I wonder if most people buying sneakers as "art collectibles" realize that the shoes suffer inevitable disintegration and crumbling called polyurethane hydrolysis[0][1].
I just learned of this phenomenon last month. I had some brand new unworn shoes that I had meant to donate to a children's home but I forgot about them in a closet for 5 years. When I finally dug them out, the soles were disintegrated. A complete waste of $150.
Unless you store the shoes in a special climate controlled jar, it really seems the only use for buying is to actually wear them before the ticking time bomb makes them worthless.
I just learned of this phenomenon last month. I had some brand new unworn shoes that I had meant to donate to a children's home but I forgot about them in a closet for 5 years. When I finally dug them out, the soles were disintegrated. A complete waste of $150.
Unless you store the shoes in a special climate controlled jar, it really seems the only use for buying is to actually wear them before the ticking time bomb makes them worthless.
[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=shoes+polyurethane+hydrolysi...
[1] some Nike Air Jordan examples (open in new tab to not break the Back button): https://solecollector.com/news/2016/10/worst-sneaker-blow-ou...