Mission: Deadstock Reminds Us Why We Fell in Love With Sneakers

On July 16 and 17, multimedia company FUTUREVVORLD (@futurevvorld) will host a vintage sneaker gallery–Mission: Deadstock–at Extra Butter’s Lower East Side location with contributions from industry leaders Jacques Slade (@Kustoo), Sophia Chang (@esymai), Sam Le Roy (@lleumass), Bernie Gross (@bamitsbernie), Bimma Williams (@bimmawilliams), and more. Sourced from secondhand retailers and personal collections, each of the curators will have vintage sneakers, worn and unworn, on display. These sneakers will be accompanied by a brief note as to why that specific sneaker has a special place in their hearts and aided in discovering their love for sneakers, fashion, design, art and culture.

Mission: Deadstock will be on display at:

Extra Butter Lower East Side

125 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

Saturday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, July 17, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Since the dawn of the blog-age and social media, sneaker culture has, in essence, lost its way, shifting away from a community built on a shared love for curiosity to disassociated individuals overconsuming for the sake of hype and trends. Consumers and collectors alike no longer buy what speaks to them, whether it’s a design element or personal connection through storytelling, but rather what websites and influencers tell them to purchase, based on what may have the most resale or social media value.

The goal of this gallery is to reinvigorate that founding spirit of sneaker culture, the one many of us fell in love with, while also pointing to the need for all of us to consume more responsibly, with secondary markets being a great source to keep existing items in circulation.

“In the late ‘90s and 2000s, in NYC, before sneaker culture was dictated by what plays out on the internet, I vividly recall walking into sneaker stores and stumbling upon silhouettes that I didn’t know existed. That element of discovery is currently missing from the equation,” explains Daniel Navetta, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of FUTUREVVORLD.

“As the sneaker community exploded, yielding a culture of nonstop “drops” and groupthink, brands produced massive quantities of footwear and put a tremendous strain on the environment. Mission: Deadstock serves as an opportunity to remind us that the most responsible thing we can do is purchase some of the incredible stock that already exists in the

marketplace. That offering doesn’t have to be boring either. Taking the time to unearth lesser known pairs can not only be a more responsible way to participate in sneaker culture, it can also reignite that forgotten euphoria of discovery and originality.”

Among the 40 sneakers on display, you’ll see: journalist Jacques Slade’s Reebok Pump “Dee Brown”; Andrew NG of @sneakerpreservationsociety’s Nike Air Icarus; Daniela Buck of @wideawakeearthquake’s And1 Tai Chi; @hartcopy’s Samuel Le Roy and his Nike Zvezdochka; Bernie Gross of Extra Butter’s Converse REACT Aero Jam; fashion entrepreneur Anisa Dash’s New Balance 990v3; artist Sophia Chang’s Reigning Champ x adidas Pure Boost, and so much more

During the weekend, patrons will also have the chance to purchase a commemorative Mission: Deadstock tee designed by Felipe Merida (@tipi_thieves) and printed by LQQK Studios on biodegradable blanks from Version Tomorrow.

And finally, at the close of Mission: Deadstock, FUTUREVVORLD will be auctioning off every pair that was on display with proceeds going to local charities that aid in recycling and waste reduction within the fashion industry. The auction will be announced on FUTUREVVORLD.com.

Mission: Deadstock will be on display at Extra Butter Lower Eastside–125 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002–on Saturday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 17, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

About FUTUREVVORLD

FUTUREVVORLD is a digital forum for terrestrials to discover, embrace and inform the growing sustainability movement in fashion, footwear and design. We are not perfect, and we understand that no brand is either, because true sustainability requires one to cease all production at once and subsist on what already exists. With that awareness, we are providing this community with a place to understand what’s possible and make bigger strides to protect our planet and its inhabitants. FUTUREVVORLD is an editorial platform, multimedia creative agency and incubator for Earth-friendlier projects.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.