Meet the sneakerheads driving the massive $1 billion resale market

Sneakers are a $55 billion global industry. According to sneakerhead data website StockX, the secondary market for rare and limited-release sneakers is estimated to be worth over $1 billion. This is fueled by Nike and its long standing Jordan brand. People wait in lines for hours and spend tens of thousands of dollars just to get their hands on the latest pair of sneakers.

To understand the world of sneaker collectors — better known as “sneakerheads” — we spoke with those who know it best, including collector Lex Sadler and dealer Jae Tips, top New York City resellers Flight Club and Stadium Goods, as well as SOLEcial Studies teacher Fresco Wilson.

Produced by Josh Wolff and Sam Rega. Hosted and edited by Josh Wolff. Executive produced by Diane Galligan.

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50 Comments

  1. Bobon Meiknob on August 27, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Meanwhile in other countries they quietly go to work every day, make the shoes, sell the shoes by the millions, put their kids through college, buy $10 million houses in the USA, while these spoiled American kids dream of living in shipping containers and garden sheds on wheels. Easy come easy go chumps. :-/

  2. Ottavio Colantoni on August 27, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    noice

  3. Tha God on August 27, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Flight club! my favorite store in the city!!!

  4. Sm00th Pursuit on August 27, 2019 at 12:59 pm

    Please someone tell me where I can buy some Blacksburg Michel Vick’s?

  5. Jérôme D. on August 27, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    Yeezy’s ugliest shoes in the world! I wouldnt buy em for 10 bucks!

  6. uh-bell on August 27, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Is it just me or those yeezy look fake

  7. Sandy Ly on August 27, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    wholesale sneakers zxrtrade.x.yupoo.com ,whatsapp:+1-5677037108 ,skype:tina.pan59 ,gobuystyle@gmail.com

  8. mac downey on August 27, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    bet

  9. FitWitz Gaming on August 27, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    Did anyone see enimens sneakers?

  10. Juan Mercado on August 27, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    This is dumb. Those are just shoes

  11. G Clarion on August 27, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    We’re doomed as a nation when morons like this are the go to people.

  12. quangtran527 on August 27, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    that mf makes it looks like he’s selling drugs out of his backpack

  13. Clipzz on August 27, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    turn this dumbass background sound off

  14. omarseedless on August 27, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    i’ve never seen so many broke people look so rich!!! All that matters is looking fly for the present moment, but the future looks grim.

  15. thnktank1 on August 27, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    I buy shoes, you buy $5 cup of coffee everyday. Dont hate.

  16. LA Tone on August 27, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Why it sound like grandma getting her shyt clapped at the beginning

  17. Beatriz Correa on August 27, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Im mad dude said back then Jordan’s weren’t popular🤔!?!?! Yea I ain’t taking info on a guy that don’t know his info, especially not a class! 3 years later and UA is still not popular

  18. Joey & Erika on August 27, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    I been collecting shoes for bout 20 years, from New York. And my problem is this has become a thing that people who truly didn’t grow up in the culture have come in and made money off it. They already had money and basically colonized the sneaker culture. What this video won’t tell is how bots are another who driving force of the sneaker culture. Since everything has gone online bots were created to increase chances of buying bulk of online product. So now only certain people have all the stock of the high energy release shoes. The video also says the shoe companies don’t reap benefits of the resell which is also not true. They have figured out through marketing how to create a certain exclusivity buzz for particular shoes also releasing more shoes than ever so when they release shoes are being sold out immediately never sitting on shelves and here’s the kicker they are then investing into the consignment shops for example Footlocker investment into goat. Eventually like most everything that gets hopped on and sucked dry because it’s become saturation, the shoe culture will eventually die.

  19. Brandon Clemmer on August 27, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    Please check out my shoes! 😀
    https://www.aliveshoes.com/clem-wear

  20. Uber Glamazon on August 27, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    Now don’t the soles on these things usually just self destruct and disintegrate in like 10 years?

