If you have followed Kanye West all over the years, you should know by now that one of Kanye’s mission is to conquer the fashion world with shoes inclusive.
Apart from the fact that he makes good music, he has never failed to portray how good his fashion sense is. After the release of the Red October shoes, which was successful of course, everything has been sailing plainly for him.
The “Red Octobers” were Kanye’s final sneaker with Nike. At the time of its release, it was declared the greatest and legendary sneakers. It went down as the most single anticipated sneakers of all time.
What is the Red October shoe?
As aforementioned, the Red October shoes were Kanye’s final production sneaker in collaboration with Nike.
The shoe got sold out globally at the time of its release globally in less than a few minutes, originally priced at $245.
Kanye West designed this footwear as a monochromatic scarlet finish with an exquisite eye-pleasing at luxury. It sells out every time it’s released and it stands out each time due to its companion colorways.
It is contrasted with metallic gold lace tips, the standard anaconda texture is made in rows upon rows of small triangular studs.
The Red Octobers were surprised to release shoes when they first dropped in 2014, they arrived on a Sunday in February of that year.
After the Yeezy 2’s unique run shoe, the Red October added to the mystique. As predicted, they sold out immediately after Nike announced their release on Sunday 2014.
Features:
- Style: Designed by Kanye West, it features a rear sculpted reptilian influenced spike (anaconda) with an engineered strap to offer symmetry.
- Like the molded rear, the exterior part of the shoe close to the outsole features a series of miniature spikes, replacing the “anaconda” leather.
- Outsole: The red October being a part of the classic Yeezy collection glows in the dark. It features an entirely red upper, lining, midsole, and laces.
What is special about the Red October shoes?
The Red Octobers are the most talked-about sneakers ever created. The Red Octobers are probably the most coveted shoes of all of Yeezy’s collection.
Due to the surprise release of the shoes, it ended the contract between Kanye and Nike. This alone has to tell you how special they are but the Red October shoes are rarely made even after they got sold out in seconds, no one really knows if they’ll be a re-release.
It is the rarest and most desirable sneaker ever to be made and they were released exclusively online.
Do Red October shoes glow?
Yes they do, they do not just glow, they also glow in the dark only this time, with a red radiance.
From my personal experience, I purchased a pair for men size 10 as a mere daily sneaker that would draw so many attractions which it did.
I dropped it in my closet so I decided to wear it on a very good day and to my greatest surprise, I could see it glowing from afar and when I got close, it still glowed.
So, there you have it, the “Red Octobers” known as the Yeezy 2 glows and they also glow in the dark.
Why is Red October shoe so expensive?
You’ve probably heard of the saying which says “perception is bigger than reality” and this saying is exceptionally true in the world of fashion.
There are certain factors as to why the Red Octobers are so expensive. If you ask me, these shoes are worth the price and if you look at the quality, design, comfort, and durability, they deserve to be that expensive.
Come on, merely looking at it, the quality is different from other regular shoes.
Below are the intangible factors that drive up costs:
Production and manufacturing factors
These shoes were made from high-quality materials and asides from that, someone has to construct, create and distribute the shoes to eventually grace your feet. These factors play a part in the price of the shoes.
Limited production
As mentioned above, no one knows when the Red October will be re-released and so it contributes to the price.
We all know that when a particular shoe is wanted by all, the supplies are limited and the price goes up. That’s just how life works.
They are made from high-quality materials
Brand
Well, the brand plays a major role in the cost of goods. For a company like Nike you shouldn’t expect anything cheap and if they collaborate with stars like Kanye plays a major role in the price.
They invest a lot in building their image and they also know that people for what they perceive as the right reputation and image.
How many Red October shoes were made?
Despite being designed by a western man, and at the time of the release, it was said that there were 5000 pairs made for the Red October globally and they are limited to 1000 pairs worldwide.
After Kanye left Nike, the shoes stopped production. A full month after its release, it became very high in demand and it ended up becoming the hottest shoe in the world of sneakers.
Red October’s price
After being released on the 9th of February 2014, the limited quantities were originally sold via the app at the retail price of $245.
As we all know that it was a surprise release when it dropped in 2014, they were only available on the Nike website.
Ever since then, they have never been released again and they might likely never will. In the secondary market, they sell widely at $8000.
