with the Spring Balenciaga men's show—and its now-famous Triple S—and the release of the Adidas x Raf Simons Ozweego Bunny. Arguments abound as to the style's influence, though most people point to chunky boots like Dr. Martens and skate shoes of the 90s. Regardless of origin, the style really gained momentum due to the most important man in men's sneakers: Kanye West. His Yeezy Wave Runner 700 was a big departure from the sleeker 350s, and immediately started a debate about how long this trend would last. The current answer? Chunky kicks are still on fire—we're not seeing any slowdown in the resale prices of the most popular styles, even as less premium brands like Sketchers and Zara pile onto the trend.



A combined index of the three most Nike Air Supreme shoes popular and coveted shoes in this category (the Balenciaga Triple S, and two Yeezys: the Wave Runner 700 and the 500) commands an average 150% price premium over retail. It's worth noting that even though several of the high-end dad shoe models have expensive retail price points, they're still continuing to sell at premiums in the resale market. Obviously the target audience for these sneakers are those at the top of the economic spectrum, so it's not a total shock that t hey are cutting loose with their disposable income on some near four-figure kicks. And we don't see this style losing momentum any time soon, especially with the possibility of OG dad shoes releasing in a big way soon: John Elliott showed his own take on Nike's Air Monarchs at NYFW, which basically stole the show.


Late last year, Nike recognized the significance of limiting supply to create hype: on an earnings call in December, Nike president Trevor Edwards explained, "We also want to keep Jordan icons coveted and special, which is why we are proactively managing the exclusivity of specific iconic styles and color ways in North America," This strategy was executed to mixed results in February with the release of the Jordan 3. The Black Cement colorway saw a wider release, while supply was much more limited on the Free Throw Line, leading to resale prices of about 25% over retail for the Black Cement. This made the shoe a tough investment (unless you were buying up dozens of pairs), but for customers who actually want to buy a popular sneaker, Nike seems to have found the sweet spot between creating just enough supply to balance demand while managing exclusivity.