Why Are So Many High Heat Jordans Just Sitting on Shelves in China?

Over here in the West, we love Air Jordans. Every single time an Air Jordan 1 or Air Jordan 3 drops we lap it up like it's nobody's business. This is especially prevalent when it comes to the States where every single colourway sells out within seconds. While this is totally fine since we absolutely adore Jordan Brand, over in the East, things are a little different.

Over the past few weeks, Shanghai-based sneakerhead Jay Shuang from shanghaisole has taken to Instagram to document all the "hyped" Air Jordans that are still sitting on shelves over in China. From the "Electro Orange" and the "Pollen" 1s, to the "Racer Blue" 3s and "Lightning" 4s, every single one of these pretty much sold out instantly when they launched earlier this year. So why are they just sitting on shelves over in China?

According to Jay himself, "This been going on for at least 6 months. I been talking about this on numerous podcasts and I post about it all the time. This is the new normal and there are several factors that all seemed to happen and overlap at once. I feel for in places where they can’t buy anything anymore. I do admit, IT'S NICE AF TO WALK INTO A STORE AND BUY WHAT YOU WANT."

Nicky Diamonds himself also chimed in, saying, "I have been going to China for 25 years and it’s always great sneaker shopping. What we consider limited gems in the USA are still on the shelves in China a long time after the release date."

Is reselling to blame for this phenomenon? Are people here just buying up releases for the sake of making a quick buck? The "artificial demand" created here doesn't seem to exist over in places like Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Even when I visited HK a few years ago, so many Nike drops that were considered popular in the UK and US were just available in full size runs. Some pairs would even hit sale racks soon after to make space for newer launches.

What do you think is the reason for this? Be sure to let us know, and in related news, the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 1 High is fit for sneaker royalty!