Another thing I found interesting was your comment about "battling it out with the big boys." Something that, you rightly suggest, "streetwear" often simply avoids. I imagine this is actually quite a nerve racking reality?
Gareth: What I find more nerve racking and hard to relate to is the constant "Dude, that brand is selling out!" When people refer to certain clothing brands and have this insane passion about not ruining the so-called Streetwaer scene. What scene are we really talking about here, a group of men dressing to impress other men? Okay that really is what men have always done and will always most likely do. As I don't think any man can stand up and say they are really dressing up for women. Women are way smarter then to judge you on what shoe brand they are buying into, as long as the whole aesthetic works, you don't smell like a trap and are not a deranged rapist they will humor you. I know I have bought into brands and pieces of clothing because I know they are some how perceived as cool or different and will evoke a reaction/conversation and even respect sometimes. Like being in a some sort of secret man club with people who are into the same brands as you. I guess it is a way of me and loads other 20 something/ early 30’s men still seeking some odd type of recognition and respect. Sad but true I know.
Anyway back to the point at hand. So you are having a chat with someone and they are giving you the "punk rock/hip-hop/ underground roots or streetwear, not selling out" team talk. Then in the next breath tell you how amazing this new hype lead, LTD Edition Sportswear Brand model they have just bought on eBay is and that so and so Super Pop Star has been seen wearing it. Now I might be really thick but how do the two relate, not selling out and mainstream pop stars in gossip magazines? Lets not also raise the blindingly obvious point that EBay is the most open distribution outlet on the planet, right? Yeah it has the great feel of any man any time can sell what ever they want to it. But if we are talking about looking after scenes then surely distribution is a key fact, as most scenes are shop focused.
We all know that this always can't be controlled by the big brands. It is all-just a bit to emperor’s new cloths kind of vibe for me.
I think everyone who is reading this will agree that all the "big boys" do have a huge place in this so called Streetwear market/scene as they have been around forever, and were there at the so called beginning. Man I sound like the intro to a Starwars film. So people who bought into those smaller independent T-Shirt/Clothing brands really never had another choose of footwear. As time has moved on so has the footwear side of Streetwear, now we are beginning to see the footwear side of this market evolve. I am not saying Pointer is the answer to that.
In other words what I am saying is that I find it hard to take people seriously who claim to be independent minded and worried about big corporations raping the world of streetwear or any scene for that matter who then from the feet down are standing in a pair of shoes that the company who produces them has tiers in every distribution form golf to race car driving to water polo. You can buy their dead stock for a third of the price at super market chains and that turns over more money then most small countries. Really independent minded and keeping it real? Keeping it way more surreal in my opinion.
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http://www.pointerfootwear.com
