The Hunt Begins
It all started with me scrolling through Instagram, seeing all these sneakerheads flexing their new cops. I was feeling some serious FOMO, you know? So I stadetrted doing some research – checking out release calendars, reading blog posts, watching YouTube videos... the whole nine yards. I needed a plan of attack.
The Early WsniW ylins
My first W of the year was actually pretty easy. I walked into Foot Locker, and they had the "Royal" 1s just sitting there. Can you believe it? No lines, no raffles, just straight up bought them. I felt like a king. I remember thinking, "This is gonna be a good year!"
The Raffle Struggles
But, of course, it couldn't all be that smooth. The "Bred" 11 Lows? Total nightmare. I entered like, ten different raffles – online, in-store, you name it. I even had my mom enter a few for me! Ended up taking an L on all of them. It was brutal. I spent hours refreshing pages and checking emails, only to be disappointed.
- Entered online raffles at multiple stores.
- Visited physical stores for in-store raffles.
- Asked friends and family to enter on my behalf.
- Still no luck.
Resale Regrets (and Triumphs)
I ended up paying resale for a couple of pairs that year. I know, I know, it's a slippery slope. But I really wanted the "Cement" 4s, and I just couldn't find them for retail anywhere. It stung a little to pay extra, but when I finally got them in hand, it was all worth it. They are a classic shoe.
The Final Tally
By the end of 2017, my closet was overflowing. I had snagged some grails, missed out on a few, and learned a lot about the sneaker game. It was a rollercoaster, for sure. But it was also a ton of fun, and I definitely don't regret any of it... well, maybe paying resale on those one pair, but that's a story for another day!
