Cop, Drop, Flip, or Double Dip
Let’s play a game of Cop, Drop, Flip or Double Dip with upcoming sneaker releases for the week of December 21st, 2020.
Those of you familiar with sneaker culture have probably heard the phrase “Drip, Flip, or Skip” coined by Sole Collector’s YouTube show Full Size Run or the “Cop or Drop” IGTV series by Highsnobiety. To not completely copy these ideas at face value, I mixed them together and added my own category. For those not tuned into sneaker culture, the description of how this game works is below.
The rules of the game are simple: I go through each sneaker release coming this week and decide if you should Cop, Drop, Flip, or Double Dip that sneaker.
Cop means I like it and want to add it to my personal collection regardless of resell value or potential. depending on how much I like the shoe, I may even recommend paying resell to acquire it
Drop means I don’t like it and will not being trying to grab it, even to resell.
Flip means I don’t want to add the sneaker to my collection, but I will be trying to grab it strictly to resell.
Double Dip is a combination of Cop and Flip. It means that I want to add the sneaker to my collection AND try to resell another pair.
Sneaker are listed in chronological order according to release date. All drop times are in PST. Release information is up to date as of Sunday 12/20/20. Click the titles for links to buy. Let’s get into it.
Last Week Recap: So far I am 1 for 3. Got a dub on the Stussy Air Forces thanks to Undefeated. Ls on the Vaporwaffle and Sean Cliver Dunks via SNKRS. My local skate shop picks raffle winners on Wednesday so there’s still hope for those. Fingers crossed.
Nike x sacai VaporWaffle Maroon & Black (Dec. 21st at 7am on SNKRS) — $180
FLIP. Same story as last week’s green/yellow colorway except this colorway is not as appealing to me. They are well suited for winter palate but I anticipate this shoe would be difficult to coordinate an outfit around. Maroon is one of least favorite colors because of its blandness and difficulty to match. The green/yellows are fetching over $400 on the secondary market. I expect the maroon/blacks will get about $350. For those reasons, it’s a flip for me.
Nike Zoom 004 x MMW Stone (Dec. 21st at 7am on SNKRS) — $450
DROP. Alyx co-founder and current Givenchy lead designer Matthew M. Williams has a flair for the Avant Garde. His signature design style is along the line of future punk with a twist of athletic functionality. The Zoom 004 MMW is essentially his take on the ISPA Road Warrior. Don’t be mistaken, this is a very cool shoe. I actually like the design a lot. It pushes for the boundaries of combining fashion, function, design, and performance in a manner that is digestible. My favorite feature is the very pronounced waffle sole. The waffle sole was of course Nike’s first big advancement in running technology. My biggest hold up with these is the price point. I guess its not surprising considering the price of Nikes past “advanced technology” performance shoes. Then the designer label collab adds another markup. Even though they’re $50 less than the ISPAs, I just can’t get myself to spend that kind of money on an experimental shoe. I like to experiment with colors, not so much shapes. I think this shoe would be really out of place in my collection and I expect I would have a difficult time styling them without feeling like I’m wearing a Cyberpunk 2077 or Fallout character costume. There’s a lot of other sneakers I could get for less than $450 at resale I’d rather have, Brazil dunks being at the top of that list. But hey, listen, I’m not going to blame you if you have the money to spend and want to snag these on Monday. They’re a very unique style that will certainly draw attention whenever you wear them.
Nike Women’s Dunk High Varsity Purple (Dec. 22nd at 7am on SNKRS) — $120
COP. 2020 will be remembered as the year of the dunk. Oh, and the COIVD-19 pandemic of course. But mostly dunks. The crazy thing about this dunk resurgence is that it has happened despite a majority of the world spending most their time inside not dressing up to go anywhere. Imagine how popular these will be when you’re walking around, and people are actually dressing. These are barely going for over retail right now which hopefully means your chances of copping are good. If you’ve missed out on dunks so far this year, this might be your best opportunity to get a pair for retail. Even if you take an L Tuesday, give it a week and I expect plenty of people will be panic selling their pairs for like $30 over retail. My threshold for paying resale is usually $50 over retail so go ahead and get yourself a Christmas present if you’re feeling in the giving spirt. You deserve it. The current sleepy market on this colorway does not provided a good double dip opportunity as there’s little room for profit. However, they peak my interest as an interesting hold until next summer if you have the capital. Food for thought.
Adidas Yeezy QNTM Frozen Blue (Dec. 23rd at 8am on Adidas Confirmed) — $250
DROP. I don’t play basketball for recreation so I have absolutely no interest in wearing these sneakers. However, if you do frequent your local court, I’ve heard these are pretty dang good for actually playing basketball in. This is the coolest colorway that has been released yet too. The hype of the shoe has completely worn off though and they offer little opportunity for profit as a resell. Unless you’re purchasing these to drop buckets in during the YMCA Rec league championships, I’d let your credit card take the day off.
Nike Kobe 6 Protro Green Apple aka “Grinch” (Dec. 24th at 7am on SNKRS) — $180
COP. Boys and girls, this is my release of the week. I have been waiting, praying, for Nike to bring back an iconic Kobe like the Grinch this year. Finally, my prayers have been answered in a Christmas miracle like fashion. First released in 2010 on Christmas day, the Kobe 6 Grinch is probably the most famous Christmas themed sneaker. While most holiday themed sneakers want to emulate warm, happy feelings, the Kobe Grinch does the complete opposite. Embodying the spirt of a cold-blooded villain determined to ruin your special day. The sneaker is flush with snakeskin representing Kobe’s signature Mamba Mentality. Watching Kobe wear this shoe on Christmas day was a moment in my sneaker history as a teenager. Nothing embodies Kobe’s spirt and mentality on the court better than this shoe. He was a fierce competitor who only got better in prime time, especially on Christmas. It’s a perfect time for this sneaker and I really respect Nike for bringing it back. This is what the people needed. You could easily double dip the Grinch but given all the circumstances, I can’t in good conscious recommend that strategy. Kobe’s legacy deserves to be respected and appreciated. Not profited on. Besides, does it get more ironic than being the person reselling a shoe called the Grinch that releases on Christmas eve?
*Quick hitters:
Pharrell x adidas NMD Hu Green (Dec. 23rd at 8am on Adidas Confirmed) — $220
DROP. Free returns on Adidas if you want to take a chance or see them in hand.
Air Jordan 12 Varsity Red aka “reverse Flu Game” (Dec. 26th at 7am on SNKRS) — $190
DROP. A less cool version of the real Flu Games. Too much red. Don’t like the pebble leather.
Nike Blazer Low x MEDICOM TOY BE@RBRICK (Dec. 26th at 7am on SNKRS) — $80
FLIP. At $80 retail these could be a sneaky flip. Free returns through Nike if they don’t pan out.
Other news: Nike Dunks are reportedly coming to NikeID for $120. Super hyped about this. They will most likely sell out within an hour or so after dropping so start thinking about your designs. Keep in mind though, they probably won’t have the colors available that allow you to exactly replicate dunk colorways that Nike has previously released. However, I’m getting as close to a Brazil dunk as I can and adding to cart ASAP. Stay tuned for a release date at on these.
Next week preview: Bodega Dunks, Undefeated Air Max 97s
