So, unless you’ve been under a rock somewhere, this morning, DEFCON released their latest Sk8-Hi Notchback Pro, in an all-black Multicam pattern colorway, and with it, they also created some apparel and accessories to coincide with the launch. This release was different from past ones, mainly because Vans and DEFCON decided to release the set solely on the DEFCON website. No skate shops or tactical stores received pairs to sell. I jokingly told my friends that the DEFCON release would indeed be a shit show, but at least we all were on a level playing field. The site didn’t provide us any info, so nobody knew what to expect, or could register an account for faster checkout. Turns out, this may be the best fucking idea ever! Sure, many lost out, but looking in the IG comments on DEFCONs account, it’s clear that a lot of people successfully purchased their first pair of DEFCONs, after failing with some of the past releases. When it comes to DEFCON, there will never be enough pairs made. Ever. There’s just too wide of an audience for such a limited product. It’s dope to see what DEFCON started as, even before it was labeled as DEFCON, and to see it become a brand that deserves all the hype and affirmation that it receives. This is what happens when your values and ideas come from an authentic place, instead of creating a story or hype to help sell something. It just so happens that there’s this really big military and gun culture that seemed to only really pop-up over the past 6 years or so. Add that into the growing Vans collector base, which we fully represent, as well as the sneaker reselling culture (yup it’s a full-fledged culture folks), and now you have a real cluster fuck of a situation, lol. Now it becomes about whoever has the most money to spend, will eventually end up with the pairs. What can you do? We live in an age of consumerism, where we feel we need to get our hands on everything that is dangled in front of us. My site doesn’t help that either, I know! But it is what it is. Highly sought after “stuff”, whether it be sneakers, priceless art, real estate, toys, etc., will always sell for what someone is willing to pay for it. So, feel happy for that person who was able to cop their first pair of DEFCONs today, and maybe one day, Vans will revisit these shoes, with some sort of a retro, and perhaps the hype will be gone, and those who were upset today will get them then, or maybe you may have moved on from Vans, the military, gun collecting, or reselling stuff, and you won’t give a shit. Maybe Vans will then need to create some “remember when” stories to help reinvigorate some hype again, although highly unlikely. I feel Vans gets to sit back and watch everyone else play these hunger games, while they continue to stay in their own lane, staying authentic. Staying true to their style. True to their ethos. Not giving into what mainstream pop culture says is cool.
Anyways, enough about that. Here’s a few pics for archival purposes, of the t-shirts, lapel pin, and pillow that also released this morning. Enjoy!
more pics after the jump
