First Wear Podcast

Are You Collecting Kicks or Collecting Likes?

• EdotREEP • Season 1 • Episode 8

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📬 Got a story or a hot take about sneakers? We want to hear from you!

"If no one could see your kicks, would you still buy them?" This provocative question opens a window into the psychology behind our sneaker purchases and forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth about modern sneaker culture.

The First Wear Podcast dives deep into the dual motivations that drive our buying decisions. On one hand, we have authentic purchases—sneakers we genuinely connect with, whether through nostalgia, design appreciation, or meaningful associations with athletes or designers who created them. These are the shoes we'd buy regardless of who's watching.

Then there's the shadow side of sneaker collecting—buying "for them." These purchases stem from FOMO, social pressure, and the desire for validation through likes and comments. The Black Cat 4s serve as a perfect case study: a relatively simple all-black sneaker that became wildly hyped primarily through TikTok and influencer attention. As the podcast host observes, "There's no way this many people genuinely like the Black Cat 4s. Most people don't even like all-black shoes."

The episode explores how social media has revolutionized sneaker marketing, with brands leveraging influencers to create artificial demand. This "flex culture" has trapped many enthusiasts in a cycle of unsustainable consumption, going broke trying to keep up with a curated reality that exists primarily online. Even dedicated collectors found themselves buying compulsively during 2020, accumulating dozens of unworn pairs simply because they were available.

Whether you're a seasoned collector or casual sneakerhead, this episode offers valuable perspective on breaking free from the validation trap. The next time you're eyeing a purchase, ask yourself: are you buying what genuinely speaks to you, or what you think will impress others? As the host wisely concludes, "Buy what you like, wear what you love. The time is now."

🎧 First Wear Podcast: where sneaker culture comes first and hype takes a back seat. New episodes every Tuesday — audio drops at 6 AM EST, video at 6 PM EST. Follow @firstwearpod to join the conversation and share your sneaker stories with the community.



https://linktr.ee/Firstwearpod

Speaker 1

If no one could see your kicks , would you still buy them ? Like , are you buying them for yourself or are you buying them for the approval of others ? I feel like for me personally , you know it's a

Would You Buy If No One Saw?

Speaker 1

good mix of both , but you know I'll get into that as the episode goes on . Hey , this is the First Wear Podcast . I am your host , edot Reap . Hey , this is the First Wear Podcast . I am your host , edotreap .

Speaker 1

So last week , episode seven , we touched on height fatigue , so now we're going to switch it up to you know , the core reason of why we really buy shoes . So , episode eight buying shoes for you or for them . But make sure you tapped in with the first word podcast . On all socials ig , twitter , tiktok , youtube first word pod you can type in first word podcast and we should pop up all right , so let's go ahead and get into it .

Speaker 1

So buying for you , so that's . You know , something that has a personal connection to your , to yourself , like a grill , maybe a family member , you know , maybe it was . You saw your uncle or your older cousin , your big brother . You saw them like wear the shoe a lot and you really wanted it , or it could be something that you just genuinely like , regardless of if they're gonna sell out or sit or you catch them on the clearance rack , just like a personal joint . Like you , you're buying a shoe because that's what you want and I feel like 90 percent , if not like higher than 90 percent , of my collection definitely cops . That you know . For me personally , like I'm buying it because I want to buy it . Like there's no other reason aside from I like the shoe , whether it's I like the design , I might like the colorway , I have like a personal connection with the designer , whether it's like a player , artist , musician , you know , influencer , whatever the case may be . So like buying for you is something that you know it's personal At the end of the day I can't really break it down any more clear than that . Buying for you is just like it's something personal Buying for them .

Speaker 1

So that's definitely something to you know , please the crowd , please the masses . Like you're buying a shoe just because everybody's talking about it , like that's the , the , it shoe , I guess , quote unquote . Like people hyping it up , so you got fomo

Buying For You: Personal Connection

Speaker 1

. Like you want to , you want to fit in with the crowd . Like you want to see what the hype is all about . So basically you're just buying it because everybody else is buying it , or you're buying it because you know one it's controversial . Or you know you get a lot of attention and get a lot of traction on your social media pages . You know you're doing it for the clicks , basically . Or clout . You know At the end of the day it's a clout cop and to a certain extent I will say you know the other what 5% to 10% , and that's being generous , like 5% to 10% of my collection is made up . I was like I guess you're buying it for them .

