The $32 Million Sneaker Reselling Allegations Against James Whitner | The Complex Sneakers Show
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- The biggest sneaker scandal of the year is the bombshell allegation that James Whitner, owner of sneaker stories like A Ma Maniere and Social Status, has for years resold millions of dollars of product, breaching his Nike contract and getting involved in what prosecutors say is an illegal money laundering scheme. In this episode, the cohosts respond to the allegations and what they might mean for Nike and Whitner. Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty also react to the long-awaited debut of Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God Athletics line with Adidas and rehash a controversial Complex list from 2014-yes, we put the “Red October” Nike Air Yeezy 2 that low. Elsewhere: Samba memes and re-soling your sneakers.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - 2:09: Host Intros
2:10 - 3:01: Mushroom Nike Air Force 1
3:02 - 9:25: Re-soling Your Sneakers
9:25 - 12:18: Nike Air Foamposites
12:19 - 17:06 : Adidas Samba Memes
17:07 - 21:14: Inter Miami FC x Adidas Handball Spezial
21:15 - 24:22: Footwear News Awards 2023
24:23 - 33:40: Reevaluating the Sneaker of the Year List 2014
33:41 - 35:16: Sneaker Cam
35:17 - 49:45: Adidas x Fear of God Athletics
49:46 - 1:14:37: James Whitner Alleged $32m Sneaker Resale Scheme
1:14:38 - 1:15:14: Outro
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COMPLEX is a community of creators and curators, armed with the Internet, committed to surfacing and sharing the voices and conversations that define our new America. Our videos exemplify convergence culture, exploring topics that include music, sneakers, style, sports, and pop culture through original shows and Complex News segments. Featuring your favorite celebrities, authoritative commentary, and a unique voice, our videos make culture pop.
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How widespread do you think backdooring really is at sneaker stores?
Depends on your definition of "backdooring" is, maybe not all shops are "backdooring" pairs, but all shops take care of the people they want to. Building relationships is "key"!
The delusion is real.
IT IS RIFE MATE!!!! IM FUMING.
It’s everywhere even in my little town in KY. I wish these companies would go to presale I could wait to get what I want.
Every store backdoors some stores just do it more then others
Can we get Dunne and Welty on next year's panel for Complex's Sneaker of the Year. Please invite some people who don't live in their own little sneaker bubble that only know dunks and Jordan 1s. We need more variety in the panel. Also love the idea of Ronnie Fieg being there. Do better Complex.
THIS ☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼
Brenden said he doesn’t want to do it. I asked 🤷♂️ but can we get a explanation as to why don’t you? Your subscribers want you guys there it will be dope
Agreed
Right! Those dudes like t get shoes 95% of people dont get or care for....
Thy really don’t give a f anymore.., just like Jordan brand
Welty has the best memory ever. I fully understand his point, style and influence in an overflowing river and it changes direction and intensity from the start to the end. I respect that he held strong, he's passionate about what he knows. Hats off to you my dude.
The greatest to ever talk sneakers (outside of actual snkr titans of course)
Agree 100% with this and there definitely was fatigue around solar yeezy influenced shoes
Can we get a JLP, Welty and Dunne personal top 5 of 2023 list again this year? I honestly care about this more than the overall complex list.
They also assisted in the picks on the Complex list
@@Resist_Oppression I know but I want to hear their individual favorites. Sounds like they'll add a few personal picks in when they discuss the overall complex list though.
Welty was right about the Red October. By December 2014 there was a lot hate toward the yeezy2 as a sneakerhead shortcut shoe. In reflection, the opinions changed overtime but right then,in that moment he was right.
Welty is now feeling what I felt like 5 years ago when sb dunks became cool all of a sudden and I was made fun of for years in school for wearing them
Welty is the person that wants something to be popular because of his influence and hates it when it becomes too popular and everyone loves it.
AMM & Social Status has been the most consistent & fair releases I’ve experienced since raffles started over 10 years ago.
The AMM collab I’ve haven’t gotten was the 4s. Everything else I’ve gotten retail - both Social Status dunks I’ve gotten too with a pair for my son.
