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時尚
On the back foot
漸落下風
After a surge in interest, trainers are becoming less popular.
球鞋曾經風靡一時，現在熱度正退去。
A few years ago trainers were the footwear du jour.
幾年前，球鞋是最時髦的鞋履款式。
Rubber-soled shoes, the kind sported by sportsmen, strode down catwalks and corporate corridors.
橡膠底的球鞋，就是運動員穿的那種，踏上了T臺，也走進了公司走廊。
Patrons queued for hours to get their feet into the latest pairs and flocked to websites and auction houses to bid on trendy styles.
顧客們排上好幾個小時的隊，只為穿到最新款式，或者蜂擁至各大網站和拍賣行，競相搶購潮流款。
Today the queues outside trainer stores are shorter and less frequent.
如今，球鞋店外的排隊人數更少，排隊次數也更少了。
Styles of trainers (or sneakers, as they are known outside Britain) that once sold for more than quadruple their retail price, such as limited-edition Air Jordan 1s and chunky Yeezys, are being offered at a discount.
曾經售價超過零售價四倍的球鞋（在英國以外叫做sneaker，即運動鞋），比如限量版AJ1和厚底Yeezy，現在正在打折出售。
Are customers running away from trainers?
顧客們在遠離球鞋嗎？
“Sneaker culture is dead,” Qias Omar, a “ShoeTuber” with more than 3m fans across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, complained recently.
“球鞋文化已死。”在油管、Instagram和TikTok上擁有300多萬粉絲的鞋履博主齊亞斯·奧馬爾近日抱怨道。
“Sneakerheads” who trade in trainers worry that the resale market, valued at around $6bn, is stumbling.
買賣球鞋的“鞋迷”們擔心，目前價值約60億美元的球鞋轉賣市場正陷入困境。
Online marketplaces in France and the Netherlands have recently gone bankrupt.
法國與荷蘭的線上轉賣市場近期已破產。
Sneakersnstuff, a European retailer, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing “a global decline in the limited-edition sneakers market” (it has been acquired by a German investment firm).
歐洲零售商“球鞋之類”于一月申請破產，理由是"限量版球鞋市場在全球范圍內下滑"（該公司已被一家德國投資機構收購）。
Since 2021 the value of sales of fashion and lifestyle sneakers has decreased by 5.8% in America after adjusting for inflation, according to data from Circana, a research firm.
根據研究公司“希爾加納”的數據，自2021年以來，美國時尚與日常類球鞋的銷售額經通脹調整后下降了5.8%。
According to Drew Haines of StockX, a resale platform, this is about the trainer market returning to normal.
轉賣平臺“X庫存”的德魯·海恩斯表示，這標志著球鞋市場正回歸常態。
Interest in sneakers surged during covid, when people were stuck inside in slippers and had free time to browse collectible items such as wine and watches online.
疫情期間，人們對球鞋的興趣激增，當時人們穿著拖鞋被困在家中，有了空閑時間在網上瀏覽各種可收藏的物品，比如葡萄酒和手表。
With offices and schools closed, shoppers sought more casual forms of footwear.
隨著辦公樓和學校關閉，購物者們開始尋求更休閑的鞋款。
Youngsters became especially fond of sneakers, filling their wardrobes with pairs to match every outfit.
年輕人變得特別喜歡球鞋，會在衣柜里放上好幾雙，用來搭配不同的衣服。
The pandemic also disrupted supply chains, which made sneakers scarce and inflated prices.
疫情還擾亂了供應鏈，導致球鞋稀缺，價格飛漲。
The end of pandemic-era “sneakermania” is not the only reason rubber soles seem less trendy.
疫情時代"球鞋熱"的終結并不是橡膠鞋底的球鞋顯得過時的唯一原因。
Brands restricted supply before covid, using limited-edition “drops” to create excitement around specific lines.
疫情前，各大品牌就采取了限制供應的策略，通過限量版"新品發售"來為特定產品線營造熱度。
But recently they have pumped out lots of product, even restocking once-rare styles prized by collectors, says Dylan Dittrich, author of “Sneakonomic Growth”, a book about sneaker collecting.
