Evaluating the Reality of Restocks

Restock. The emotions this word evokes range from utter excitement to unreserved bitterness. By definition, to “restock” is to replenish supply after depletion. In layman’s terms, provide additional supply. Shoes such as the Nike LeBron X “Cork,”  Air Jordan 9 “Doernbecher” and Air Jordan 3 Retro ’88 have all been restocked at various outlets in the past few months, either randomly or scheduled. If a sought after shoe becomes available again after initially selling out, why would anyone possibly be upset about that? More importantly, what, if any, effect does the recent restocking trend mean for the future of the sneaker community? Many theories have been conspired, but today we take an objective look at the Reality of the Restock.

Nike announces a huge restock in April 2013

Remember when there were constant complaints about lack of supply? Most in business understand the basic rules of supply and demand, and that limitless supply of any product devalues it immeasurably. After serious evalution, one would quickly realize that there is no possible way for manufacturers to meet the demand for a popular shoe. The only viable option is to restock them in limited quantities. This may not satisfy every person wanting a specific pair of shoes, but it does offer a second opportunity to purchase. Prior to recent restock methods, customers would have to tread the uncertain (and sometimes treacherous) waters of the resale market, where shoes can be sold for unsightly prices, and “shipping mishaps” are also a possibility. Is that route better than a chance at retail price and safe shipping that you are able to track?

Speaking of resellers, they may actually have the largest gripe against restocking. It has become a common practice for people to purchase sought after sneakers with the sole purpose of making a quick buck off of them. In the case of Twitter RSVP, TweetBots have reserved numerous pairs of these shoes, which prevent actual customers from getting their hands on them. Sneaker purists consider this trend extremely disturbing. Restocking these kicks can hinder the profits of those copping in hopes to flip a shoe for inflated prices within a week. Customers are more likely to wait it out in hopes of a restock. Since the true “release date” product has become something of an anomaly, waiting out a product does not seem as bad as previous years, when the only hope was for a retro down the road.

Comic from SN’eads by Ree