Discussion-Hot-or-Not

Earlier this week we had been hit up by Baby Aztro via Twitter. He had written about a topic that has yet to be discussed and forwarded us the link to his thread; Is it still considered ‘Heat’ if everybody has it?’

This is really an open ended question that could have many answers. The term ‘Heat’ is used rather loosely nowadays. Much like the term ‘Hypebeast’… we all get hyped over something just as we all differ on the meaning of the term ‘Heat’.

On a personal level, ‘Heat’ is something old (in good condition) and/ or rare. However, there are many that see the term as something they like, love or enjoy having in their collection.

At this point in time, in the sneaker world, nothing is truly sacred anymore… everything has or will be released in Retro form eventually. The Air Jordan V Black/ Metallic Silver at one point in time would have been considered ‘Heat’ by many. It’s an OG colorway that in the early 2000’s had been made into a Retro release for the very first time. A few years later, 2006, there was another Retro release which sported the ‘PE’ number 23 on the side. Just a few weeks ago they were once again released to the public with a few changes and some would consider the shoe ‘Heat’.

Now, is the shoe really ‘Heat’? That’s really up to the person. If 2011 was your first time obtaining this pair of sneakers, it’s quite possible you consider that particular pickup ‘Heat’. If you own the Quai 54 Air Jordan V Retro, you may consider that ‘Heat’ as well.

As I said above, it’s an open ended question that remains to be determined fully. True ‘Heat’ is in the eye of the beholder. Any one person’s definition of the term can be used in many different forms. An OG pair of 1985 AJ1’s, in my opinion, is ‘Heat’… a 2011 re-retro released made into a GR is not.

If everyone owned a particular pair of shoes, could that be considered ‘Heat’? Is the term used too frequently now to have true meaning?

What are your thoughts? Is there really a right or wrong answer? I personally don’t think so but you may have a different opinion.

Let us know in the comments below and thanks to Baby Aztro for bringing this topic up.

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25 Comments

  1. I personally feel like this, now a days ‘Heat’ has become a cliche’ because if theres a website for kicks then they’re available. Rarity of kicks isn’t as high anymore because of the internet unless you have some samples or real P.Es………….

    Reply

    1. GOODLY PUT

      I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT PE STOOD FOR SORRY KINDA OF SLOW SHOULD KNOW BUT IM STILL YOUNG ON THE SNEAKER GAME

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      1. P.E. is an acronym for Player Exclusive shoes, shoes just made for NBA, NFL, MLB etc. athletes and P.E are not G.R. (general releases).

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  2. I agree with Monk…you can’t call it heat when everyone is rocking them. Yeah luckily some shoes still seem limited but, others are easy to get. I personally think Jordans are to easy to obtain. Not only does every website carry them all the shoe stores have them. Foams are more limited but, they require a certain taste. The downfall to shoes that are limited or carry that “Heat”, you gotta watch your back. Sad but, true. These dudes nowadays have no problems extinguishing your Flame

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    1. ”Heat” is exclusivity, rarity, history etc. The thing about heat is that there are different temperature levels.
      Pine green foams does not radiate the same heat as og blue Nike air foamposite one released in 1995.

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  5. I don’t consider “Heat” when everybody has the same kicks. That’s considered hypebeasts: someone who only cops J’s to look cool and fit in. I agree with the article “Heat” can describe kicks that are to be old (in good condition) rare and hard to find kicks. Now, those might be considered as “Heat”. IMO, people just throw around the word “Heat” to describe they’re wearing the best kicks out of everyone. For those who want to know other vocabulary here’s a link look for “CrazyMTF” under the comments: http://sneakernews.com/2010/08/07/collections-forever-fresh-professor-b-puma-clyde/#idc-container and yes I was new to the so called “sneaker game”. But I don’t care if I don’t have ALL the kicks in the world. I was mostly into AF1’s not J’s. But I’m trying though hahaha, now that I know 150+ sites out there and maybe pay rape prices until I get my small buisness going… Besides, “it’s not about who has the most; it’s about who knows the history.” (of kicks) – Dontay A.K.A. “DJ Don Handz”

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  6. I hear the term heat and think old school, but nowaday w/ all the retros its hard to determine if the shoe is OG or not (beyond some of the newer retros w/ obvious differences). A shoe in my collection comes to mind, I have an OG pair of AJ XIII BREDS from 1997 that are still in good condition, still have the OG silver Jordan box they came in too, I’d call those heat, but if I’m wearin them, its hard to tell they’re OG’s compared to the 2004 (I think it was 04) retro release. I have a pair of the Miami Night LeBron’s and I wouldnt call those heat, not yet anyway, I’d call them hypebeast, but I like having the harder to get kicks in my collection (South Beach’s, BIN 23 Premio’s, XX3 Finale’s, Eminem 2’s etc…) because every once in a while its nice to wear them and have some ppl notice, nothin better than striking up a convo w/ a fellow collector. And I agree w/ MvGalloway, most unfortunately people go to extremes and have no issues takin what you got or getting violent.

