Jon Wexler Explains Why adidas Has Been Restocking Its BOOST and YEEZY Sneakers

StockX TV presents its fourth episode, this time focusing on all aspects of hype behind sneaker releases. Josh Luber hosts a fairly epic roundtable of sneakerheads and industry leaders: Jon Wexler, VP of global entertainment and influencer marketing for adidas; Kevin Neghandi, sports anchor for ESPN SportsCenter; Foamer Simpson, YouTube OG sneakerhead; Matthew Panzarino, editor-in-chief of TechCrunch; and Andre Ljustina aka Croatianstyle, owner of Project Blitz. The six speak about their history with sneakers, the path the kicks industry is heading down, the aspects that drive hype, and more.

The round table talk presents interesting insight into how sneakerheads from all aspects approach and analyze sneaker releases, the hype around them, retros, and more. Interesting takeaways from the discussion shed light on the nature of sneaker restocks — Jon Wexler explains that adidas accomplishes restocks because it didn’t maximize the quantity available to the masses the first time around and this provides an outlet for eager fans, all while admitting restocks can hold “a negative connotation.” Foamer Simpson adds that he likes the easy availability of sneakers, and says the small percentage of “the kid walking into a sneaker shop” is gone, and is now taken over by “the hype machine.” Lastly, the legacy of Kanye‘s endorsement for adidas is gone over, stemming from his initial sightings in NYC wearing the OG adidas Ultra BOOST with the purple heel and later at a May 2015 Chicago Bulls game rocking the adidas Energy BOOST ESM in all-white.

Watch the latest episode above and as a counterpoint, read what NPD Group Sports Industry Analyst Matt Powell has to say about YEEZYs.