Adidas debuted the EQT Support 93/Berlin sneakers, created in partnership with Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Berlin's public transport authority in January. The EUR 180 shoes also act as an annual pass for the city’s public transport for one year (a significant saving, given that a regular pass costs from EUR 728). 500 pairs of the sneakers were released and – as you’d expect – all the shoes available sold out, with some customers even camping outside in an attempt to buy them. The sneakers were released this month in honor of BVG's 90th anniversary.

On the surface, this ‘just’ another brand collaboration, if a relatively novel one with its clever fusion of form and function, and its limited release. But dig a little deeper and this example will also help you understand some of the epic shifts in what constitutes status and desirability. 

First, these sneakers weren’t especially expensive. In fact, the wearers will save money by wearing them, making them the exact opposite of traditional conspicuous consumption. Second, consider one of the brands behind them: the local public transport authority! Hardly your typical object of desire for those immersed in underground sneaker and streetwear culture.  

But that’s the point: ‘post-status’ consumers can do whatever they want, including flaunting their embrace of the mundane in an almost-ironic BRAND FANATICISM. Why? Because it says something profound about who they are: “yes, I exist in an ocean of marketing messages, but I choose to celebrate traditionally uncool brands because I understand consumer culture and I am in control.”

So, if BVG can reach these famously hard-to-reach consumers, what’s your excuse? 😉 Time to get thinking!

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