Speaker 1

I like put a little twist on it . It's not really for validation , for me it's more something like you know this shoe is like very limited , hard to get , and you know , if I happen to get it , then you know it's nice to have something that everybody doesn't have . But I'm not buying it for that sole purpose . That's just like one component , if that makes sense . I won't buy a shoe just because a lot of people won't have it . I have to like the shoe first and foremost For me to spend my money . I have to like the shoes because at the end of the day I got to wear them . I have to look at them every day in this sneaker room . I have to like the shoes because at the end of the day , I got to wear them . I have to look at them every day in this sneaker room . I have to put them on my feet , I have to get dressed , knowing that I'm stepping out into the world with these on . So , like I have to have some sort of affinity for the shoe . And then you know the limited aspect or you know something that everybody doesn't have . That's just an added bonus . So that does tie into buying for them Just slightly . Like I said , it's a mixture of both . Both components go into certain decisions , but that's not the main thing . I have to like it at the end of the day . Without sounding repetitive , let me see , without sounding repetitive , you know , let me see when Clout drew . Let me see where Clout drew purchases .

Speaker 1

I'm trying to think of something that you know was hyped up and everybody just wanted . Well , most recently , like I talked about a few episodes back , the Black Cat 4s . I feel like that is the definition of a hype shoe that people just bought into . Off the strength that people are talking about . There's no way this many people like the Black Cat 4s . Most people don't even like all black shoes .

Speaker 1

And then the black cat four is like it's really nothing to it as far as designs or anything crazy that stands out . I think the I want to say olivia kim fours you know I got a fact check that but I want to say , on the olivia kim fours , it was like the only the pony hair or panda , whatever they called it , but they were all black but they had that design element . So I could , I get that it was like the pony hair or panda , whatever they called it , but they were all black but they had that design element . So I get that it was something unique . Even the upcoming retro or I guess it can't be a retro it was like a new take on the black cat forward , maybe like a remastered or reimagined type joint . I think that particular shoe has like a few different elements from you know what dropped 2020 or 2019 , whenever it was . So that's . You know , I can understand that slightly , but still , this is all black .

Speaker 1

For , you know , nothing really stands out on that shoe and I feel like the influencers , the hype train , really got the ball rolling on that for that to be such a sought after shoe these days . Okay , any other one Off the top of my head recently . I can't think of like another shoe that really that didn't deserve the hype that it got . Yeah , I think that's it . That's all I can think of off the top of my head . But yeah , let me know down in the comments if you can think of anything outside of the Black Cat Force in like the past five years that like hype really drove up the shoe , like people were really anticipating this release because everybody was talking it up . So I can't think of nothing else . What else ? What else ? Yeah , the social media influence that just ties into the black cat force .

Speaker 1

Man , social media is a huge driving force now in the internet age . Companies and brands , they really tap into it . There's like a whole , a whole separate side of companies . Now , with the media and the marketing team , you got a whole social media team . So you tap in with these influencers and they know that even if everyone doesn't purchase your product or your service or whatever it is that you're promoting , there are going to be millions of eyes on that video . So I mean , if you get my product or service or whatever I'm trying to sell in front of million people , the odds that

Buying For Them: The Clout Factor

Speaker 1

you know something is going to gain .

Speaker 1

Traction is very high and a lot of people on social media are very easily influenced . So that's why a lot of people like random every you know the average people . They just pick up their phone , got a little ring light and posting content . They're blowing up and you know the people that are watching them . They're influenced by them . They're selling a lot of products . So with the sneaker game is case in point , I was just bringing it back up . Tiktok blew the fours up , so now it's like certain shoot , even on a small scale .

