4 ms·

> Why do low class urban people buy sneakers for hundreds of dollars that, again, for every single purpose they use them for - are essentially identical to some

> Why do low class urban people buy sneakers for hundreds of dollars that, again, for every single purpose they use them for - are essentially identical to some no brand sneakers that would cost a tenth as much? I just made the mistake of buying cheapo flipflops a few weeks ago. One stroll through the park and they are full of gravel stuck in the sole that left holes when I removed it. A few a days I replaced them with 7x as expensive ones. Already walked around 10x as far distance, no sign of issues. A reminder that buying cheap ends up more expensive. I don't need crap in my life and maybe that holds too for the folks you are thinking of?

robinsonb5 1y ago
The problem is there's plenty of crap masquerading as the good stuff, at the higher price point, and telling the difference is not easy. (At least pre-purchase!)
- Der_Einzige 1y ago
  When you learn about clothes and fashion, it’s quite easy to tell the difference. HN is full of computer nerds who can’t fanthom that computers are as mysterious to normies as sneakers are to the nerds of HN. A lot of people know how to tell apart good and bad footwear - it just isn’t you or your crowd!
  - ungreased0675 1y ago
    Shoe culture places very little emphasis on the actual quality of the product. Brand and exclusivity is far more important.
    - everdrive 1y ago
      "Shoe culture" might be one the dumbest trends in the market today.
    - Der_Einzige 1y ago
      There's sneaker head culture and than there's the high end foot wear crowd. Sneaker heads are all about the new nike x yeezy "mchitler edition" collab air joran X's high end foot wear crowd will drop 700$ on aldens and almost 1000$ on a pair of boots from whites or nicks which will outlive you and your parents. It's not the same crowd.
      - teiferer 1y ago
        Few people I know have a turnaround on gear as the footwear nerds. The year is split into multiple seasons, they buy a bunch of shoes for that season, wear them only a few times if at all, and when next season comes it all goes to the trash. Because next season is warmer/colder/wetter/drier, and next year same season the stuff is all out of fashion and they need to buy new models. It' sickening.
somenameforme 1y ago
You can buy garbage for high prices. You can buy great stuff for low prices. And you can buy great stuff for high prices. For a market to function properly people need to hone in on the great stuff for low prices quadrant, but that is, increasingly frequently, not what's happening. And it's not like some esoteric art - just check reviews. It's not too hard to ignore fake reviews.

robinsonb5 1y ago

The problem is there's plenty of crap masquerading as the good stuff, at the higher price point, and telling the difference is not easy. (At least pre-purchase!)

Der_Einzige 1y ago
When you learn about clothes and fashion, it’s quite easy to tell the difference. HN is full of computer nerds who can’t fanthom that computers are as mysterious to normies as sneakers are to the nerds of HN. A lot of people know how to tell apart good and bad footwear - it just isn’t you or your crowd!
- ungreased0675 1y ago
  Shoe culture places very little emphasis on the actual quality of the product. Brand and exclusivity is far more important.
  - everdrive 1y ago
    "Shoe culture" might be one the dumbest trends in the market today.
  - Der_Einzige 1y ago
    There's sneaker head culture and than there's the high end foot wear crowd. Sneaker heads are all about the new nike x yeezy "mchitler edition" collab air joran X's high end foot wear crowd will drop 700$ on aldens and almost 1000$ on a pair of boots from whites or nicks which will outlive you and your parents. It's not the same crowd.
    - teiferer 1y ago
      Few people I know have a turnaround on gear as the footwear nerds. The year is split into multiple seasons, they buy a bunch of shoes for that season, wear them only a few times if at all, and when next season comes it all goes to the trash. Because next season is warmer/colder/wetter/drier, and next year same season the stuff is all out of fashion and they need to buy new models. It' sickening.

somenameforme 1y ago

You can buy garbage for high prices. You can buy great stuff for low prices. And you can buy great stuff for high prices. For a market to function properly people need to hone in on the great stuff for low prices quadrant, but that is, increasingly frequently, not what's happening. And it's not like some esoteric art - just check reviews. It's not too hard to ignore fake reviews.