It's hard to beat the excitement of copping a new pair of sneakers. From the adrenaline rush you get as you approach the front of a line-up, to the thrill of unboxing them for the first time — it's a euphoric sensation that could be compared to a drug-like high. And that's because it actually is a drug-like high, psychologists say.
Highsnobiety recently interviewed a number of subjects regarding the topic of sneaker addiction. It turns out, our behaviors may be more fiendish than we could have ever imagined. The instant gratification that we feel after copping a new pair affects what psychologists call the "hedonic treadmill."
Essentially, the idea behind the hedonic treadmill is that everyone is programmed with a set level of happiness and that any changes, whether positive or negative, will only temporarily change one's mood before returning to its predetermined state. In other words, no matter how many dope sneakers you purchase, they'll only bring you temporary pleasure.
Much like developing a tolerance to a drug, the excitement felt after copping a new pair of kicks is diminished as you continue to feed the habit. The more sneakers you buy, the less you are able to appreciate each individual pair.
"As a psychological coach, I would suggest that anyone with a large sneaker collection – and that includes me a while back – might have got more attached to the short term buzz of buying and acquiring a new pair than to the long-term enjoyment of actually wearing them," one expert said.
So, how can you slow things down and get as much enjoyment as possible out of your collection? "I would suggest people hold off buying a new pair and play a game with one that they have just bought. Every time you look at them, appreciate something more about them – the design or work put into them, what they mean to you from your past and future etc.," a psychologist said.
You heard the man: wear your sneakers, appreciate your sneakers, and stop putting so much emphasis on what's coming next.
