It's a NO!

So, it's June 12th and this is my first post for the month of June. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post but besides being sick and dealing with some negative feelings towards the internet, I was just laying in the cut and gathering data.

As someone that has enjoyed a fresh pair of sneakers since 1985, there is something to be said about the state of SNEAKERS these days. The state of sneakers is really simply stated: It SUCKS!!

If you're a sneaker connoisseur that's been into kicks for sometime, then you know exactly where I'm coming from. With the onslaught of supposed hyper-strikes, limited edition and so many collaboration that they make Richard Simmons look sane, the sneaker culture (dubiously called the sneaker sub-culture)is in need of CPR.

Just take a look at any of the releases by New Balance, who despite the Super Team 33 1st release of kicks being dope...it was too late; look at Nike with their new basketball sneakers that surely resemble the Air Jordan III or even the PUMA Cat Lo's that are being released. What happened to creativity and innovativeness?!

A couple months ago, a couple of guys reached out to me to get me involved in opening a boutique store that would cater to the sneakerhead culture and fashion conscientious women and men in the Northeast. It was an honor to be approached, but knowing what I already have on my plate and not feeling that the time is right to open a boutique, I kindly told them, "Thank you, but no thank you." You see, it's ALL about timing and the timing isn't right.

When I look at the companies that are building their reputation and doing it well, I have to look at companies like K-Swiss, Greedy Genius and JB Classics.

K-Swiss knows that they have to change their image from that of white men playing tennis in their bright-white polos and nut-cracker shorts. They attempted to get "hip" 3 years ago when they ran a number of television ads that, to the smart consumer and sneakerhead, it looked fake and that they tried too hard to pretend to be cool and it ultimately bit them in the ass. When they switched their approach and went with the, "This is who we are and this is who we're growing-up to be" feel, the reception was alot better. Now, with the upcoming release of the Si-18's and other Classics with a new color palette, they look like they're ready to put in work and carve out a section of the block.

Greedy Genius is one of those companies that is led by a dynamic-duo, Mikhayel and Hue, that hit up MAGIC a few years ago and hit it hard. They not only were able to write a large order with Barney's of New York, rumored to be half a million dollars, but they were also able to build a reputation as a "cool" new sneaker line.

JB Classics has been able to carve a niche and have a strong following in the Northeast. JB has been doing his thing for awhile and I was glad to see JB Classics getting some love in the Wall Street Journal.

So, as the month of June rolls on, I simply ask the companies to stop flooding the market and pump the breaks on all the collaborations. It's time to retool and retool NOW!

It's a NO!