Speaker 1

For me personally like I'm speaking from experience the valentine's threes that is by far my highest performing or best performing TikTok video since I've been on the app . I want to say it hit like two million for the threes and I'm not even like an influencer for real . I post shoes or whatever , whatever . If I , with the small following that I have , can get two million on a random shoe , I can only imagine actually promoting with higher numbers the hundred thousand , the million followers that a lot of them have and they're promoting . So , yeah , rock with this . Yeah , it's going to definitely turn the tide on a lot of products , man . So that's why companies really tapped in with social media and so a lot of stuff that really shouldn't sell out or you don't think would sell out .

Speaker 1

You hop on TikTok , the right person posted , start gaining traction and then it's a whole different ballgame . Oh yeah , the posted or didn't happen mentality . It's like you know off topic , just slightly , just an example like with the gym People on that workout journey or weight loss journey , they need to feel the need , like if you don't post that you know you're at the gym you didn't really go . Like you can say anything , but people need proof and I would . You know social media age . You got to show that proof . You got to bring them receipts up . So let me see .

Speaker 1

But the good thing about TikTok and you know TikTok and IG , you can really build a community . That's what I've been doing my podcast on page I'm getting I've been doing with my podcast page . I'm getting different eyes on it , which is dope . I want it to keep it separate from my sneaker page . Like my personal pages . I want the audience to really like I want to be discovered by the right people , like yeah , it's cool , like you already have like a following and that can help you build . But I want people that really listen to podcasts or really care about Sneaker Podcast to find my page and tap in like that because it's more consistency .

Speaker 1

You know , when you get your family and close friends they don't always , you know , tap in the way you want them to or like what you expect the way you want them to or like what you expect . So if somebody like strangers definitely show a lot more support than the people closest to you from my experience not saying that it's the case in like every aspect , but for the most part you know I'm saying you see more growth with strangers , like random people that just stumble upon your content because they don't know you . So if they're tapped in , they support you . That's because they genuinely like rock what you got going on . They really connect with the content or the message or the vision . So I think that that's really the best thing about the TikTok age and , you know , just point and click with your point and shoot . That's why , with your phone , you don't have to have an intricate setup . If you don't want to , you can be in the car .

Speaker 1

A lot of people you know blew up and just posted in the bathroom real quick , like saying anything . You know it's like quick snippets , but it's like people really relate to the authenticity , so that really helps . It helps with trust . So that also like ties into the influence on certain products . And you know , even going back to the fakes , you know what I'm saying People really buying fakes for the clout .

Speaker 1

At the end of the day , from what I've gathered from the comments , the slight interactions that I got . So they talking about I'm pocket watching and all that . But it's like every shoe that I've seen so far they like . Because one comment was like , yeah , why would I spend $1,000 when I can get whatever for half the price or whatever they were saying . So it was like you proved my point . Y'all are only getting the fake shoes to fit in . Like nobody showed me a fake clearance shoe , a fake shoe that's on sale . They were talking about Travis Scott , that was the main one . And then somebody copped the Tiffany Forces and they were like they're more comfortable and more affordable , which is , you know , I'm saying cool , cool , whatever , but y'all really doing it for the clout . Like I said , y'all doing it , y'all buying for them , you're not buying for yourself . So , yeah , I feel validated in my , even though I got attacked . I feel validated on what I said because nobody proved me wrong . Nobody said anything Otherwise .

Speaker 1

Everything that they bought were the high ticket items you know , and that ties into . You know the pressure to keep up with society , with social media , because you know certain people are showing what they . I mean social media . You see what people want you to see . Not too many people show you . You know the everyday average life that people live . You know they show you all this traveling and going on these trips and buying this and buying that . So you see certain people all they post are designer shoes or the high end . I got the Travis Scott's . I got the unions . I got the whole Grateful Dead pack . I got the Paris SB dunks . I got the what the's . I got the Union's . I got the whole Grateful Dead pack . I got the Paris SB dunks . I got the what the Dunks you know . So he kind of .

Speaker 1

I had that sense that I have to , you know , compete , which is crazy to me . Like don't live above . My mom always said don't live above your means . If you like shoes , there are a million different options for you . If you genuinely like shoes , you can put , you can piece together some joints . It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest , but the more you see it , the more you know you want and then like the younger generation or whatever , they see what they see online celebrities , and they want to be like their favorite influencer , their favorite artist , their favorite athlete , whatever the case may be . So now you got a million drops every day , or weekly for sure .