關于球鞋收藏的《球鞋經濟學增長》一書的作者迪倫·迪特里希表示，最近各大品牌大量出貨，甚至重新補貨了一些曾經稀有、深受收藏者追捧的款式。
Although this strategy can pump up sales, it lowers demand and pushes prices down.
雖然這一策略能提振銷量，但也會降低需求，壓低價格。
Counterfeits have also come on in strides.
假貨也在大步前進。
On Reddit, a social-media site, shoppers praise the high quality of sneaker “reps”, or replicas.
在社交媒體Reddit上，購物者們紛紛稱贊"高仿"運動鞋的高品質。
Nike’s limited-edition collaborations with Travis Scott, a rapper, are among the most counterfeited shoes in the world; buyers report that fakes are 99% accurate.
耐克與說唱歌手特拉維斯·斯科特聯名的限量款球鞋是全球被仿冒最多的鞋款之一，購買者反映，假貨的仿真度高達99%。
But there is another, simpler reason why sneakers have slipped: changing fashions.
但球鞋銷量下滑還有一個更簡單的原因，那就是時尚潮流變了。
Some styles are passé, notably those by Yeezy, a brand owned by Kanye West.
有些風格已經過時了，最明顯的是Yeezy款，這個品牌屬于說唱歌手坎耶·韋斯特。
(Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy in 2022 after the rapper’s antisemitic outbursts.)
（阿迪達斯在2022年終止了與Yeezy的合作，原因是這位說唱歌手發表了大量反猶太言論。）
Pairs that are in fashion right now, such as running-inspired shoes by brands including Hoka and On, are better suited to athletics than auction houses.
當下流行的鞋款，比如Hoka、昂跑等品牌推出的跑步風格運動鞋，這些鞋子更適合出現在運動場，而非拍賣行。
Sneaker enthusiasts are being lured by other forms of footwear, such as boots, loafers and ballet flats.
球鞋愛好者們正被其他類型的鞋款吸引，比如靴子、樂福鞋、芭蕾平底鞋。
Sportswear firms are trying to cater to changing tastes.
運動服飾公司正努力迎合不斷變化的喜好。
New Balance and Hoka have released loafers, and Adidas has created sneaker versions of Mary Jane shoes.
New Balance和Hoka都推出了樂福鞋，阿迪達斯也設計了運動鞋版的瑪麗珍鞋。
Golden Goose, a maker of luxury sneakers, is now also known for its cowboy-inspired leather boots.
奢侈運動鞋品牌“黃金鵝”現在也以其牛仔風格的皮靴聞名。
Fashion houses, which brought sneakers to catwalks years ago, are collaborating with popular shoe brands for different looks instead.
時裝品牌曾在多年前將球鞋帶上T臺，如今正與流行鞋履品牌合作，打造不同風格。
In 2024 Louis Vuitton worked with Timberland to create limited-edition outdoor boots; Balenciaga released a line of sandals with Crocs.
2024年，路易威登與添柏嵐合作，推出了限量版戶外靴，巴黎世家則與卡駱馳合作發布了涼鞋系列。（注：卡駱馳即洞洞鞋的創始品牌。）
Meanwhile, sneaker collectors are seeking only what others do not have.
同時，球鞋收藏者們只追求其他人沒有的款式。
In a recent sportswear auction at Sotheby’s, the world’s largest auction house, many Nike shoes sold for below their estimated value.
在全球最大拍賣行蘇富比的最近一場運動服飾拍賣會上，許多耐克鞋的成交價低于預估價值。
The priciest pair, fetching $190,500, was worn and signed by Kobe Bryant, a basketball player who died in 2020.
價格最高的一雙為19萬零500美元，籃球運動員科比·布萊恩特生前曾穿過這雙鞋并有親筆簽名（科比已于2020年離世）。
These days, Mr Dittrich observes, “It takes a special sneaker to produce special prices.”
迪特里希指出，最近這段時間，"只有特別的球鞋才能賣出特別的價格"。
