience". Gather your experience and then join the conversation.
5. You don't pay respect: if you don't respect the elders in the scene, you haven't understood the essence of the world. Write it down: Everything you admire, whether it's Yeezys, Boost or Flyknit, every little thing was built on something that was done in the past. You owe everything to the older generation and if you don't understand that, you're too young - for anything in the adult world.
6. You don't honour the old: this is an extension of number 5. you should know where you come from and respect the past. Vintage sneakers are sacred remnants from the golden age when trainers were first invented - for sport. Respect the originals and the people who revere them, because that's your foundation. If not, you are useless.
7. You only know the Swoosh and the Three Stripes: Nike and adidas have become the dominant forces in the industry - there's no way around it. When you're young, you often think that's it. But it isn't. The older you get, the more you learn to appreciate diversity. There's a world of inspiration and stories that come from all the other brands, even the smallest ones. Do you understand that?
8. You're not educating yourself: if you're 16 and all you know is your daily dose of internet knowledge telling you about tomorrow and next week, maybe it's not your fault. It's your generation's problem. But if you're interested in sneakers, it's also about knowledge. Read books and try to understand. This is not advice.
9. You don't know the culture: You might think that sneakers are a closed world. But that's only because you have no idea how things work. This one shoe is part of a whole world of influences from design, music, fashion or sport. Everything is interconnected. As in the famous poem by John Donne - "no man is an island". You're not an island either - otherwise this island would be gone tomorrow, you little greenhorn.
