FLIGHT CLUB NEW YORK - Sneaker Consignment Sorcery
-- On a recent Sunday, I ventured downtown to check out a footwear phenomenon. Flight Club NY is the first of its kind sneaker consignment store in lower Manhattan. While I had been to the store twice since it’s opening, I didn’t realize there would be a line outside reminiscent of a nightclub red rope.
There are pros and cons to being overly concerned with fashion. A store like this is death on wheels to a credit card. Humbled, I walked into Flight Club after waiting a few short minutes outside and was shocked at the sheer number of people inside the store. Inside the realm of “elephant print” and “mesh-toes,” I felt right at home amongst the fiends making a day of it in the village.
At the core of Flight Club's essence lies the purest form of footwear fetishism. At a time not too long ago, shoes used to be worn purely for functional. Circa 1980, Nike flushed out the shoe scene by transforming functionality to fashion bringing about the dawn of a new lifestyle. Sneakers became symbols of status, as young tastemakers embarked on a new love affair kicks.
Vintage clothing has been a fashion statement of one regard or the other for what seems like an eternity. As consumers, we suffer from a buy it now, pay later mentality in the quest for everything fashionable. Is it any wonder that we’re willing to pay top dollar for shoes of yesteryear? Flight Club actually sells old sneakers, and while they were created years ago, they seem to have been carefully preserved. All of the shoes I looked at were dead stock, and still had that fresh from Footlocker smell.
What contributes to the high prices of these shoes relative to others?? Many are limited editions, and some are even more than a decade old. First run Jordans, for example (inquire within), were first forged around 1984, when then struggling Nike stumbled across the wonder of celebrity endorsement. Within the store, the most-limited and exclusive shoes are in a glass case off to the back. Here is where you’ll find “Supreme Dunks” and “Zoo Yorks” retailing for well over a thousand dollars.
What’s truly unique about intriguing Flight Club? Unlike other sneaker stores scattered throughout the greater New York metro area, the products sold within are sold on consignment.
During my visit I witnessed many “sellers” dropping off shoes to sell within the store. What was shocking about the whole set-up was that many of the “sellers” were much more diverse than I would have believed. One white male in his mid 50s brought by a pair of limited editions to sell, while an Asian woman in her mid 40s haggled over the price she could pull down for a particular pair. Along with these two, there were many other more traditional sneakerists selling shoes as well.
So what do they sell? Jordans, Jordans, Jordans along with all other Nikes, shoes from A Bathing Ape, Reebok, Adidas, and pretty much any other company selling shoes with a compelling product line. If you haven’t checked it out, it’s definitely worth passing through if you’re in the New York Area. Most of the product can also be accessed on the stores website http://www.vintagekicks.com. The Flight Club gang just opened a store in LA that's sure to change the game, we'll bring you more on that later at a later date.
-Blane Thompson, staff writer shoestack.com
Flight Club
254 Greene Street
New York, New York
212.505.2330
