Sneaker / Denim junkies

[softgrey]

what do you call those people who have a major fetish for all sorts of denim, but especially raw denim and japanese denim...
people who pay exhorbitant amounts for jeans and actually collect them...

and those who collect all varieties of sneakers...
*you know, the people who wait in line when new limited edition styles come out...

is it the same group or two distinct groups...?

and is it at all related to skaters?

 

[Teratel]

I am sure there are people who are collecting all kinds of stuff. There are people who collect Barbies, with their whole collection of outfits.
I do remember a program I have seen on television about young Japenese men collecting a limited edition of sneakers from Nike. They had a trunk full of sneakers, wich some they didn't even wear. I don't know if it's related to same groups or related to skaters. I think it depends on their lifestyle.

 

[softgrey]

hmmm... i think we actually have a few people like this posting in the WAYWT thread...

hoping to get some feedback from them and also create a place for these guys who share similar interests to interact...
that way we can all learn about it firsthand...

 

[mikelowrey]

I definately wouldn't classify denim fanatics into the same category with sneaker heads.

to put it into stereotypes, sneaker freaks might typically have a bit more flashy style, those who line up for sneakers most likely dress in streetwear and more hyped brands. denim peeps might dress more casually, you'll find all kinds of individuals obviously but a large part of the japanese denim fans appreciate the classic or slightly improved cuts and constructions of repro jeans. in japan, the whole denim culture is very influenced by classic americal work wear with flannel shirts, leather belts and that whole deal.

japanese denim is of course also incorporated into other styles as well and you can certainly find sneaker collectors who are also into denim, but overall they're a very different deal. what goes for skaters, skateboarding, denim and sneakers are all a big part of popular culture, streetwear and fashion so they all play a part and also blend into each other, but they're also completely separate cultures of their own.

if you're interest in learning more I suggest looking into Superfuture's superdenim forum, heaps of information there. also this Chronicle article along with the links might be worth checking out.

 

[tangerine]

...what goes for skaters, skateboarding, denim and sneakers are all a big part of popular culture, streetwear and fashion so they all play a part and also blend into each other, but they're also completely separate cultures of their own...

There's not much left to say, mikelowrey puts it very well... emphasis on the bit I quoted.

Denimheads, sneakerheads and skaters overlap/intersect but if there were a Venn diagram, there would clearly be three circles.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

And people who take the numbers of trains would be intersecting all three...

Whatever a denim addict is called, these (edit, already mentioned by mikelowrey) guys probably know.

 

[lesypersound]

hypebeast esp. for people "who wait in line when new limited edition styles come out..." (there's a board out there already w/ the same name)

 

[Allius]

I am a Denim Collector and I am not:

- a skater
- a hipster
- a sneaker collector

I collect denim because it is timeless and there are so many different types of fabrics, cuts, distressing, etc. in jeans. I find it funny that you tie denim fanatics into skaters because I dress nothing like a skater at all. Matter of fact, I rarely even wear sneakers. So they're definitely two different groups.

 

[ApertureRomance]

People who spend too much time on superfuture.com

 

[fullfrontal]

Being that softgrey lives in NY, I totally understand the correlation between sneaker heads and denim lovers. If you walk anywhere downtown, the kids with the fantastic sneakers are usually wearing raw denim and have a skater look about them. I agree that while they intersect staright up sneaker heads and straight up denim collectors would be separate groups.
Streetwear has always focused on having the latest and hottest kicks on the block and then you build around that. Jeans are the best pairing for sneakers...the trend on the street right now is incorporating the skater look (more fitted, straight leg jeans with the obligatory chain from the front belt loop to the back) thanks in small part to Pharrell Williams and raw denim is simply the look du jour (thats what all of the brands are producing). You find the sneaker heads with the expensive denim because it's all about exclusivity for them and to have what no one else does (or can afford).
I say all of that to say that what I think softgrey is referring to is just a merge of the cultures and trends.

 

[keyboardcowgirl]

Have to agree with Allius there.