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  7. I got ever shoe released from 2004 and under. I consider every pair of my shoes heat. Even my 97 pros. Any shoe from 2005 (except the dmp pack) is not heat just a shoe.

    Reply

    1. The Carmine CDPs are heat

      Yeezys are Heat

      Any of the Yellow 4s are heat

      A whole bunch of dunks released after that are heat

      you are dumb….

      Reply

  8. “At this point in time, in the sneaker world, nothing is truly sacred anymore… everything has or will be released in Retro form eventually.”

    ^^
    love this statement. sad but true. thats why sneaker game has changed

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  9. Heat is shoes that’s hard to come by point blank lebron pre heat ray Allen 13 pe air Jordan motorsport 4 1995 and 2000 concord shoes like that

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  10. Interesting topics you guys are giving us for the weekends. One of the reasons this is on my short list for sneaker websites. Anyway, seems to me that heat is not heat anymore. JB is making everything available….completely taking the fun out of the sneaker culture. I think in 5 years they will see that it was a mistake.

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  11. i think the way the market is it will be hard to define what heat will be in the future everyone has everything and nothing is limted anymore and all they classic are getting retored by the sec

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  13. retro 11 concords will not be heat, when finish line, foot locker, champs, and some sport authority get jordans, then their obviously not so limited, i went to nike town (chicago) last december a few hours before they opened, their was plenty of cool greys, the dude working there told me they got almost 200 pairs, they do not make heat in little kid sizes, when do you see a 3-10 year old kid wearing retro 7 yotr’s, or wearing bin 5’s, bin 7’s, bin 9’s, retro 3 bhm’s, lebron south beach’s, those shoes are all heat, after december your gonna see all girls, and all little kids wearing the concords, theres no need to camp or get to the store or get there hours early, unless u live in a small town or city where theres only 2-4 shoe stores, but bigger citys, chicago, L.A. new york, boston, miami, houston, las vegas, etc. theres no need for late night madness like its black friday at best buy.

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  14. I think y’all are reading too much into a slang word heat means “hot” to a lot of people and a lot of sneaks are hot.I’m sure Nike doesn’t have a heat stamp at the factory to determine what heat is…and what about ogs that sat on shelves and r now considered heat…did the fact people liked them later make them heat even though they weren’t at the time??? This article is rediculous

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  16. if you can go get the shoe at footlocker and its marked down lol or is flooded it is not “heat” the only shoes that should be deemed as heat are the ones that noone can really get a hold of as of now the only heat jordans are the ones that are soon to be released and after they drop they should go right back down to being just a regular shoe…if you stand in line for 5 hours and go thru all that stress you might as well wait for a month and then look on craigslist for ppl who are selling them at retail in DS condition because the hype has died and the shoe is not interesting to them anymore…the only time jordans were worth something was when he dropped 3-4 colors PER YEAR and once they were sold out they were done…Eat is the low 13’s in navy white black and things like that that have come out and have never retroed nike and jordan should keep some of these shoes unreleased because it would ruin the hunger for rare shoes…if the shoe is ugly i dont care if 1 was released and you waited a week outside of JB GRINCH kobe or XMAS LEBRON are hideous shoes n the only way you will make it work is if you get dressed up like a damn christmas tree dummies!!! Huaraches early jays foams and pennys, pippens, AIR MAX 95 lets get back to the REAL sneaker head days this shit has gone pop culture and now rainbow color shoes are “HEAT” because of the qty???lmao i’ll keep stackin my boxes wit real shoes when skinny jeans and rainbow shoes go out of style i’ll pull out some fire for that ass

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  17. IMHO, the number 1 sneaker probbly in the kicks of the last decade of the 20th century is the air unlimited.

    Can anyone say they own a pair of these shoes? And as far as I know, everyone loved them (my dream sneaker, personally)

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  18. IMHO the ultimate heat sneaker could be the Air Unlimited…personally, my dream sneaker…

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  19. In my opinion heat is what you think it is. Whether it be a beat pair of Converse from your school days or the most recent True blue release. You gotta do you. Who cares really!

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  20. I agree with Lem I wear the J’s I want I don’t do it for the attention.Get a hobby clowns!You people act like your celebrities or something special.

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  21. “However, there are many that see the term as something they like, love or enjoy having in their collection.”

    There has to be some type of standard for what heat is… you cant simply say becasue i like my own shoe a lot that its HEAT. THen that would mean i could call a pair of reebok classics HEAT, and we all know they arent. I use to say that any shoe that cost over $300 was heat, and i still feel like that opinion of mine is valid to some extent. There are some shoes that are just overly hyped and they do cost more than $300…but if its truely heat the the price will increase and if its not, the price will decrease. We all know what HEAT is, its cool to be open-minded…but there is a standard. I bought a pair of royal blue foams when they just released recently and i dont call them HEAT, becasue I KNOW they arent OG. People just need to be real with themselves and stop calling GR shoes HEAT….its that simple.

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