  21. swell elle on August 27, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    god please never use that clapping track again

  22. Your Name Here on August 27, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    Do whatever u want with ur money sneakerheads. But dont be complaining bout bills, rent and wanting higher wages.

    I got sneakerhead friends who always got the latest kicks. Dude owes $15,000 on his credit cards but he got yeezys lmao.

  23. Robloxastret1 on August 27, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    Had to mute my phone so fast

  24. michael matthews on August 27, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    Real men don’t do shoes

  25. Kris Williams on August 27, 2019 at 1:25 pm

    kroasis.com has dope cloths

  26. Michael Alvero on August 27, 2019 at 1:26 pm

    A sneaker class?!?! LMAO

  27. donald new jr. on August 27, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    Here I am at Ross getting Nikes under 60 bucks. The only catch is I wear 13 size shoe, but for the deal I have buy a 16 shoe. Don’t judge my hustle 😜😄😀

  28. David Werts on August 27, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    The title should read " Meet the Parents that are driving the massive $1 billion resale market" cause noe of these mufuckas look like they got jobs

  29. Jean Valdes on August 27, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    Why isn’t the curry’s going to be popular in the future? For the same reason no one gives a shit about the Iversons or the melos or the Patrick Ewings. Yeah sure, The Curry’s might be around like the Kobe’s and rven KDs but never like Jordan if anything LeBron might come close if anything.

  30. alex sanchez on August 27, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    Hate resellers hope they all die

  31. PARADOX ! on August 27, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    I bet they dont have the Nike Air Force SF1 high laser yellow or White&black color

  32. Ill will Ill will on August 27, 2019 at 1:34 pm

    Eminem 4= 30k $ ! Uhhm nah hell nah

  33. FuBaGaming on August 27, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    Wait till they find out that it only cost around $30 to make the shoe lol.

  34. leesuper73 on August 27, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    The end customer are kids with no money….

  35. Brian Smith on August 27, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Half those sneakers are ugly af

  36. NEARMUSICBEATS on August 27, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    2:20 "that’s the most coveted sneakers you could ever want…" Them exact shoes are £95 at jd sports.

  37. Dave McGann on August 27, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    07:18

    Is that the best example y’all can come up with? I have nothing but love for curry but I saw his shoes @ Marshall’s for $39.99.

    You prolly won’t find Yeezy or nice Jordan’s there..

  38. Eric Bravo on August 27, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    Resellers are the reason the real consumer can’t get the goods. 80% initial purchasers are resellers..bragging about how much they going to sell for amongst themselves on their way to getting the product. 😠😠

  39. Gomboo Domboo on August 27, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    This is shit man i was always in first person about 8 years ago there was no fkn resellers at that time. Now it’s fked up i dont even want to wear j’s anymore

  40. MARVELITO!!!!!! on August 27, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    4:30 I swear he was fina fall 😅

  41. Pavel Yevseyev on August 27, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Thanks to these resellers reps came in and man am I happy they did

  42. Keezy TV on August 27, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Who pays Flight Club prices? 🤷🏻‍♂️

  43. Emanuel Brown on August 27, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    Stupid

  44. Chalo Charity kare on August 27, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    Anyone wanna give my sneakers a try
    Remember only one pair.others will buy after review of that guy/girl😊😊

  45. lucas .servera on August 27, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Fck You Resellers…greedy fcks

  46. Jboi Eri on August 27, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    The copy in the beginning got lowkey annoying asf

  47. R-Wun718 on August 27, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    Sneakerheads? you mean resellers I don’t have anything against resellers but these dudes are resellers bruh. I feel like whenever any mainstream news outlet does these kinda stories they always misconstrue a whole lot of shit.

  48. Huncho Rolls on August 27, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    Payless > fightclub

  49. The Jimmy Swaggart Show on August 27, 2019 at 1:54 pm

    Classic tulip mania

  50. Chainte Forlorn-Shruggs on August 27, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    Flight club be raping people wit they bullshit ass prices

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