The essential guide to sneaker terminology

Confused about what ‘deadstock’ or ‘quickstrike’ indicates? We put together a compendium of sneaker slang you need to know

As a growing subculture in India, sneakerheads have developed their own language and lingo. With new sneakers launching almost every day, we thought we’d keep you up to date when it comes to sneaker slang, especially if you’re a newbie in the game of buying, selling and collecting sneakers. We’ve put together a pocket dictionary of sorts that will help you polish your sneaker vocabulary. Let’s ‘kick’ in.

Kicks

Let’s start with the easiest, most basic of the lot. ‘Kicks’ is another word for sneakers. If someone says “nice kicks” to you, they mean that you’re wearing a pair of cool shoes.

Cop

‘Cop’ is one of the most common words you’d have heard your sneakerhead friends say. ‘To cop a pair’ means to buy a pair of sneakers.

Beater

A ‘beater’ is a beaten-up pair of kicks that are worn over and over, usually accounted as an ‘everyday pair’. What makes these beaters special is that the stains and dust they gather lend a bit of character, making the pair your own.

Drop

The word ‘drop’ indicates the newest release of sneakers or merchandise, usually part of a limited edition that has a specific time window to purchase.

Hypebeast

A ‘hypebeast’ is that person in the group who has and wants to ‘cop’ every limited-edition pair of ‘kicks,’ even if they are not particularly to their taste and style. A ‘hypebeast’ lives for the hype, consuming it to be seen as the best of the rest.

Reseller

A ‘reseller’ is an entrepreneur who ‘cops’ the latest ‘kicks’ and sells them in the aftermarket, usually at a higher price. Many have made an entire business out of reselling sneakers, some of whom you can find in our feature here.

Grail

Unlike a ‘beater,’ a ‘grail’ or ‘holy grail’ is more often than not a very special pair of sneakers you have on your bucket list. In a way, ‘grails’ are the shoes that would fulfill your soul (pun intended) once you add them to your collection.

NIB

In its full form, the abbreviation ‘NIB’ means ‘New in the Box’ or ‘Brand New in the Box’ (BNIB), in a literal sense. It refers to an unworn pair of sneakers that are available in their original box.

Retro

A ‘retro’ model is a pair of sneakers that were launched previously but have been released again. ‘Retro’ sneakers give a chance to many who may not have had the chance to get their hands on them earlier. On the other hand, they also tend to have a higher retail value the second or third time around due to their popularity.

Deadstock

Also known as ‘DS,’ ‘deadstock’ initially meant sneakers that weren’t on sale. But these days, ‘deadstock’ or even ‘DSWT’ (deadstock sneaker with tags), is used to describe an unworn pair of sneakers, one which is mostly used for sale, purchase or exchange.

Restock

When it comes to a retailer or a reseller, the term ‘restock’ translates into previously sold-out sneakers that are now made available. Those Nike Air Force 1s that you couldn’t find anywhere but are suddenly available with a reseller is exactly what ‘restock’ means.

Flaking

This is a slang term for a reseller who backs off the deal at the very last minute, after agreeing to the price of the sneakers, and the time and place for the deal. You better be careful of them if you’re trying to ‘cop’ new ‘kicks’ from a reseller.

Aglets

Do you see those metallic tips at the end of your sneaker’s laces? Well, those are called ‘aglets’. Yeezy made aglets cool by selling high-quality, heavy, one-inch plated Air Yeezy Aglets in multiple colours.

DMP

As an abbreviation for ‘Defining Moments Pack,’ DMP indicates a special two-pair collection of Air Jordans of Michael Jordan’s thirteenth and fourteenth signature shoes.

Tonal

‘Tonal’ is another word for ‘monotone’ because ‘tonal red’ sounds way cooler than ‘plain red’.

Heat

In the world of a sneakerhead, the word ‘heat’ means the complete opposite of its actual definition. It’s a cool-guy thing to say that a pair of sneakers is rare or cool. Don’t miss the irony here.

Quickstrike

To add shock value, ‘quickstrike’ or ‘QS’ indicate limited-edition sneakers that are ‘dropped’ unannounced and, of course, in limited quantities.

Flip-flop

‘Flip-flop’ indicates a situation when sneakerheads change their opinions on a new sneaker release; for instance, when a certain unenthusiastic ‘drop’ turns into a ‘must-cop’ at the very last moment.

Tackies

‘Tackies’ or ‘takkies’ is a South African term for sneakers, used to indicate a status symbol for people who were fortunate enough to have disposable income to be able to afford sneakers.

Deubre

Coined by Nike and made popular thanks to Air Force 1s, ‘deubre’ is a tag usually found on the bottom of the shoelaces which have information related to shoe model, the name of the shoe or a collaboration.

SE

The term ‘SE’ is widely used in the sneaker culture as a ‘Special Edition,’ referring to pairs which are typically designed to be released on certain occasions or events.

High, lows, mids

Pretty much self-explanatory, ‘highs’ are high-top sneakers that go well above the ankle. ‘Lows’ are typically cut below the ankle or lower. ‘Mids’ indicate mid-top sneakers that sit between ‘highs’ and ‘lows’.

VNDS

This is neither a cuss word, nor does it mean ‘winds’. ‘VNDS’ is short for ‘Very Near Deadstock,’ which hints at a pair of sneakers that has been tried or worn very briefly, yet passes off as ‘deadstock.’

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