@@StormBooker similar experience, Have 1/3/4/12/5 and also got about 5-6 pairs of Virgil’s the 10 collection through them out in Houston. Also have friends locally who hit on raffles too. It’s as fair as I’ve seen it.
We all knew "backdooring" goes on in some way, whether it's out the door to resellers pre-release or holding pairs back for loyal customers in smaller stores, but this - if true - is on a whole new level.
Audemars Peugeot 😂😂😂😂
hilarious and joe la pluma didnt correct him and its not the first time he does this.
If you ever entered a in-store raffle at Social Status you can't be surprised right LOL. Also, these guys can say all they want about being impartial about their opinion on Whitner but you can't argue there's a huge disconnect from them and us, the average consumer. We're getting the short end of the stick in this backdoor era. You can't discount when people complain online about it. PS: Long live the React Element 87!
James claiming that the company spends $500,000 on bot protection for raffle releases while the winning customers also get charged for said programs doesn't add up. I think a more accurate assumption is that the customers cover that cost.
He burned his first store in Charlotte up for insurance money
GO OFF WELTY !!!!!
The entire sneaker of the year from 2014 convo was excruciating lol
Welty always has the smartest commentary on this show… period
Instead of talking about allegations, let's talk about how trash the complex con panel was. Jimmy and the useless girl, Kristen, shouldn't have been there. Complex let us down.
I wholeheartedly agree.. I didn't like the bad mouthing of Dunne and Welty
Clark Kent is the most obnoxius person in footwear. Thinks he's the greatest collaborator of all time like bro nobody got them forces and nike aint make the 35 best shoes of the year for the 5th year in a row. Panel used to hold water now its a joke.
Why not discuss both?
I actually thought that Kristen was the least stuck in an echo chamber of anyone on the panel this year- she brought up the Jae Tips Sauconys and Yachty hadn’t even heard of them!
@@wlacostashe was the least annoying because she barely had anything to say 🤣
Matthew speaking to his faith is the beat part of this show. Keep it up buddy regardless of the trolls. 🙌🏻
I hate that Welty can’t just leave it at Joe disagrees. He then has to start it back up like he need to convince Joe otherwise 🤦🏻♂️
Joe was being purposely obtuse to what Welty was saying. Joe can’t seem to contextualize the past
I bought Spezial Handballs in 1998 in new York.
So can confirm they were available in the US.
I feel like those are great ways to look at the FOG adidas collab… IF YOU KNOW AND ARE FRIENDS WITH JERRY. For the regular sneaker fans and people who waited a long time, it was just a little bit of a let down. It feels like it was made more for those already fans of the FOG line and not fans of Adidas and that side of things.
This show is and always will be the best sneaker show outhere
Hmm. I can dig it. What are dome other good ones?
Sneak diss sneaker podcast
“Back to gravedigger mountain?”…”maybe.”..Im dying, so good haha 😂
In my opinion I don’t think restoring a shoe is considered fake. Every vintage vehicle going across Barrett-Jackson’s car auctions have been restored or repainted but no one says they are fake cars? I think shoes and cars go in the same category for restoration work and are not fake. Very unfair to the shoe industry
To each his own you know. It’s a matter of opinion. Wouldn’t knock anyone who restored a sole. But to me, it’ll be sorta fake. Unauthentic. Not truly factory made.
Can we get welty and dunne to replace jim jones and clark kent on next year’s panel? They’re out of touch with today’s sneaker culture and they’re stuck in the past. Also, if khaled or joe drop something this next year, it’ll automatically be in the top 5 sneakers of the year for them lol regardless of how irrelevant those drops were
Def Jim Jones - DJ Clark is forever cemented in sneaker culture. He fasho belongs
Welty with the GMM reference 😂 I died
Hey Complex: I will never watch that Complex panel show ever again.
Get rid of these entitled sneaker head panel guests who vote every year for AF1 regardless of what they look like.
99% of the sneaker community is not represented by these out of touch Clark Kent types.
denver watcher checking in: the samba is a big thing here too.
Great show guys. Thanks for the detailed James Whitner coverage. Fyi... I've had bad customer service issues with them ,i.e., they don't look out for their customers. I'd never buy their products again.
