The footwear game is unforgiving. One minute your brand can have the hottest sneaker on the planet, the next it’s a tired shadow of it’s former self. Consumers that once queued for hours, even days, to get a piece of that glorious pie, now focus their adoration elsewhere. But why has the Bapesta become the Britney Spears of the sneaker world?

There are probably many more reasons behind this than I can list here, but let’s take a look at some of the main contributing factors behind why Bape’s premium footwear hasn’t had the longevity of other top trainers.

Appearance – I think we can all still agree that Bapestas are attractive looking shoes. But is it the heritage of the design that has hindered it from being regarded as an all time great? I believe a large part of this comes down to the fact that Bape borrowed most of the sneakers aesthetics from Nike’s Air Force 1. In theory it’s a pretty good idea; make your shoe look almost identical to one of the world’s most recognisable trainers. Swap the swoosh for a star, throw on some bright colours and you’re on to a winner. Bape created a great looking shoe, but the problem is the AF1 is an iconic sneaker in it’s own right, and because Bape have used so many similar design features, it’s very difficult to hold it up there with the very best. If you can get a pair of Nike kicks for half the price, then you probably will.

Price- I don’t want to go into price too much for two reasons; Bape are not a cheap label in any aspect and price shouldn’t dictate a sneaker’s legacy. Anyone who is interested in streetwear will have the same mindset that they don’t want to be wearing the same clothes, kicks or caps as anyone else. If we did, we’d shop at GAP. So it’s satisfying to know that when you’re strolling around Miami in your Speedo and Bapestas, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see someone else in the same thing (though that could just be the Speedo). I believe that because of the steep price of the Bapesta, not enough people have worn them, and because of this they haven’t had a chance to love the shoe. There is no entry level sneaker with Bape, it’s all or nothing, and unfortunately for Nigo, a lot of people had nothing.

Collaborations- During it’s life, the Bapesta has come in quite literally every colour known to man. Whilst shopping, a friend once said to me “If you’re gonna have Bapes, then you want people to turn their heads in the street”, and he was right in a way. Part of their charm was the neon colours that other manufacturers rarely used on their footwear. The other huge selling point is their stellar collaborations. There is a fine art in collaborating, get it right (Jay Z & Kanye) and you go down in history. Get it wrong (Bone Thugs n Harmony & Phil Collins) and you go down the toilet. Over the years Bape have had plenty of success in this area and, to their credit, made some truly memorable sneakers. Spongebob was slick, N.E.R.D was S.I.C.K and DC Comics was, well, incredible. But we haven’t seen a great Bape x …. in a long time. Could this help propel the sneaker back to the top? Maybe, but who would be wearing it?

Endorsement- If you read Ahoodie, there’s a very good chance that there is a special place in your heart reserved for Bape. I’d also lay money that A Bathing Ape was brought to your attention by a global superstar wearing it or by name-dropping it in a song. Since 1993, some of the biggest names in fashion, music and art have endorsed the label, from Notorious B.I.G to Lil Wayne. A large part of the appeal was that the likes of Kanye and Pharrell were wearing these sneakers. Sadly, over the last few years this has slipped away from Bape, with less people in the limelight being snapped wearing Bapestas or talking about them on records. Take Odd Future for example; they’ve been papped in the Bape store, but you don’t instantly attribute them to the brand. Ask anyone even vaguely familiar with OFWGKTA and they’ll tell you that Tyler is Mr Supreme. Is it any surprise that sales of their 5-panel caps have gone through the roof? I think not. I’d welcome the opportunity to be the new Bape posterboy, but I can’t see it happening (yet).

Anyway, there are probably tons more reasons why the Bapesta has fallen down the ranks of the sneaker game than mentioned here. Will Bape ever drop the price? Will they do a collaboration with the Power Rangers and blow everyone out the water? Will Megan Fox be photographed wearing nothing but a pair of Bapestas and a smile? I don’t know, but one thing is for sure, the ape is certainly not king of the jungle at the moment!

Let me know your thoughts below or tweet me @ButchazUK