We’re not exaggerating when we say that the sneaker game has come a long way. Gone are the days when reselling meant passing up a sought-after pair with little to no income, all for the sake of helping someone from the community. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about the reselling culture that has been going on now. It’s just that with time, our tastes and priorities evolve with society.

As artists learned to use sneakers as blank canvases for their next work, the appreciation and demand of owning a 1/1 pair came to life. And the supply most definitely came through, from Nike IDs that let you create unique colorways to custom pieces courtesy of the likes of Shoesurgeon that involve mixing different fabrics and at times, different pairs (Who isn’t down to see a mix of their favorite pairs?). Since then, customizing pairs has been tried and tested by so many people that you can even learn custom trends just by browsing YouTube (Big thanks to all the online educators).

And with so many custom sneaker trends coming to light, it’s honestly easy to get lost in what’s new. But the latest one shouldn’t be hard to miss since it has taken the spotlight with its semi-destructive take: aging pairs, complete with scuffs and yellowing soles. Yes, you read that right. The goal is to make it look old and worn-out, which is the exact opposite of what its predecessors were trying to achieve. Why buy a brand new pair just to make it look like our good ol’ beaters?

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Well, with nostalgia affecting our choices for almost any piece of clothing, it isn’t really a surprise that aging sneakers would come into the picture. To be honest, with the sudden rise of vintage fashion (again), some of us just want to whip out our classic OG pairs and flex all night, but we have to be real. Real like if they haven’t been used in years, they’re most likely one step away from crumbling. Plus, restoring a vintage pair might even cost more than buying a new one. But if you were to make a new pair look old, you can bust a move in it without actually leaving bits of your shoe on the dance floor. You know, make it vintage minus the fragility.

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Sure, it doesn’t bring the same appeal as a squeaky clean pair, but it sure as hell brings a different flavor with it. I mean, seeing a person creasing their rare pairs is already a sight to cheer for, but what’s more badass than beating a hyped overpriced pair? None.

At the end of the day, customs are optional. it’s just like that Miley Cryus song. It’s your party, you can do what you want. Even if it means spending a little extra on your new shoes to make them look old.

Art by Yel Sayo