DO's & DON'Ts of Sneakers
More often than thought, I get asked random questions about how to purchase sneakers. People ask where I buy my shoes from, & sometimes people also say they are just starting up a collection and want to know where they should start. Here are a few personal tips based off my experience throughout the years.
DO: Purchase what you like! Buy the shoes you fell in love with at first sight. Buy the shoes that you find comfortable and stylish. Find the shoes that make you feel excited to put them on, & buy those.
DON’T: Purchase shoes just because someone else said they were cool. There is more than plenty brands out there offering tons of different styles & colors to not allow yourself the greatness of creating your own style!
DO: Rock your shoes the way you like! Some people like to tie their shoes, other people don’t. I’m personally a tie-er, my boyfriend hardly ties his shoes. Its all a preference. Some people rock their AF1 Highs with the strap flipped to the back and others still strap it up. Rock shoes the way you like & make it work for you. You’ll always look better rocking the extra bounce of confidence.
DON’T: Buy shoes 2 sizes too small. I know we’ve all done it at ONE point or another (I know I can’t be the only one), but reality of it..... just uncomfortable. Same thing with buying a pair too big, no matter how many socks you wear & if you use a force field.. its not gonna be comfy. You’ll be spending money for a pair you’re never going to wear. Skip that pair if you can’t find it in your size. Something new you’ll love will eventually come around.
DO: Your research. In this modern age, there are tons of websites and apps to help you keep up with sneaker news & release dates. Nothing more annoying than you calling a store to ask if they already have the sneakers that don’t come out for another 6 months. Also, nothing more embarrassing than walking into a store and asking for the “Pink Taxi Jordan’s.” Educate yourself on the products you want.
DON’T: Break the bank. Don’t spend your last dollar and be forced to eat Ramen Noodles the whole week because of a purchase. If you don’t cop this pair, there will be another exciting pair the following week.
DO: Be nice to the workers at the stores. Being nice will always get you further in any situation than going into a store with your cool on. Take care of your “connect”, if you have one. Most people who work at sneaker stores are just as into the shoes as you are, they don’t mind talking. Be nice, be courteous, be understanding.
DON’T: Have your cool on when walking into a store. As perviously mentioned, workers of sneaker stores do this all day for 8 hours, they see & talk to dozens of people daily asking for the same stuff usually. There’s no reason to have an attitude/ego when talking to them. They don’t want to hear the famous “Oh, I already got a pair but I just wanted to ask” and they definitely don’t want to hear the even more famous “I already got my pair 2 months ago.” WE DON’T BELIEVE YOU, YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE.
DO: Purchase from legit authentic websites. I personally buy all my shoes from the store I work at currently (Sneaker Room) other than that, my purchases are all from Nike.com, FootAction.com or Footlocker.com. Before I worked at a sneaker store my purchases were all from Shoe Gallery in Miami. (305 fo’ life) Tons of my girl stuff & boots come from RuVilla. But there is tons of great stores all over the place that offer amazing product via phone orders or on their personal websites. There is even some dope consignment stores such as East Coast Boutique that you can get authentic older product that has already released.
DON’T: Believe that the random guy you follow on IG has 50 pairs of Yeezy 350 Boost 2 months early and is only asking $400 each. Use common sense, if it sounds too good to be true.. then it usually is. There is a lot of fake shoes out there. Protect yourself against strange websites that offer variants.
DO: Realize that popular sneakers sell out quickly. The sneaker game is time sensitive. If you walk into a regular retail shop & ask for the Jordan 11’s that dropped in December during your summer break - you have a better chance of finding a flying pig. I think at this point there isn’t many secret spot sneaker stores, or any at all for that matter. Don’t assume that no one knows of a particular store & be upset when they are sold out.
DON’T: Beg someone to sell you shoes early. You are basically asking someone to risk their job. Certain shoes don’t have release dates, while other shoes have strict dates & rules. You going into a store everyday and asking for the same shoe isn’t going to help you. If they could sell it to you, they most likely would just so they don’t have to see you again. It’s okay to take no for an answer sometimes.
This is all I can think of at the moment, so I hope it helps someone out there. Let me know if you have your own do's or even dont's. I would love to hear someone elses opinion!