I’d been watching the Air Jordan 40-14 “Ferrari” on StockX for over a year. Checking prices. Admiring that red suede. Imagining a pair in my collection.
But at $700-plus? I could keep admiring.
So when Nike finally dropped this pair in the US, I was excited. Here was my chance to get the shoe I’d been watching for so long at its $200 retail price. All I had to do was survive release morning.
You probably know where this is going.
Two Chances, Two Ls
My plan was ready before 9:00 AM: SNKRS on my phone, Foot Locker as backup. Two chances to land one pair.
When the drop went live, I jumped into SNKRS and watched the pending wheel spin. A few minutes later came the familiar disappointment:
“Didn’t Get ’Em.”
Foot Locker didn’t save the morning. A queue that went nowhere, a refresh, and then “Sold Out.”
That was it. After all that waiting, I’d struck out at both.
This one stung. It wasn’t a shoe I’d discovered the night before and decided to chase. I’d been watching this pair for a long time, and the chance to finally get it at retail had come and gone in minutes.
Back to StockX
After the drop, I went back to StockX to see where things stood.
The asking prices were now around $300. Still above retail, but a whole lot closer to what I was willing to pay than the $700-plus I’d been seeing.
That’s when the FOMO kicked in.
I’d already missed twice that morning. Now the shoe was within reach, and I started doing the kind of math sneaker collectors know well: comparing the price in front of me with the much higher price I’d refused to pay before.
Was I talking myself into it? Absolutely.
But I wasn’t going to take the asking price without trying a bid first.
I put in a bid for $265.
A few hours later, it was accepted. A pair was mine.
An L at Retail, a Pair on the Way
I wanted the clean retail win: hit on SNKRS, pay my $200, and enjoy the rest of my Saturday.
Instead, I got two rejections and a return trip to StockX.
I won’t pretend the bid was part of some master plan. I was disappointed, I still wanted the shoe, and FOMO absolutely had a seat at the table. But $265 was a number I was willing to offer for a pair I’d wanted for over a year.
Now I get to look forward to seeing them in person.
The morning started with “Didn’t Get ’Em.” A few hours later, the story had a different ending.
Want to see the pair that put me through all this? Check out the Air Jordan 40-14 “Ferrari” on Nike SNKRS.
What’s your move after a release-day L: walk away, wait for prices to settle, or put in a bid? Let me know in the comments.