Sneaker News 
Sneakers have often been used as a means to “stand out” from the crowd. Back in the day when not everyone was wearing the newest Nikes and Jordans, sneakerheads did in fact stand apart from their peers thanks to patent leather and neon colors on their feet. Nowadays, eccentric sneakers are the norm and social media has been heavily used as a tool to “show off”. It eventually evolved to people taking photos of their brand new, unworn sneakers to immediately announce to the world that the shoes were in possession. Apparently, wearing the sneaker doesn’t matter anymore, but that’s just a reflection of a retail-crazed generation. A seemingly “new” trend of purposely destroying sneakers for attention has been taking over the sneaker headlines, and whether its for art or the internet fame, it’s raised one question: Why? Then again, people destroying sneakers for fame isn’t new to the sneaker game. Here’s a recap of some of the more notable instances.
Yeezy Boost 350 vs. Paintball
Perhaps the most recent example of destroyed sneakers for no gosh darn reason is Instagram user @akilsesh destroyed a brand new pair of the Moonrocks with a yellow paintball gun. There really is no explanation, except that it’s “art”.
Two Idiots Spend A Day In The Hood
Prank videos are so incredibly popular on YouTube that the concepts behind these tricks have to get a lot more felonious. Two dudes spend the day in “the hood” stepping on brand new sneakers. The reactions by their victims were justified.
Yeezy Yardwork
Disclaimer: Mark Smith can do whatever the f*ck he wants. Smith, one of the most innovative minds in sneaker history, did his part to disrupt Yeezy Boost mania with rare Instagram appearance. In this incredible photo is a muddy, beat up pair of Air Yeezy 1 samples that were never released to the public. Remember, the same pair was once listed on eBay for $50,000. This wasn’t for the attention, but we’ve never seen a better example of ruined sneakers getting our attention. The photo itself is fairly old, but Smith posted it on his Instagram about a month ago.
Kobe Steps On MJ
The “e-fame” meter reads low, but this still deserves mention. A Kobe fan on Niketalk named “wizdomlakers” has an ongoing mini-series of photos with notable Nike Kobe shoes stepping on brand new Air Jordans. Yes, we get it, you love Kobe more than you do MJ, but you’re ruining a pretty great pair of shoes in the process.
Supreme Marketing
Artist @cj_hendry started the trend of dipping sneakers into paint, but she crossed multiple lines when she took a pair of Nike Mags and halfway blacked ’em out. But a better example of “doing it for the likes” is when this fella took the recently-released Supreme x Air Jordan 5, dipped them in red paint, and hung ’em up on his store window display.
South Beach LeBrons Can’t Take The Heat
In 2011, Franalations and FeedingTheStreets participated in a game of H.O.R.S.E. with some pretty high stakes. The loser would have their shoes burned with gasoline and a match. After a few minutes of what may have been staged basketball, the South Beach LeBron 8s, then one of the most sought after shoes in the market, were burned to the ground. The backlash was pretty harsh because the shoes could’ve been put to good use.
Soak Dart
Yes, Sock Darts are comfortable. Yes, they’re probably fine when submerged into water. We’re just wondering what was going through the minds of the people who saw this individual taking an iPhone photo of his feet at the lake.
Keep ‘Em On Ice
Another example of “why?”. This YouTuber dunked a pair of the Yeezy Boost 750 into liquid nitrogen and smashed it with a hammer. His mission was to “kill the hype”, but the best way to do it is not to call out the immense prices and show the world that there was one less pair in existence.
Use Chainsaw To Be Taken Seriously
In 2011, adidas unveiled the Crazylight basketball sneaker, the lightest basketball shoe ever created. To further depict just how light the shoe was, adidas took a chainsaw to the Kobe VI and chopped off the toe of the shoe. Quite the gutsy move, but there have been plenty of doubts about the lightest shoe being the best shoe.