Speaker 1

Then it's like financially you're trying to keep up . You know you're going broke , trying trying to cop shoes just to post to say I got them or so you can , you know , get your fits off whatever . So it's just like a lot really goes into it , so that really like circles back to are you buying it for them or are you buying it for you ? Because if you like the shoe , you can wait , they're gonna , they're gonna restock . You don't have to buy the shoe as soon as it comes out , unless you are a content creator which you get paid for it . So the shoe should be free . You know what I'm saying Really , if you're making money off the videos , but for the average everyday person it's hard really to .

Speaker 1

You have to pick and choose these days , especially the way these tariffs and everything is going . It's like stuff is getting high . The cost of living is going up . A lot of salaries are staying at the same . They're not , you know , increasing . So

Social Media's Influence On Sneaker Culture

Speaker 1

social media man is like a different ball game now . Everything is instant gratification , everything is about the flex , everything is about the flex , everything is about the haves and the have-nots , basically . So it's like you know . It just ties into the , to the culture . Now that it's the flex culture . It's not like just being comfortable within yourself , like you should be able to get a fit off with anything . If that's really what you do .

Speaker 1

A lot of people got to go full name brand , full designer . You got to have designer shoes . That doesn't really . That's not getting a fit off to me . You're buying off the mannequin . You're just going with the name brands . You can go to Marshalls , tj , Matt Ross , even Fashion Nova . I can get a fit from Fashion Nova for $40 , and it'll still look decent . It's the person that's wearing the clothes , not necessarily the name on the clothes . You can have a whole designer fit and look crazy . I can have a $40 fit . Throw on a fresh pair of shoes and you know I'm getting my fit off more than you are and your price point is blowing mine out the water . So you got to do it for the right reasons , man . Let's see what else , man , just like .

Speaker 1

A lot of times I found myself in that trap , especially during 2020 . I was just buying just to buy , like , granted , I did for the most part , I did , like a good majority of what I you know what I was copping , but it was just . It was a point where I wasn't doing anything and the shoes are dropping left and right . I'm getting twitter links and it was like so easy to get certain stuff and then , like this , when the independent brands started , you know , gaining more traction , and then I wanted to get something different and then , you know , they were doing well on YouTube , like the videos were . So then I was like trying to cop everything . So I was copping . I was definitely copping every week something and a lot of times there were multiple pairs .

Speaker 1

And then , looking back on it , I got rid of a lot of stuff because , like I said , I was just buying just to buy and I wasn't going out like I , you know , was used to . Like I said in the past , you know , I wasn't Like three pair of dead stock shoes at one time was too much for me . But then you know , after the whole you know 2020 , everything stopped . So I'm getting up to 20 , 30 pairs that I didn't even touch and I'm still buying . So then I had to look back and like yo , what was I doing ? So I fell into the you know , just buying just to buy trap man , you get burnt out , man .

Speaker 1

I think this year really set in for me , like I slowed down a lot . It doesn't look like it , but compared to what I was really averaging a month as far as purchases , I was just like man , this is getting outrageous , especially the stuff I wasn't wearing at all . So I had to definitely look through and give away a lot of stuff because selling that I could , I could have sold them , but that's more time consuming . And then you get to the point where it's like you're not going to make what you should be , what you think you'll make , and instead of taking a loss , a financial loss like that , I'd rather just give them away Like that's . You know it sounds crazy , but giving away just gives me more satisfaction than if I sold them for way less than they're worth in my eyes . So that makes sense . I'd rather just give them to somebody less fortunate Somebody else can come up , I don't care , because then even with the shipping it's like you know , there's some time consuming .

Speaker 1

I got to pay for this , pay for that . Then you got to worry about if it gets lost and lost in transit . Or then they try to finesse and say they never got this . You know , it's just too much . So I just figured , get my way to the less forced and whoever need them . You know , back to school drive . You know the sneaky teacher . He does the kicks , kicks given .

