Tag: sneaker

Recent Sneaker News: February’s Finest

The sneaker world is always bound to be interesting. News comes instantly and often gets old after a day or two. Twitter, now X, is one of the quickest forms of sneaker news. Everyone is scrolling on their phones while less are actively searching on the internet for sneaker news directly.

Sneaker news comes and goes just like any other type of news. Tomorrow’s latest story is already old. There’s always something going on in the world of sneakers.

Ye and Adidas Back in the Mix

Back in the news together. This once powerful and influential duo are now at each others’ necks. Kanye West, now known as Ye, has publicly stated his experience with Adidas and the German apparel and footwear brand’s wrongdoings throughout their relationship.

Ye has been known to have social media outbursts, but coming at a multi-billion dollar giant takes things to a different level. If the news about Adidas misleading the Chicago-based rapper turns out to be true, it would become another setback for the corporation. Adidas has been in struggle over the last few years in their decision to release or to not release the remaining Yeezy stock. Since formally ending their relationship, the once powerhouse duo has relatively stayed out of each others’ hair.

Now, the business issues between both sides have become public quickly thanks to Ye’s recent social media posts regarding the matter. Ye publicly stated that Yeezy 350s are “corny” and has been encouraging Adidas fans to not purchase the remaining stock. Sneaker news outlets reported on the events between Adidas and Ye countless times over the past few years. However, things have turned sour rather quickly between Ye and Adidas. Any chance of a reunion is severed now. Ye will continue to push his independent brand while the three stripes will continue to look for a rebound.

Sneaker News: New Balance Takes Aim at #2

The news of New Balance’s booming sales brought even more well-deserved attention to the Boston-based apparel and footwear brand. Posting $6.5 billion in sales for 2023, the company saw a 23% increase compared to 2022.

New Balance saw $1 billion in sales from apparel, which is the company’s first time hitting the billion dollar mark in clothing sales.

The rise of New Balance has been in the making for decades. Once a niche and under-appreciated sneaker brand, the Boston-based label has seen more of itself in mainstream sneaker and overall media in recent history.

New Balance has been gaining popularity amongst younger crowds. With a noticeable increase in collabs and renowned signature athletes, NB has picked up tons of momentum with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

As New Balance continues to be present in sneaker news all over the world, the future looks as bright as ever for the Massachusetts-based company. The footwear and apparel brand will continue to improve in virtually all aspects of its business. With Adidas fumbling Ye and no rebound in sight, New Balance is coming for the #2 spot with a sense of urgency.

Sneaker Talk: Online Sneaker Releases

Everyone knows how it is to wake up and look forward to a release you’ve been eyeing for a minute. As the release time inches closer, you start to think more about every possible scenario. Sneaker woes and online releases go hand in hand. Too many people know how it feels to miss out and feel hopeless with slim chances during certain online sneaker releases. A win or loss feels more dramatic when its a pair you want to wear endlessly.

Sneaker online releases often utilize different operating systems, sites, tricks, or none at all. Some companies take the time to make sure everything runs smoothly while others look to unload stock as quickly as possible. Sneaker releases are disproportionately online releases especially in recent times. Online releases are often easier and quicker for companies, but tend to be frustrating and hopeless for manual computer users.

Bots and the Lack Of Protection

If there was a sneaker dictionary, the term ‘bot protection’ would most likely have the most definitions. Not because it’s a complex term, but because of the fact that every sneaker online seller views bot protection differently.

Some companies are known to take better care of loyal customers than others. Some could care less who sneakers go to at the end of the day. Most aren’t as in touch with customers as they should be.

The lack of bot protection will always be one of the major sneaker woes. Nobody can beat a bot no matter how hard they try. An experienced sneakerhead can usually tell how much time and effort a company put toward bot protection rather quickly.

Bots are virtually impossible to beat manually; sneaker brands need to put bot protection high on their priority list if they want to keep loyal customers. Nobody wants to continue to support brands who don’t care about their most loyal fans.

Different Types of Online Sneaker Releases

All online sneaker releases aren’t built the same. Some favor bots while others favor human users. The debate of which type of release is best will be never ending.

Standard online sneaker releases typically seen on Footsites (Foot Locker, Champs Sports, etc.) heavily favor bots. The stock is made available as soon as the clock hits the release time and a free-for-all is unleashed. These releases basically have no bot protection and give human users little to no chance on hyped and sought after releases.

Another type of online release is the infamous SNKRS Draw. Although this isn’t common amongst other brands, it’s still one of the most utilized release types by Nike. Basically, a timer is set for users to enter into the draw before the system starts to select winners. This kind of online release allows both human users and bots to enter multiple times in a short window. Many people make numerous accounts (some buy accounts) to increase their chances of winning. Bots are still effective, but not nearly as much as first-come first-serve online releases.

The queue has become relevant and necessary in an attempt to handle bots as much as possible. Although queues, or virtual waiting rooms don’t deter bots completely, they attempt to slow them down if utilized correctly. Queues can be frustrating when it feels like you might have a chance. Looking at a waiting page increases the anticipation and ultimately the let down when the size is notified as sold out. Some queue releases favor bots because there’s little to no bot protection. Queue releases don’t act as protection alone, but can add to a strong bot protection system if utilized efficiently.

Online raffles have become increasingly popular as a way to limit the use of bots. Especially raffles that are live for multiple days, these releases are a hit or miss. More often than not, so many entries are placed that the odds of winning are closer to zero than one- and it’s not even close. Raffle bots allow users to enter multiples times in a short window. Even if a human user spent all day and night entering a sneaker raffle online, they still wouldn’t come close to the numbers a bot could put up.

Less Sneaker Woes: Hope for Change

Although online sneaker releases are often frustrating and sometimes demoralizing, there is still a reason to stay hopeful. Sneaker brands are becoming more aware of increasing and strengthening bot protection.

Some companies are larger than others and have immense resources. Despite resources not always being utilized to the fullest extent, there is still hope that brands can find a way to better use their resources to improve the conditions of online sneaker releases.

Online sneaker releases must change sooner rather than later. Countless sneaker enthusiasts around the world deserve a fair chance at buying pairs for personal wear. There is still hope that online sneaker releases can improve and become more fair for manual users looking to snag a hot pair of kicks.