It is never easy to enter a new world, especially one that is filled with its own slang, acronyms and language. The sneaker world is just like that. The moment you enter a sneaker reselling site, you're bombarded with all these words and abbreviated language you've never heard before. So here's a starter kit of ten simple terms that we use at Thrifter, to get you started.
The phrase "colorway" is certainly familiar to anyone who is interested in fashion, design, or anything else visual. It's simply the colour scheme for the product in question. What makes shoes unique is that the colorway is often just as significant as the sneaker's actual model. Is the material used in this year's "Chicago" Air Jordan 1s superior to that used in the previous year's "Black/Gum" colorway of the same model? On the open market, the Chicagos are valued at around three pairs of Black/Gum sneakers due to their colorway and slight scarcity.
A "beater" in the sneaker world is a used, usually older type of shoe that has significant wear and tear on it, similar to a car. Unless it's a particularly legendary model, beaters don't sell for much, and they're usually sold without the original box or extra laces. Unlike most "used" sneakers that have been meticulously maintained, beaters are the shoes of choice for rainy days and the gym. A "beater box" is exactly what it sounds like: a box full of beaters. They can be a fantastic affordable starting point if you're seeking some decent old kicks on the cheap.
A "Retro" release, especially in the Jordan Brand world, is a release (or re-release) of a colorway that occurred after the shoe model's first release. The original Air Jordan 7 was released in 1992, but, the Bordeaux colorway (among many others) was re-issued as a Retro (among many others) in 2011 and just recently (2015). Every year, a new Air Jordan model is released, and while around half of them are unpopular with the general public and hence unlikely to be re-released anytime soon, any of them might be re-released whenever Nike and Jordan felt like it.
Many sneaker purchasers and resellers, much to eBay's chagrin, prefer to do business directly through PayPal because eBay takes around 10% of the final price. You'll see vendors publicly declare "$100 PP Inv" (meaning the sneakers cost $100 via PayPal invoice) or "$100 given" (meaning the sneakers cost $100 via PayPal friends/family) on social media. Because no one wants their eBay account terminated for using it to advertise PayPal discounts, many eBay sellers will just write "Message me for a better price" or something similar instead.
Kanye West's moniker for himself and any Adidas Yeezy Sneakers he's designed or assisted in the design of. Before recently switching to Adidas, the rapper's first two Yeezy versions were created by Nike. It's safe to assume that anything with a Yeezy connection will be much more pricey (and therefore have significantly more fakes made). The Nike Air Yeezy 2 "Red October" is still one of the most sought-after sneakers, but Yeezy's impact can be found all over the shoe world.
People will still want footwear that is visually unpleasant, uncomfortable, and/or impractical if it is rare enough. "GR" refers to "General Release," and these are normally kicks that are rather easy to come by near retail. The more "Limited" a product is, the more it will cost to resell. It's just supply and demand, only in this situation, the limited supply also pushes up demand.
7. Grails
A "grail," in the context of rare kicks (particularly Yeezys), is a pair of sneakers that someone desires more than any other pair. For their personal grails, people are often willing to pay significantly more than the retail price, and in some cases even more than the market worth.
Anything launched in "Bred" (black and red), the original colorway of the OG Air Jordan, will sell out rapidly. Most Air Jordans that are even a little worth reselling are launched in a Bred colorway, thanks to the fact that it's a well-known fan favourite. Bred is a safe pick if you want to start with a single colorway of kicks, especially on an already good sneaker style.
DS stands for "Deadstock" and "New" respectively. That's all there is to it. If something has been tried on or worn in any way, it is no longer considered DS. The abbreviation "VNDS" stands for "Very Near Deadstock." The acronym "PADS" stands for Pass As Deadstock. "VVVVVNDS" is a nice way of stating that your Sneakers Shoes have been worn but are still in good condition. In the shoe world, "worn" usually implies they don't look brand new anymore, but they aren't too old or battered up.
The shoes are false if they have the terms "Unauthorized," "Replica," "B-grades," or "Super Perfect." It indicates they're not created by the real corporation, and they're still fake no matter how close they are or how wonderful the quality is. Go ahead and grab them if that's what you're looking for. Avoid these at all costs if you don't want the rest of the sneaker world to laugh at your kicks.