Texas Here, Can confirm rarely see people in sambas here.
The Stray Rats were at my outlet to and my buddy and I both picked up a pair too. Love those
They have stacks on stacks at my outlet as well!
Jim Jones talking about Easter feet’s is so cringe at 47 and I’m 41
Welty was spittinnnn today 🔥🔥
Anyone but Clark on the panel next year please.
That’s what I’m saying
So we all agree 👍
Samba thing is not regional. I live in middle of no where Canada and see them here. Was in Texas a month ago saw them there. Was in California a bit before that. Sambas are everywhere and it's great. Even my wife wants the Sporty & Rich Sambas.
Welty always making JLP and Dunne look like rookies when it comes to sneakers
30:26 they were over it at the time. And now they are liking it
People started liking it after the years not during the years Joe. Come on guys
@@TheMindUnlocked Hes a strightly nike guy. What can u say
I miss the days of normal people being able to wear the cool shoes for a retail price. Things have gotten so out of hand with back dooring I’m almost at the point of putting a stop to collecting. Man will this ever stop or are we doomed?
Great conversation as usual 🔥 can’t wait for next week’s episode
now i understand weltys question “do you resell sneakers ?”
I won on the 5s on their website. Email that day shoes a week later. Same with both 12s. I'll keep supporting a ma it's the best raffle system out there. The difference between Marcus Jordan and James Whitner is consumers, real people won the shoes. Those trophy room ones... we never had a shot
The fragment Jordan 1 was the sneaker that started the new Jordan 1 hype, no one can debate that and then the shattered backboards took it to an insane level of hype due to the material quality.
Going over the complex list is fine but 100% drop the top 5 personal shoes. Watching Dunne’s brain circle like a buffering youtube video while trying to think of the JFG’s is a top 5 moment.
great episode
anyone remember when Whitner was on the podcast and chose to say nothing about Trophy room and stood by Marcus Jordan
A-Ma-Monéy-Laundering! I think we now know why James was caping so hard for Marcus!
The back door crew 😂😂
@@thatguysixx Lol - code name The Whitaker Group 🤣
I dont know em I got em
That comment about grave digger mountain at the end 😂 i know Joe has to still be traumatized
Welty explaining why he thinks the red october wasn’t sneaker of the year just to justify it being sneaker of the year is hilarious
This was a great insight into how there list has been historically off.
Red octobers is the greatest snkrs shock drop ever. We were not “over it” when they finally dropped.
I love the Welty singing the GMM song
Complex got sold RIP to everything makes sense why FSR got cancelled
Fully with Welty on the debate about the importance of recalling the climate at the time the lists were put together. Of course things change! And of course it doesn’t make a whole load of sense - if any - to judge the thinking at the time years later.
A point which is even funnier when you watch this episode now in January 2024 knowing that Complex changed their end of year list for 2023 within a week or two.
Did Matt Welty make a sort of obscure Good Mythical Morning reference about JLP at the beginning of the show? Sure sounded like it.
Mushroom Air Force one 😂😂😂 whyyyy
It’s crazy how people come up here and talk so nonchalant and then their words on here are used in court 😂
Those "Solar Red" Rosche were hard! Pity that market at that time was over-flooded with a lot of Rosches that it made them less interesting.
When Dunne starts acting like he loves foamposites🤦🏾😑🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Nah keep it for the people that love them.
Fragment 1s are still The Most Over Hyped Jordan 1 High EVER MADE, Fragment has the Laziest Colabs. They just stamp their logo on a shoe a call it a day
welty showing his age " i wont ever get discord" is like my grandmammy back in the day saying ill never get that gmail thing
Shipping Confirmation email for my AMA 5s just came in as I’m sitting watching you talk about this. 1:05:32
You have sneakerheads and you have hypebeast. The 2 should not be confused as the same. 😂😂😂
Good try tho Ref 🤙🏾💯
How are we feeling about individuals that get game worn Air Jordans re-soled / restored and then reselling it back into the marketplace? Does it taint with history?
