Is the Sneaker Market Oversaturated?

It’s no secret that the sneaker market is a bustling place right now. There’s more hype than ever surrounding the industry and fresh consumers are drawn into the sphere with every new release. While collaborations were once a rare occurrence that required serious time and effort from both parties, it now seems that every other sneaker to hit the shelves is a collaborative project. Of course, there’s two ways of looking at the situation; sneakers are more accessible than ever, which can’t be a bad thing, but the purists amongst us claim this saturation is slowly killing the sneaker culture.

Before the social media storm took control of the world, collecting sneakers was a relatively uncommon and low-key obsession. In this day and age, while most aren’t “sneakerheads” by definition, having an interest in footwear is incredibly common amongst Millennials and Gen-Z. We’re here today to assess just how big the sneaker bubble can become before it bursts, as we take a look back at some statistics from the previous month.

Here at The Sole Supplier we’re fortunate enough to be able to keep track of every single sneaker release that happens, after all, it is the entire concept of our site! One question that sprung to mind whilst writing this piece of op-ed was just how many sneakers actually release in one month? We conducted an audit of the previous month (September 2021) at the time of writing and came to the realisation that a whopping 58 pairs of limited-edition sneakers were released throughout the month. That figure doesn’t even include general release pairs and it’s also worth noting that 30 out of those 58 releases were collaborations.

If you were to try and keep up with all of these releases it would be an absolutely mammoth task, with around two limited releases launching every single day of the month. In years gone by it wasn’t uncommon for sneaker collectors to try and get their hands on every single release, effectively creating an archive collection. Previously, this was a totally achievable task due to how scaled-back the amount of releases was compared to now.

Aside from the logistical difficulties of trying to cop 58 pairs in one month (who even wins raffles, right?), it’s shocking to think how much it would actually cost if anyone was to attempt to keep up with the market. Sneaker retail prices have been steadily rising over the years as demand increases, with the AJ1 now retailing at £145, Nike Dunks at £90 and Yeezy Boost 700’s sitting at £210. Put it this way, sneakers certainly aren’t cheap and being a sneakerhead is an expensive hobby, we’ve all struggled to justify it to ourselves at times.

If one was to somehow manage to get their hands on all 58 pairs from last month, the retail prices (excluding delivery charges) would amass to the shocking amount of £7,450. Now we can only assume that this is well above the average monthly salary for most people. Sneakerheads in this day and age are having to become more and more “selective” with their purchases, as there are simply too many releases to choose from and money (unfortunately) isn’t endless.

Now this influx of trainer releases every single month has certainly made a dramatic impact on the scene. Limited-edition launches that were once highly-coveted amongst enthusiasts and few and far between are now commonplace, which in turn takes away some of the appeal for those that have been following the scene a while. Much like a band “selling-out” when they become famous, many OG sneakerheads are now turning their backs to the footwear market as it transcends further into mainstream culture.

However, there are good things to take from this change. Sneakers are now more accessible than ever which is introducing a whole new fanbase to the joy of that box-fresh feeling. Copping high-heat footwear releases previously took months of research, knowing the right people and some serious work. The sheer volume of releases in the present day means that even if you didn’t manage to get your hands on that sneaker that’s reselling for £1000+ (Travis who?), it’s likely that you’ll pick up something else to numb the pain of the L relatively soon after.

We’ve often wondered if the growth of the sneaker market will continue with the same trajectory for much longer, yet the truth is it’s hard to tell. Undoubtedly, the scene is bigger than it ever has been before, with new consumers joining every single day. In 2021 sneakers are arguably a huge part of popular culture, with every major fashion publication or celebrity media outlet touching on the industry at one point or another. Whatever happens, at The Sole Supplier we’re absolutely here for it.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of sneakers or totally new to the game, we make sure to show a warm welcome to anyone who shares our passion for sneakers. You can find out everything you need to know about the latest releases and where to cop them right here, so make sure to keep it locked into our site for all your day-to-day footwear needs!