Actually made a conscious effort to switch to NB since last year - top quality sneakers at literally retail price or below, even with collab (except for some exceptions).

I was a huge nike fan, almost all my sneakers are nikes but recently I ain't feeling it, prices went out of hand, quality in my country got pretty meh, and designs I feel are getting a bit plain unless you pick a limited expensive pair like you said so I agree and I started to open up to different marks only problem is accessibility if i cant try on a shoe i can't buy it....

I quit Nike 3-4 years ago. End of the day tho, people need to start doing them, and stop “following” what other people do. Rip Virgil but he saw it coming with the death of streetwear. Hopefully from here on out people start venturing out and doing what they like cuz THEY like it. Good content as always Reggie, love your work 😌

As I got older the prices pushed me away. Just didn't seem like good place to put my money. And like you said some really awesome styles out there with great quality and good spending margins for me.

I've been saying it for years about Jordan brand that they need to blow up their design team for Jordan's. From a design perspective the shoes that aren't part of the Air Jordan' line have been designed in a way where the designs are basically a bunch of retros deconstructed and thrown together giving the shoes a fusion vibe from past retros. JB started out really strong with their non 'Air Jordan' line when the brand became it's own entity in '97 (or there abouts). As far as the retro Air Jordan's are concerned the brand is beating a dead horse. I agree that the whole colab Jordans has become overly saturated and most people go nuts over them because of how difficult they are to get in terms of access and inflated costs. You got rappers or famous clothing designers slapping some premium materials on a pair of retros or using some colorway we've never seen before. Then the hype comes in blowing the shoe up to where all the bot software using resellers come out to swallow up 90% if the inventory to be dumped on the resell market for some ridiculous price. If you ask me a lot of sneaker heads could create the same shoe if they had unprecedented access to Nike ID or "Nike by You"....What I'm saying is these hyped up colabs could be created and executed just as well as the next big name rapper/designer. I think overly hyped near impossible to attain jordan retro thing has gotten old. JB needs to get back to creating new sneakers that dont look like 4 different pairs of retros just fused together and eventually end up in outlets. I love retros just like any other sneakerhead but after a while JB has to realize that they need to reboot their design concepts and get back to the creative genius that got them where they are today. I think it would also be cool if JB let consumers try their hand at customizing a pair of retros on Nike's iD platform ..sorry "Nike by You"....Just the thoughts from a guy thats been a Jordan head since the age of 8

I got out of the hype bc of the scarcity of a drop, the ridiculousness of the resellers and the hype of actual quality of the shoe; as well as the reps. Now i go to Reebok, saucony, new B, puma, converse and Salomon. Its abt style and how u style it. All that hypebeast shyt is for the non creatives. They have to rely on high end names bc they cant style themselves. Just my take. Good ep...🙏🏽

Quit Nike 3 years ago after moving here to japan. Been vans ever since. Am now in the process of wearing all my Nikes until they turn to dust. Construction, home diy, gardening, painting , bring it on!

I quit Nike 2018, best decision I ever made. I only wear Kiko asics and have two pairs of Salomon.

Personally I've never really messed with Nike/ Adidas etc because I prefer more understated brands which don't plaster logos on everything.

as a skater i feel like it’s a little easier to quit. i love the style of es and lakai but i still love nike sb

Thanks for this. A breath of fresh air, truly. I'm not quitting. But until this resell bubble pops, I'm buying all old shit. Just got some 2007 dunk lows for 150. A pair that'd have been a hyped Collab or reseller fodder if they dropped in 2022, for sure. So I'm trending away from them.

0:55 "nike has to meet the demands of an ever growing consumer base" Also nike: **proceeds to release limited quantity of sneakers**

I just sacked Nike a month ago, my phone's listening to me lol. It's good to see my thoughts are shared. I fell, like many of us, to the hype of Nike and Jordans. After owning a few pairs of AJ1s my senses came to me when I got sick of Nike's virtue signalling, paying resell, and the fact that well.. most importantly AJ1s are uncomfortable AF.

YOOOO, HELLA APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THIS VID! LIKE, REALLY REALLY HYPE ABOUT IT & PROUD SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS SAYING IT!!!

