Are Random Restocks Good for the Sneaker Community?

Nike continually keeps sneakerheads on edge. From their implementation of Nike Twitter RSVP to their banishment of campers in front of their brick and mortars, the hunt for highly sought-after sneakers gets more intricate daily. Nike throws us another curveball and lets loose on a trend of spontaneous restocks of an array of rare sneakers from past releases. Has this recent trend of restocks hurt the sneaker game or has it brought the drive and passion for spontaneity back into the sneaker community? On one hand, the avid collector can now bypass the need to line up and/or stay in front of the computer for hours awaiting a product-specific tweet. On the other hand, the resellers are basking at the additional opportunity to increase their profit margin by snagging additional pairs. This has been a phenomenon that has definitely sparked mixed reactions in the sneaker community. Ultimately, regardless of one’s personal agenda, the random restocks have benefited all parties that capitalize on the spontaneity.

The Air Yeezy 2 release will go down in history has the most hyped release possibly ever. People were camping for weeks in front stores that were charging more than double over retail for the sneaker. The game changed completely when Nike announced the random release time online. There many sat, coffee in hand and sleep-deprived constantly refreshing their Twitter feed every two seconds in a span of 24 hours awaiting the tweet. Finally, the tweet dropped and the website crashed. Many lost all opportunity to get the sneaker and have their efforts go to waste. Fast forward to April 10th, 2013. Nike tweets that they have randomly restocked “a handful of this season’s hottest footwear” — minds are blown. People smash on their keyboards immediately and try to capitalize on the opportunity of finally getting a pair of Air Yeezy 2’s at retail. Again, failure for many. However, in some eyes and mini heart attack aside from the sudden restock, some realize that this change of pace is good for the sneaker community.

For a while now, collectors everywhere have been angered at the newest trend of paying programmers to create Nike Twitter RSVP bots to secure multiple pairs automatically. The random restocks trump the bots and stays true to the business model “first come, first serve.” For the reseller, these restocks are bittersweet. Granted, they have an opportunity to maximize their profits through the acquisition of additional stock. However, there is no set release date or automated bot they can pay off to get the upper hand. When a marketplace becomes saturated with the same product, the value of the product drops.

Personally, the restocks bring the drive and ultimately the fun back in the quest to acquire sneakers. The spontaneity and hunt is alive again. With the anticipation building toward the mass restock of sought-after Air Jordans on May 25th, collectors and resellers are planning their next move on how to capitalize on another chance to score. What do you guys think of this recent trend of spontaneous restocks? Is it something that is embraced or it is frowned upon because it takes away from the exclusivity of having a sought-after sneaker?