Salehe Bembury seems to be coming for the “Designer of the Year” title once again, as he nearly broke the Internet with his latest collaboration.
As previously reported by AfroTech, last year was a celebratory one for Versace’s Vice President of Sneakers & Men’s Footwear, since he was named the 2020 Designer of the Year by Footwear News for bringing the fashion brand to the forefront of the sneaker scene.
Now, Salehe Bembury may just have had one of the most anticipated footwear releases of 2021.
What do we know about the release?
On Dec. 14, Bembury released his shoe collaboration with Crocs, the Salehe Pollex Clog.
He teamed up with the brand to add his signature touch by using his fingerprint pattern to switch the traditional upper, HITC reports. The shoes also bring extra breathability to fashion with holes on the upper of the shoe.
“The ‘Crocs Pollex Clog by Salehe Bembury’ is an exploration of form and function that balances heritage and nostalgia while also opening a new mold to a collaborator, renowned footwear designer Salehe Bembury,” the brand’s website states.
To land a pair of the crocs, you had to create an EQL account and enter a draw. The collaboration featured two colors, Cucumber and Menemsha, and the latter quickly sold out.
The original release price was $84.99 without tax.
What's up with the resale game?
Since Bembury x Crocs’ release, the price of the Crocs Pollex Clog has reached as high as $1,000 on StockX — over ten times the shoe’s original price. As of this writing, the site stated that the “last sale” was for $800.
The fact that the Salehe Bembury Crocs are already on stockx for $1,000… Y'all can really kiss my ass. 🙄
We can't enjoy or have ANYTHING anymore, without people hoarding and hiking up the price.
YALL ARE ANNOYING.
— Devin Ki’Elle (@devinkielle) December 6, 2021
The expensive resale doesn’t come as a surprise as the state of the resale game has been in a frenzy over the years.
As previously reported by AfroTech, technology and hype culture have played a role in resale inflation. Nike, Jordan, and Yeezys, to name a few, have sold items for higher prices. Now, Crocs seem to be joining the chaos.
Where do we draw the line?
While Bembury x Crocs’ collaboration seems to have started on a high note, signaling more success to come, there was frustration with the reselling shenanigans that came with it.
“The sneaker game has been fried for years, but reselling Crocs for $700 is where we need to draw the line as a society. There needs to be an executive order,” Ahmad Davis wrote via Twitter.
The sneaker game has been fried for years but reselling Crocs for 700 is where we need to draw the line as a society.
There needs to be an executive order 😂
— AD. (@AhmadDavisPR) December 14, 2021
Another Twitter user chimed in with how hype culture has ruined the chances of real supporters to secure shoe releases.
If you got the Salehe Bembury Pollex Clog Crocs because of the hype around it or if you got it because you want to resell it I hope you have a bad holiday because that’s just f-ed up and not giving a chance for the persons who waited months for these and wants to wear it pic.twitter.com/ihAIjKqa2q
— 🤳 (@antisociaalclub) December 14, 2021
Due to the way the resale game is moving, it doesn’t appear to be letting up on its own anytime soon.
When's the next release?
If you want to know how to get your hands on the next drop, it seems unclear at the moment, but it may be helpful to pay attention to Bembury’s Instagram and Crocs’ website for more info.