Hi Reggie - been following your channel for almost a decade - you're still the only voice in independent fashion I trust. My 7 years in QA roles for a few major manufacturing groups has me purchasing only from a few select American/Japanese/Euro brands due to what I've seen with my own eyes. I've seen the cotton fields of Zimbabwe and the indigo dye turning Guangzhou's Pearl River black. I'd love to share how I've turned one person at a time into extremely thoughtful fashion consumers, proud of every single piece purchased!

Reggie, thank you for making this video, while I’ve always liked Nikes’ design’s and overall aesthetic I just could not get behind the hype for the brand, and no I’m not tryna brag but the last Nike purchase I made was in middle school, I’m a recent college grad now. I mainly wear Vans amongst other brands as I don’t feel bad for knocking around in them and they’re relatively inexpensive. Also shoutout to SIA Collective I follow him on IG and I love his unique designs. my advice to anyone who’s on the bubble about making the switch is that there are plenty of other brands that make the same if not better quality items look into them and give it a try. #SquashTheSwoosh

I sowed down significantly on Nike. At first it was because I couldn't get my hands on pairs I actually wanted. Then It was because Nike is just not dropping new styles. They getting a bit tired to me.

I quit Nike so many years ago. Y3 boys forever 🖖

I've brought two pairs of 720's in the last year. A pair in blue that both Air soles have popped and an orange pair of 720 OBJ's on which one Airsole has popped. These were't some worn out trainers. They were all in great condition and had had very light use.

Please do a video on indie brands like some of the ones you mentioned here! I would love to branch out more and see what smaller firms are offering.

Man, I'm super pissed about nike just focusing in the j1 and dunks. This year is the anniversary of the cortez and theres no promo of that, like the dunks

As a casual lurker of your content, this is a fantastic video. keep it casual!

You hit the nail on the head with this vid. I hate how the only "cool" Nikes are AF1 lows, Dunks, and a couple of Jordan models, and the hype colorways of these models are next to impossible to cop for retail.

Liked the video would love to see you make more of these videos and put more out during the week.

You are speaking ALLLLL facts . Dope video and great content !

This year i've been trying to get shoes from Brands that I do not have and or be more selective and not feel like I need to go for everything.

Nike By You is a piece of work, too. I like the af1, but Out of all the times I’ve designed and ordered it off Nike By You, maybe 1 out of every 3 of them do I feel like was made in a actual Nike factory. The other 2 usually have to get sent back bc sadly they’re just not worth the $20-80 up charge that Nike prices them at. Waiting sometimes up to two months for them to be made doesn’t help either. However, I do enjoy designing them-but I don’t order them.

I've had the benefit of my feet not playing nice with most Nike shoes, so I was never into the brand. But, it has left the door wide open for me to explore lots of other cool options and as a result gets me more comments about my shoes than all my friends in Jordans. Go figure lol.

I agree with this video. I have stepped away from Nike more and more in the last few years. I still have more Nikes than anything else in my collection but I find myself appreciating other brands like New Balance more (before the New Balance hype wave). I've been trying to find a reason to come back to Nike but the quality of their shoes don't even compare to most other brands. Nike needs to give us quality goods. They're a powerhouse and they can afford to do it.

I want to give other brands a try but I also like air jordans a lot. I'm trying to build my air jordan collect but once that's done I'm moving on to other brands like NB550s and Van's. Their shoes are around my style of casual retro and I love the diversity of materials quality and silhouettes a lot of brands like filas and reebok have to offer.

Make a list dedicated to those alternatives! Some I’ve heard of buts others I have never and would like to know more!!!

Just when I was introspecting why I always had less of Nike items on my wardrobe.. Always been a New Balance,Reebok,Diadora.the big guy always been Adidas

I realize I've only used to wear Nike because I wear a size 13 14 shoe and it was always very difficult for me to find that in store and it not be Nike brand now not so much

Great review, I cut back a month ago and I don’t miss much. It’s starting to be no fun anymore, and that’s sad.

Took a second job this past year which has funded a long sought after Jordan Retro collection. However, now after keeping up with multiple "popular" releases a month and thousands of dollars later, I realize they were largely a huge waste of money. The quality just isn't there. The hype train got me, admittedly, plus a bit of the nostalgia bug. Your vid just confirmed the conclusion I finally arrived to. No more $$$ going to Nike until they return to the quality of years past.