On eBay, the bid for one pair when up to 10 million pounds ($16.4 million). Kanye and Nike had some issues and in November 2013, Kanye slammed the brand for refusing to pay him his royalties.
They parted ways and Kanye allegedly signed a deal with Adidas.
How can you tell if Red October shoes are real?
It gets pretty hard to tell the difference between the two shoes and ever since the production of the Red October came to an end, many persons released different versions of it and they claim it’s the real one.
So, if you’re a sneaker lover like myself, I’ll be telling you how to differentiate between the real and the fake version.
Carefully inspect the logo, cage, tongue, and toe box
If you take a good look at the side of the sneakers where the Nike logo is placed, the real ones have their logo well placed, neither too sharp nor less sharp while the fake sneakers have their logo looking too sharp than they have to be.
As mentioned above, the logos and pyramids on the side of the Red October shoes are the most reliable spot to look at when buying a Red October shoe.
Not only that, I have prepared this guide to tell if the Red October shoes are real or not.
Inspect the pattern of the pyramids and logos on the side of your Red October
You must have already gotten the main idea but I’ll mention it again. If you want to tell if the Red October shoes are real, you’ll first need to inspect the logo on the side of the sneaker.
If you take a closer look at it, the logo on the real ones is less textured and defined.
Inspect the cage on the Red October sneakers
This part of the sneaker is also located on the side but more close to the frontal area.
When you take a good look at the fake one, the pyramids on the cage look bigger, sharper, wider, and far stretched than the real ones but the real Red October shoes have a moderate-sized pyramid on the cage.
The red Octobers tongue
On every fake Red October tongue, the diamond-shaped element looks unshielded and very visible while on the real Red October tongue the diamond-shaped element is well covered and less visible
If you also take a good look at the circle with an eagle inside, the fake sneakers look more textured and defined than the real Red October tongue circle.
The toe box
You need to carefully analyze the toe box of any Red October you purchase. The real Red October’s toe box is quite slender while the replicas have their toe box looking a bit more inflated and curvier.
The general look
The overall look should be able to tell you if they are real. The real Red October shoes have a good generic red color, the measurement of the real ones are smaller in height with more curves in terms of width.
The inner interface in the real ones has an obvious curve and the tip of the sneakers is distanced from the ground to a greater degree.
If you also look at the toe cap, you’ll notice that the mesh in the real ones is open with a net-like appearance.
The suede is also another thing to look out for, the suede in the real Red October has a napped finishing so it is much softer (you can press gently to feel it).
The hoop loop symbol on the real Red October is more detailed and outlined.
The heel counter at the back of the real Red October is wider but the fake ones always fail to replicate this properly and as a result, they end up with a large bump that is not attractive to the eyes at all.
The stitches on the real ones are symmetrical and even. They follow the same pattern and even the inner stitches are symmetrical and neatly done.
The words written on the insole of the real Red October are a bit faded, washed out, and thin to look at.
Price
Before you even decide to inspect the Red October, the price should be able to tell you if they’re real or not.
The real Red October shoes were sold at $245 initially but after production stopped, the price rose up to £4,000/£5,500 but now depending on the size, we should be looking at £10,000/£12,500.
The fake ones sell at a cheaper price to lure people into buying them.
The strap, upper, and eyelets
The next set of things to look out for whenever you want to tell if the Red October shoes are real is the upper, strap, and eyelets.
The strap
On the undersides of the straps, if you look closely you’ll see a set of hieroglyphics (the fur is more distinct) that make up Kanye West’s name.
The drawings on the rubber is lightly drawn with the copyright symbol clearly visible.
Upper
The real Red October shoes have a unique upper design. The plastic spikes that make up the lateral panel are smooth and they are already glued onto the fabric.
Eyelets
The Red October eyelets have a small metal ring around them to improve their structure. They have a gloss finish across the ring and a less visible line detailing.
Conclusion
After over a year of news and anticipation of the Red October, they were finally released and they didn’t disappoint.
Kanye West was spotted wearing it in 2012 during his music tour and apart from the chaos that surrounded the release of the Red October, the shoe still stand out as one of the best shoes that have ever been made in history.
They are very comfortable, durable, and breathable. Production for the new release for the Red October has been rumored to start in the nearest future but however, but no confirmation has been made for it yet.
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