I find that there is a big diversion in the meaning of Deadstock (DS) in today’s sneaker culture. It is important to distinguish because it could mean 10-20% in price difference. The term is simply defined by most as brand new and never tried on. However, in my opinion the latter is a bit misleading and misunderstood. A lot of people argue, if its tried on, its not brand new anymore. To a certain degree I understand this aspect, though we have to look at it from a greater horizon and history of the culture. Back in the day when Jordan’s and other hype releases were not instant sell outs at your local foot lockers, sneakerheads had the luxury to actually walk into a sneaker store and not only get to choose from a selection, but at the same time had the leisure of trying on sizes to ensure the best fit. Fast forward today…well maybe not today, but 1-2 years ago because a lot of Jordans are sitting on shelves nowadays…lets not talk about trying on a pair to see if it fits, you’ll be lucky to even walk out with a pair in any size hoping you can either size swap or re-sell.
What i’m trying to get at is…if shoes were tried on prior to purchase but was never worn after the purchase OR if they were tried on at home but never was worn simply because you didn’t want to wear them or they didn’t look good…are they considered DS? In my opinion, I still believe it is DS brand new. I’ve live through an era where trying on to see the best fit for shoes was the norm. In today’s culture, most people are there to flip shoes rather than for personal consumption, hence if its tried on its not brand new anymore. I don’t blame the new skew in definition because c’mon man…who the fuck gets to try on Jordan’s when the line of people is 200 deep? Though i’m sure there are people that don’t agree, but that’s just because we’ve lived in different eras in the culture. So what’s your definition of DS?
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