By Jon R. (IG: headzaintredee)
One day the sneaker world is erupting in joy because another Jordan 1 ‘Bred’ OG High is coming out this coming Black Friday (Nov. 29), and the next day the same “sneaker leakers” who shared that info are saying it might be next year.
No longer are we to expect a true one-to-one recreation for the upcoming Black and Res 1s like they said, but in fact, it will be fitted with Nike’s React technology.
Any or all of this would be welcomed by the growing number of Jordan 1 fans, many of which are desperate for genuine leather, a 1985-like shape, original details, full family sizing, massive production numbers, and all for the same cost of US$160.
Aside from the fact that little of this very early news is based on what’s been decided and set in motion, it’s also entirely inconsistent with what Jordan Brand has been putting out, despite the promise of remastered products. Of course that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
Yes, some leakers have sources at Nike, Jordan Brand or other footwear companies. But relying on information from someone looking at an old or draft product list, or operating with a hidden agenda, isn’t exactly the same as getting the 411 from Nike CEO Mark Parker.
As with all news, particularly in the age of the internet where stories are broken on Twitter and other social media platforms, there is a race to be first to share it with the public. At a traditional news organization, reporting news from a bad source, inferring something from limited information, or simply making something up, will get you fired or at least ruin your reputation. Even CNBC and The New York Times gets it wrong sometimes, and they issue corrections. But the reason you don’t see respected sneaker writers like Russ Bengtson reporting such things, is because they understand journalistic principles.
“The content machine runs day and night, and anything that gets clicks gets written. In the print-only days, you could afford to wait,” the longtime sneaker writer and content producer said.
“I think it would be a different story if people stopped using your site or unfollowed when you wrote one too many unverified stories that never panned out, but that never seems to happen,” Bengtson said.
Mike Destefano at Sole Collector was quick to attribute the news to DJ Folk, and made no further assumptions about what might be coming. The website’s Instagram was equally carefully about its choice of words.
Sneakerfiles took an entirely other route on its IG, stating as fact, that the Air Jordan 1 ‘Bred’ is returning with OG High Cut on Black Friday.
Two days later, their “follow up” claimed that there is a Jordan 1 Bred releasing, but it will be fitted with React, and it won’t be on Black Friday. Again, they stated this as a fact, despite getting it wrong less than 48 hours earlier.
To be fair, sneaker sites and blogs don’t pay well, and some of the people running their social media accounts probably don’t know or care about the standards of reporting.
Meanwhile, leakers on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram can simply delete an incorrect post. But the truth is, they don’t have to because most of their audience has a very short memory, and doesn’t really care if some of the info they read or see is wrong. They’re thirsty for any and all of it, regardless of the quality (kind of like Jordan 1s).
DJ Folk, who is behind much of this Bred 1 rumour, quickly admitted on Twitter that “things could change at any time… If something changes after verifying cool. It is what it is.” He also reminded his followers that he provides info as a hobby and gets nothing out of it.
Unfortunately, anyone who’s been paying attention to the sneaker game for a minute, knows how much clout-seeking goes on.
The bigger problem is how quickly these rumours spread, and how major sneaker websites rely on them for info.
There is no accountability, and as the editor of one popular site put it about a rumour like this: “We just like to throw it out there.” Follow the leak and hope you’re right.
I worked at a major newspaper for 15 years, and while following a lead or news tip is a must for any reporter, you don’t tweet, write or speak about it until you can verify that it is correct.
It’s a click(bait) game, and as long as consumers (collectors and resellers) know that, they won’t be disappointed or make uninformed decisions.
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