Another solid video fam. Just a heads up tho at 2:05 it starts jumping super quickly between studio Reggie and the b roll. Idk if anyone caught it or not, but figured I'd mention incase it's something that could get caught and remedied before the next upload 😎👍

For me there was only a couple reasons I just decided not to come back to nike. I used to wear them on and off in high school because I did like them quite a bit. Back then Nike was just Nike. They weren't particularly popular outside of urban fashion crowd. My first reason why I stopped after high school was actually because of the ubiquity you were talking about. Everyone from instagram photos to annoying kids at the local gaming shop was wearing Nike. And it felt like whenever I wanted to buy shoes, I couldn't get away from a frickin Nike ad. They actually annoyed me away. The other reason was that recently I did try to come back to Nike but every time I found a cool pair it was sold out so I just gave up.

Was a big Nike guy for awhile but eventually the lack quality of control and rising prices drove me away. Now new balance, Asics, and Salomon are my go-tos

This topic been on my mind, I bought 2 yeezy 380's and i'm never gonna go back. The most comfortable shoe i have walked in since birth.

I wear almost only New Balances now. Comfort and quality is there and most of my pairs are made in USA so feel better ethically about it. I do wear Nikes when I work out tho. I use Nike Training Club and wearing another sneaker feels weird lol

Well what other Brands should y'all recommend that got good shoes?

How do you spell the name of the last independent label Reggie mentions at 3:48?

I really don't understand why anyone has difficulty quitting Nike. It's not a religion. Even if some people act as if it is. I stopped buying Nike products due to getting sick and tired of the quality issues. Their stuff is cheaply made in Vietnam and Bangladesh etc....and imho it shows long term with their products. Got sick of them breaking, ripping, holes in less than a year of usage. There are other brands that are also innovative yet have better build quality.

Yeaaaah, imma need that "7 independent sneaker brands" video Reggie. Tryna see some new stuff.

What's the name of the shoe displayed at 3:43 with the blue bottoms and orange heel tab?

I have two pairs of Nike (Nike Made By You AF1 and the blue dunk) I got into streetwear from the off white ones and things like that, I was so hooked into getting those in the future but due to the high resell prices, I gave up on trying to get those these days. I have other sneakers like NB 997 brown leather and the Human Made Pharrell joints, I like Nike and if the military blue 4s is actually a thing to come out this year, I'll def get those but generally, I'm not big on wearing the swoosh much and move to other brands.

Great episode! While I'll probably won't let go of most of my Nikes and Jordans, I've been wearing them less in favor of other sneaker brands. The simple fact that we've been conditioned into having to join raffles for a chance to buy sneakers just got old for me really fast. I also agree with you on how all of a sudden, it's celebrities or media people who are dictating what sneakers are "hot", and at times, even gatekeep the "culture". It's quite off-putting to say the least, especially when there are people with deeper or more authentic connections to sneakers, streetwear, and other subcultures who might not be as popular, but carry more weight in terms of their opinions.

I've cut down a bit between SNKRS absolutely rigged draw system and the fact that I've gone towards "traditional" footwear its easy to skip on a lot of Nike releases now.

Longtime Nike boy here. I always thought I loved Nike’s performance shoes but they run so narrow. Cleats too. I do like a lot of the styles and have such a nostalgic experience with them though. It’s tough. New Balance is legit and is prolly gonna be my next pair even though I just got a new pair of dunks haha. We’re not all perfect

People under age 30 haven't been wearing Nike as a regular shoe for awhile now. Collectors buy them, but casual wearers under age 30 seem to be buying other brands on their everyday shoes. But back in the 80s and 90 literally everyone used to wear Nike, there was even a "Sneaker war" in the 80's between Reebok, Nike, Adidas, Converse, LA Gear, Pony, British Knights (among other brands I forgot now)....literally every sneaker brand was trying to be flashy and cram as much technology in the shoe as possible, Nike had Air, Reebok had Energy Return System and the Pump, LA Gear had Airstream, Converse had the Energy Wave, etc... it was crazy, and literally anything that was out people were buying. Although Nike is a big company, they now product far less different shoes per year than they did back then, you might have 20 different shoes per year, but at that time you had about 200 different Nike's at that time, bot just the same 20 shoes with select releases of colorways various months.

Loved this video

Yo I'm just never gonna leave Nike, see i truly love all models, all colors, and every one I've ever seen, been that way since I was 14, I'm 40 now, and its just not gonna change...