7:58 I don’t like the FSR slander from Joe, seems like hate for no reason, I’m starting to think Joe was jealous how dope and popular the show was getting and probably cut the budget just like they did Everyday Stuggle 💯
Welty is a cultural treasure, protect him at all costs
Dude is a clown
I think it’s easy to say Red October needed to be number 1 back then because in retrospect it’s a huge grail but you can’t judge a list of best shoes in 2014 based on what we think about them in 2023
fear of god is 1000% hypebeast nonsense
Totally agree with Welty.
I feel that Brendan and Joe gotta chill with their puns and their caption-style comments that they make when Welty is trying to get a point across. It’s kind of frustrating and disrespectful.
Welty out here giving the same logic about a new sole as fakes 💀
Looking forward to seeing the boys at complex con Australia !
would love to see you guys out in Aus!!
Dunne should have zero say in any top 10 lists.
I am always team Nike but dang, WELTY COOKED this ep!
shoutout to everything yall do. been a fan since rich maze lopez days
Welty straight up said "audemars peugeot" tryna sound cultured
Welty bringing religion into it was a weird turn I wasn’t expecting on a sneakers podcast
A few things to add to the "Red October" discussion. One, yeah, it should have been Sneaker of the Year. Two, we corrected that when we did the Sneaker of the Year book. Lastly, though the Pure Boost at #1 is an obvious mistake now, shout out to that crew for understanding that Boost was about to become a significant deal. It pretty much dominated the next few years of sneakers.
He did everything they accused him of. How TF you cancel an order, then they magically restock on your website?
31:13 yo Welty's neck veins are going crazy RN, you know he is enraged about this discussion lol
This is why Jim Jones want Welty of the sneaker of the year board
Travis Scott audemars what?
Welty cooking as usual
I agree with Welty about the red oct. he also got best shoe on episode!
18:00 Welty is so annoyed & happy at the same time
Welty is ahead of his time like all geniuses
Welty Right on them Yeezy's. Nobody GAF about a shoe that they missed and popped up on Ebay for $2000. Plus Ye himself was off em...
Is this why he offers no refunds on any purchase on social status. They refuse to respond my emails. While takings weeks upon weeks to ship items
Welty was right and made good points about Adidas in 2014. Joe and Brendan were either being dumb or purposely obtuse about what he was saying. Adidas was king back then
Welty def called the fear of god an adidas collab ! Chapter n verse , Welty starts with a W
I know you guys have interviewed him and have personal ties. But it'd be good to get your thoughts on why FOG athletics is sitting.
price tag mainly, but the entire collection is just uninteresting. we already went through half a decade (or more) of earth tones with yeezy. it is time to try something new.
because it is not all that?
I get what Welty was saying. It’s almost like a NBA draft. The Red October might have been number one overall in at some point by the time the draft came people had moved on and followed other sneakers (hyped by Kanye/ESPN). Years later people could look back and think it should’ve been the number one overall.
two Welty tangents in one episode...UGH!!!
Did brendan say a am 95 and whitner collab coming😨🔥🔥
Adidas FOG looks like a major flop…
Yea. My Jordan 5s didn't get shipping info until 2 weeks afterwards. Honestly thought that EQL was just ripping people off by refunding money but keeping that 5 dollar BS charge. The pair I got wasn't in the best condition either and the box was messed up. Going to be my last pair from them I believe.
Top 10 sneakers of the year with JLP, dunne, and welty before the years over!
In the time, boost made more sense than Red Octobers. Yeah looking back at it it's the other way around. Welty brings out a good point.
I would buy fake sneakers over kicks on that Complex top 10 list! 🤣 🤣 🤣
Welty is the 🐐
Bruh, Welty always has the wooooorst takes and tries so hard to change peoples minds for nothing. The red october argument is so pointless, by december 2014 people still wanted nike yeezys, satureted, maybe but not fatigue. At least Welty is consistent, bad takes and bad acting on FSR
Nobody laughs at anyone wearing any type of shoe, this guy is delusional about being the center of the universe... And now is super proud of the shoe being out there... The shoe was not awful before and it's not great now.. and if it has a moment had nothing to do with that guy wearing it 10 years ago...
Welty, I see ya in the Oneness anniversary bourbon G-Shock! Nice!