I love collecting denim. Its like shoes, every pair of jeans I've bought has a different quality and I think I own about 40 pairs (possibly more). But it doesnt make me a sneakerhead though I do own a few pair of trainers. Jeans is part of a life-style now. And no I dont skate either

 

[solg]

i don't consider myself as a denim collector, though i practically wear them everyday. the same with sneakers.
i mostly wear them jeans and sneakers because i find them comfortable and suitable for what i think my style is right now. the fact that i have to go to school everyday, running around all day, makes them even more appealing to me.

where i live (and i think almost everywhere), denim has become huge as far as street wear. leaving aside the fact that clothes are getting more expensive with every day that passes by, denim is a case of its own. the prices are higher than ever, and there's not much guarantee of their quality.. but people keep buying them.

i think that sneaker/denim junkies are somehow related to skaters because that's their classic uniform. limited edition sneakers usually come out as existing models that were especially created for skating or that follow their design line.

 

[softgrey]

Being that softgrey lives in NY, I totally understand the correlation between sneaker heads and denim lovers. If you walk anywhere downtown, the kids with the fantastic sneakers are usually wearing raw denim and have a skater look about them. I agree that while they intersect staright up sneaker heads and straight up denim collectors would be separate groups.
Streetwear has always focused on having the latest and hottest kicks on the block and then you build around that. Jeans are the best pairing for sneakers...the trend on the street right now is incorporating the skater look (more fitted, straight leg jeans with the obligatory chain from the front belt loop to the back) thanks in small part to Pharrell Williams and raw denim is simply the look du jour (thats what all of the brands are producing). You find the sneaker heads with the expensive denim because it's all about exclusivity for them and to have what no one else does (or can afford).
I say all of that to say that what I think softgrey is referring to is just a merge of the cultures and trends.

you put it very well...

the thing is that there IS overlap...
and unless you are on the inside...
it is hard to know where the lines are drawn in terms of the different groups...
though clearly there ARE different groups...
which is why i mentioned them separately in the original post...

thanks to everyone who is posting here...
it's good to have some insight from the folks with insider info...
i love it when subcultures like this are created sort of outside of the fashion machine...

it's almost anti-fashion --- in the most fashion-y sort of way...
if you take my meaning...
and it's really interesting...



......

 

[jun3machina]

denim collector here...

 

[ApertureRomance]

It's a shame really because streetwear is stuck in a rut at the moment , everyone seems to be following the NIGO/BAPE business model. It's no longer about the product but the money , how many colours you can fit on a single piece of fabric , how many ideas can you exhaust for an all over print , graphics that look like they were ripped from clipart or getty images and screenprinted as cheaply as possible. It's changed from "I'm going to wait in line because I really love his artwork and he designed these sneakers" to "I'm going to wait in line because regardless of whether I like the shoe or not it gives me cred , it gives me kudos". Waiting online for the latest digitalgravel update or shipment that's just not fun to me that's sad. A culture where graffiti , hiphop , skaters , outsider art all co-exist should rely on more than just tired tricks and flash in a pan gimmicks.

 

[ApertureRomance]

Documentary called Just For Kicks which tries to explain or sum up the allure of sneaker collecting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbOnJA4-uoI

 

[mikelowrey]

It's a shame really because streetwear is stuck in a rut at the moment , everyone seems to be following the NIGO/BAPE business model. It's no longer about the product but the money , how many colours you can fit on a single piece of fabric , how many ideas can you exhaust for an all over print , graphics that look like they were ripped from clipart or getty images and screenprinted as cheaply as possible. It's changed from "I'm going to wait in line because I really love his artwork and he designed these sneakers" to "I'm going to wait in line because regardless of whether I like the shoe or not it gives me cred , it gives me kudos". Waiting online for the latest digitalgravel update or shipment that's just not fun to me that's sad. A culture where graffiti , hiphop , skaters , outsider art all co-exist should rely on more than just tired tricks and flash in a pan gimmicks.

well put, though hype has always been a part of streetwear, exclusive items have been bought because of cred earlier as well so its not a new thing. I do agree though that streetwear is very gimmicky at the moment.

 

[lostinemotion]

I think they are just called hipsters. Your probably talking about people that read the superfuture.com community right?

 

[ApertureRomance]

well put, though hype has always been a part of streetwear, exclusive items have been bought because of cred earlier as well so its not a new thing. I do agree though that streetwear is very gimmicky at the moment.

Without the internet though it was a different kind of hype and exclusivity.

 

[yourbestfriend]

I think they are just called hipsters. Your probably talking about people that read the superfuture.com community right?

I don't think the people on sf are hipsters, but they do fit in more with the whole talk of sneaker/denim junkies though.

A hipster is more like what you would see on somewhere like thecobrasnake.com