SSchadenfreude

pump furys have sold on and off in japan primarily due to consumption and media in tokyo since late 90s. its not really even a fashion big boom again. some people just collect while others just buy stuff that they think looks good.

original phenomenon was the more accessible not-so-hip-hop counter part of swagger. then electro and 80s got big again.

could you please measure the shoe in inches from toe to heel?

thanks!!

could you also pls maybe provide some pics of the bottom?

I don't agree that hiphop killed BAPE. By the time Nigo had Pharrell et. al. wearing the clothing in the mid-noughties the label had already reached a saturation point in Japan. He had already done collaborations w/ Pepsi, etc., so the label was already really mainstream. Really The Designers Republic saying "Pop Will Eat Itself" really rings true here. Nigo basically killed himself by allowing his brand to be appropriated more and more to the masses using hip-hop as an outlet really. It could have been surfer culture, skate culture, whatever. But he selected hip-hop because, IMO, it was easy at the time. Had he kept it limited to just Japan but allowed Westerners to essentially sample select aspects of the label rather than opening an accessible store in SoHo and L.A. I think the result would have been a lot different.

Jun on the other hand, while I agree w/ you on the neo house CDG/punk-rock roots, took to the high-street/Paris and was able to successfully transition into a Japanese high-fashion brand. I think a credit to his success is that he's continues to limit the distribution of his product (only a main store in Aoyama) and at least for many recent collections like the Less is Better S/S 2010, he's willing to take risks and push the envelope of his core-brand identity and design aesthetic. Though I would argue the Less is Better collection has been the last really great collection from Undercover with recent collections very uninspiring/lazy. Therefore you could argue that BAPE's inability to reinvent itself was also a reason for its detriment.

my theory wasn't definitive that hiphop killed bape per se. sure it's a case by case study, but what solely hiphop rooted label, "concept" wise has actually stood the test of time? maybe phenomenon because they changed and reinvented themselves just in time. how? with punkrock and electro imagery. nigo didn't just allow his brand to be appropriated by hiphop, but actually was hiphop from the start. i do think you're right about distro though, but hypothetically if he didn't open doors in other countries, would bape still be the force it once was? supreme and uc possess intl doors, yet they still survive/thrive. the anti marketing shtick worked out cause of timing imo.

i think they are to able to survive because they stay small and don't try to reach beyond their means.

same goes for most ura-hara brands these days w/ the exception of maybe bape and undercover.

staying small, specifically meaning that they haven't opened actual doors outside of japan... they were big though, money wise and distro wise that is.

straying from subject a bit, but imo bape and like brands (b-kei) died because hiphop (as much as they preach/claim that it is a culture not just for blacks/african blooded individuals..in general) is not sustainable in a shrinking internet/media fueled world. "punkrock" or it's image is, because it has always seemed/and seems multiculture...or at least more accessible...multi-culturally accessible that is. an asian or japanese has a much easier time claiming punkrok than he has hiphop (and i'm not talking jap-rap). maybe this is why uc is able to survive whilst bape is a mere shadow of it's former glory not to mention that it is owned by chinese (and we all know what this means).

for example, i'm fairly certain that neigborhood or uc would not champion nor sponsor poser accessible bands considered "punk" by ignorant consumers such as blink 183 or whatever fairy jerk offs are on mtv.

it goes back to the notion of the japanese use of "concept." nigo was the modern day japanese warhol. jun takahashi was a semi deshi of the neo house of cdg with og roots in the tokyo sex ps. the lines of hiphop thanks to this modern age via kanye has infiltrated the high fashion realm. uc while transitioning from street to the paris collection circut still is "punkrock" with the necessary roots and social cred. nbhd's imagery has always been hard-kei...although they were in the "street" circles. probably one of the first semi-og labels to not be daboX2 and hiphop-pop. let's face it, it is simpler to incorporate their articles in one's wardrobe (of any genre) than that of bape. in short, neighborhood and uc still was able to hold onto an identity or a socially ageless or unaffected concept(s). not saying they don't make moves or investments in the interest of profits, but brands like bape seemed way more image conscious or more swift to please on their knees.

it is a cycle these days, or say maybe since 5 years ago (it has been in all industries since the dawn of commerce, but we are able to comprehend and explain shit better...that's all). i'm not certain if supreme had the ability to read into this in the past/from alittle after the dawn of the label's conception, but one thing i am certain of is the that they did infact open doors throughout japan for the sake of profit. obviously they had more street cred (fabricated or not, this is of little consequence since this is typical practice not including the luck factor) than other labels, so yes, it was a good gamble and they have maintained sustainability. it's merely the industry's royalty and certain dynasties protecting their financial interests. and it's not only about protecting and sustaining their interests, but about profiting (from way back when, now and future projections) today, no matter how low the margin is compared to back in the "golden days."

scraps for thought...why is neighborhood still somewhat able to survive and support random new ventures?? is it old harajuku boy mentality protecting it's parallel members or biz philosophy? OR maybe it is a combo of this and japanese die-hard pride coupled with residual profit from the golden age half dead and gone?