I use to love Nike to the max but like you said quality and limited sneaker releases threw me off as a sneaker collector.. Now I'm just reselling my shoes mostly jordans in my collection for reasonable prices not trying to Rob people like resellers. I now buy puma and Adidas sneakers and I'm loving them at the moment. Also designer brands on sale with much better quality than Nike. I will continue wearing the swoosh but will definitely change it up a bit..especially on holidays.. Great content by the way keep it up 👍

Quit a while back, almost all of their Lasts are super narrow and don't play well with my wide feet. I love sneakers, but as I get older foot health is more and more important to me.

The only Nike I wear now are air max 1s and 90s and honestly I don’t think I’ll ever stop lmao they’re my favorite BUT every other Nike shoe I’m quitting for sure mostly cuz of the quality going to shit. I’m switching over to new balance cuz i heard their quality is great and their designs and silhouettes are honestly really interesting! Also what’s up with dunks creasing right out the box? I mean I’m ok with shoes creasing here and there but the way they crease is so ugly due to the bad quality.

i am from a place where it rain too much and most nike shoes never was water restian enough for my need. im a boot type of person myself. indeed a bit ago i decide that if i wanted to spend that much on shoes i should go costume so it fits my feet properly.

I have a pair of blazer I have always hated the jordan 1s just because I felt that it sometimes limited the way you dressed

make sense, im trying to get a few more retro jordans 12, 3 since they arent that hard to get nowadays and start to buy new other brand like Puma reebok etc” thats alot goes for sale and it think they arent bad at all. just get a pair of chuck 70 the other day, it goes well with most of my outfit and i start questioning why did i trying so hard to buy expensive nike if thats a cheap way to look good not cheap

I don't buy a lot of nike just huarache and air max 90s. Im huge fan of asics gel lyte 3s, and saucony grids when I wear those I get a lot of compliments because of the colorways and materials. I like them because they are comfortable and different. Also I added new balance to my shoe collection I slept on them for a while until i bought a pair realized the material is great and I like encap heel support.

Ive scaled back big time on nike i was a subculture nike sb guy since ‘07. Now with scarcity its just too difficult & frustrating to get the shoes i want to wear. Ive made a big move to stripes over checks quality is there & easy to get. That being said i cant quit nike but have an ever growing distaste of the process & culture of nike and have moved into off the shelf shoes from all the big names

Agree with this, I find Nike's are overpriced for what they are, but there's always room for a pair of Air Max 90's in my rotation, classic sneaker

Can someone tell me what the shoes were at the 3:49 mark, with the vibram soles?

I've quit Nike a long time ago, tried to come back when the Sacai Waffle was released but couldnt get my hands on em, so nope, no Nike yet for me lol

I’m just so incredibly annoyed I haven’t been able to get any pairs that I actually want. Switched to NB and I’ve been much happier

The Jordan 1 "Marina Blue" was criticized because the leather quality was awful. And reps fixed it with higher materials for a 5th of the retail price. Buying reps is okay as long as you don't resell them.

ID on the frames? And if you do you should buy NB. The quality if hands down better than Nike. That said I still buy Nike but they need to improve in a lot of areas.

I actually switch to Adidas and Yeezy Last year simply because of the fact that the rubber on the sneakers are way better with adidas and last longer and the quality is way better

You make great points about Nike becoming this like luxury brand, for me I don’t have a preferred brand but I am interested in only collecting Jordan’s by looking on eBay whether they are pre owned or not

What are the independent labels u mentioned again?

What were the names of those 7 sneaker companies? Only one I got was clear weather

Ive always been a bit of an underdog, so over the years, Ive decided to try my hand with underrated/lesser known brands.I have not been disappointed. High quality at reasonable prices.

love the Sia collective shoutout!

As a Nike/Jordan man Iv got into NB and its hard not to see all of Nikes flaws when NB has so much more to offer rn. We will see what the future holds but Im defiantly rocking less Nike than ever in 2022. Wont ever stop wearing the og colorways of classics though like breds etc.

3:26 what are those? Someone please tell me!

I decided to completely stop buying new Nikes after 2021. So many bad things for Nike that year, from the horrible QC in multiple limited sneakers, the VP having to step down because of her son's reselling business, SNKRS app sucking as always, failing to settle a contract with Kobe, releasing a Kobe sneaker that honored both Kobe and Gianna that Venessa Bryant didn't even get her hands on. I've since then moved on to New Balance, Diadora, Asics, and Saucony, as well as up and coming brands like Collegium and WAU.