Speaker 1

So I definitely , um , that's a good chance to offload some pairs . Or , you know , just just donate , just try to make a difference , man , you know , if I'm able to give back in any form of fashion , I'm going to try to , because I've been blessed throughout the years to be able to acquire the stuff that I have , you know the sneakers , clothes and everything . So whenever I can , you know , so I just give it back . So that kind of tied to like the to the burnout john , I was like man , it's just getting ridiculous . Which , crazily enough , after I gave away 40 to 50 pair , maybe somewhere in that range , I ended up buying probably the same amount , if not close to it , afterwards . So , I don't know , it's just like a never-ending cycle .

Speaker 1

But at the end of the day , whether you buy for yourself or you

The Pressure To Keep Up

Speaker 1

buy for others , man , just be , you know , be smart with it , be strategic , you know . Don't go broke trying to cop the latest and greatest or keep up with somebody that doesn't really owe you anything . You don't owe them anything . You know what I'm saying it's like . Don't fall into the social media trap , because that's what it is . Everything is specially curated to show you the best side or the best version of them , and people can portray any character they want on social media nine times out of ten . It's probably not the real dumb . You got a lot of people that are authentic and genuine . But you can like , feel like you can . You can pick up on that pretty , especially with tiktok , because with those videos you can pick up who's being real and who's not . But definitely be careful and don't fall into the trap , man . It's not worth it . Don't live above your means . But hopefully that's short and sweet .

Speaker 1

I'm switching up , you know , trying to switch out some things . What episode ? Episode ? To make it more , you know , enjoyable for the listener . I don't want to ramble too much , I don't want to repeat myself . So I'm trying something different with this episode eight . Hopefully . Hopefully it works out . We'll see once I drop it . But yeah , that was episode eight .

Speaker 1

Man social out question . The last sneaker you bought purely for you and the last one you bought for them . I think every , yeah , every shoe recently I purchased for me . What are my recent pickups ? The kobe

Breaking The Cycle Of Consumption

Speaker 1

sixes , of course kobe fan had to get those , I guess on reebok , reebok road , reebok road , ultra modern . I , I think that's the . I get those silhouettes confused . But yeah , nobody's really copping the $170 Reeboks . Nobody cares about Reebok for the most part . So , like , that's definitely a cop for me . The Kobe 2 for sure , definitely a grail cop . Like , yeah , I think the only one that could have been like for them , maybe the undefeated fours , like I . Like I tried , but I didn't like overexert myself . I tried on release day and that was it . I didn't put in any raffles , I just tried that one like get it cool . If not , you know , not the end of the world . So that would be like a cop for them potentially if I would have bought them .

Speaker 1

But let me know , um , y'all got any ? What's y'all latest cop that you caught for yourself and what's the cop that you cop to please well for them , like you can word it differently . You know you did it just to do it , did it for them , did it for the likes , did it for the clout , whatever , whatever . So , yeah , I appreciate y'all for rocking with me , as always . Eight episodes in steadily growing , definitely excited about what's to come . Still , you know trial and error . You know still early on in the game where I can switch up some steadily growing , definitely excited about what's to come . Still , you know trial and error . You know still early on in the game where I can switch up some things to see how it translates . But I mean , so far y'all been rocking with me .

Speaker 1

Definitely appreciate all the feedback , criticism , whatever , all the engagement , especially on the socials . Tiktok has been going crazy with the comments , so definitely tap in over there for sure , if you haven't already . But yeah , you can buy for both . Like I said , I have a little mixture of both . It just depends on you know the extreme to either side .

Speaker 1

You definitely got to know the difference between the two , like you're buying for yourself , you really like it , or you're just buying just to buy it . And if you're buying just to buy it . What are the benefits ? You gotta weigh the pros and cons . Like content creators , you wanna buy , like everything you can get your hands on for the content and especially when you're getting paid for it , I get it and it helps the consumer to make a decision , cause you know , I still go on youtube today to see what's what with a particular shoe . If I'm like on a fit so I'm 50 , 50 , uh , I'll go to youtube to see . You know the size and the fit , how they look , materials and everything that helps me make a decision one way or the other . So , pros and and cons to everything you know , you know how that goes . So , yeah , that's going to do it for this one . Buy what you like , wear what you love . This is the first wear podcast . I don't know who needs to hear this , but yesterday you said tomorrow . The time is now .

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EdotREEP

Host