I moved on from Nike years ago. (except for ACG clothing) For running shoes I use Asics now For Lifestyle I wear Collegium, Salomon, and New balance Last pair of Nike sneakers I got was a rep. Only because I love the Union Air Jordan 1 Retro High but was not gonna pay resale.

Axel arigato is so sick imo, bought my first pair of clean 90’s like 5 years ago maybe and still rocking them, and got another pair of Cap toe from them! A nice brand to get into that has nice sneaker designs and extremely good quality

i go for confort. all brands even sketchers are good just a matter of right fit and confort. but nike to me has been my go to shoes do to some of its durability on some Releases, and features other brands may overcharge or just dont have that durability or some times sizes and fit. other brands are bigger and nike gives you much more size and half sizes more options. also no other brand as far as i know, gives you options to costumise your favorite shoe at your taste of color and put your name on them like nike do. and to me that is a huge plus.

2016 once I tried on a pure boost, I dropped my flyknit racers and never looked back.

Slowed down on buying nike in the early 2010s when I tried Li Nings. From then on I started trying more brands out of curiosity and haven't regretted it one bit. I've even gotten skechers running shoes which I love and want more of.

U totally read my mind bro!

for someone who never bought a nike product weather shoes or clothes .. i'd say try it before you buy it, go to a physical store and compare quality with other brands for the price and buy whichever is the best ..

I love this. Everything you said is true.

Staying with Nike is just a big loop but it’s easy to stay within. You won’t stop until you make an effort!

i for sure agree with this, i have turned to reps. and honestly the best thing ive ever done. I have shoes that im passionate about, and i would never be able to afford because of the Nike's money drive.

Prices all around are crazy with Nike, no deals at almost every level and the secondary market is a joke. Compared to adidas where they very frequently have 30% sales. The way SB dunks cost at least double the price of a complete skateboard is crazy, what skater can afford that?

if you live in usa or canada maybe try a usa made brand of sneaker: opie way, victory, rancourt, frye, SOM, viberg, and of course nb. if u want leather boots there are a lot more options made in us and canada.

i’ve had the same pair of cortez’s since 2018. can quit nike, but i cant quit these cortez

Always great content Sir, but much props for shouting out the independent brands as you did. As for Nike, I can take them or leave them, but you have to give them props for building an empire out of a simple waffle trainer in 1973.

I've been thinking about the effects of artificial scarcity in sneakers and I feel like it has a positive impact on the environment and sustainability, even if it's a completely unintended side effect. Artificial scarcity means significantly less sneakers are produced and almost all of them gets sold; none gets left to rot or thrown away because no one's buying them. It also means that people take better care of their sneakers and are more inclined to clean and repair them than throw them away because they can't simply walk into a Nike store to get a new pair. That said, most of the Dunks and Jordan 1s are made using garbage leather and are pretty bad in the comfort department, though I'm not sure if that necessarily means anything negative for the environment.

I was buying Diadoras a few years ago. High quality for supper low prices since they're like a cult classic. Can't find the nice ones for cheap anymore. Especially in my size.

Make that video please ! Top 10 best non mainstream shoe brands

great job with this video…, keep it going

i try telling people that tumbled leather on the SBB isn't good quality leather. My goal going forward is to cop more alternatives like NB, Mache runners, and SIA

This vid actually made me want to go buy a new cool pair of Nikes. : ) So many cool designs and ideas...

That part about ubiquity, was on point.

For a year and half before the pandemic I went on a Nike purchase strike based on watching documentaries on the struggles of employees in other countries trying to met basic needs with their paychecks. Since then I have bought a couple of shirts and a couple of runners. Mainly the past few years I’ve bought Reebok, Puma & New Balance along with some Adidas.

I kinda quit Nike a while ago. I like Puma better but I’m actually trying to wear less branding on my clothing. As a man knocking on 40 years old, I’m leaning toward a more minimalist way of dressing.

I was very disappointed in the last 2 pairs of Nikes I had bought. The running shoes were a flatout downgrade from 5 years ago and the nike frees actually DAMAGED my foot. Went with adidas ultraboost (shoes and boots) and do not intend on looking back.

been a long time since I bought nikes, but always been on the hunt for nike footscape woven models since they rarely release them and not a lot of people wear em.