These are the sneakers most likely to skyrocket in value when the coronavirus panic dies down, according to the founder of the largest sneaker event in the world
- Alan Vinogradov is the cofounder and organizer of Sneaker Con, the largest sneaker event in the world.
- He's in contact with hundreds of sneaker vendors and has a sense for what type of shoes generally do well on the market.
- Though the coronavirus situation is causing less people to buy and sell shoes, Vinogradov predicted which shoes will go up in value once the situation calms down.
- He advised people to buy pairs of The Nike SB Dunk Low Travis Scotts or the Jordan 5 Retro High Off-Whites.
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Though he runs the largest sneaker event in the world, Alan Vinogradov says he and his Sneaker Con team consider themselves to be sneakerheads more than event planners.
"We're sneaker guys," Vinogradov told Business Insider in an interview. "We just happen to do an event. But sneakers are our life and it's all we care about."
Through his passion as well as his connection with hundreds of vendors through Sneaker Con, the largest sneaker event in the world, Vinogradov has his hand on the pulse of the resale market. As such, Business Insider spoke to Vinogradov about his recommendations for navigating the resale market amid dropping sales and stunted sneaker production amid headwinds from the coronavirus, which has infected more than 111,000 people worldwide, with most cases in China.
"I really do believe that right now is a great time to be buying," Vinogradov said. "You should be buying certain models that you think are favorable to the sneaker culture and holding onto them."
Vinogradov specifically mentioned two pairs of shoes that he saw as likely to go up in value once the coronavirus situation becomes more manageable: The Nike SB Dunk Low Travis Scott and the Jordan 5 Retro High Off-Whites.
Vinogradov said that the Off White Jordan 5s are great shoes that he believes are sitting at a fairly cheap rate right right now compared to what they will likely be in the future. The Travis Scott SBs, born of a hyped collaboration between Nike and Travis Scott, sold out shortly after they were first released online.
"My prediction is if and when this situation quells, I really do believe there will be a significant ramp up," Vinogradov said. "Because we've had some of the best releases we'll see all year."
Vinogradov said he expects to see a surge in demand for the two pairs mentioned above.
"Based on what trends we've seen in reselling culture and sneaker culture is that, if there's a specific a model people are hunting for, they're going to go out and buy it, right? You know, people want that specific model," he said.
Business Insider spoke to Vinogradov about the impact of the coronavirus on the sneaker resale market as a whole, though he explained that everything at Sneaker Con itself has been pretty much stable.
"I'm personally surprised because I really thought that people would react in a much more reserved way, not wanting to be out there," Vinogradov told Business Insider, referring to the recent tendency for people to want to stay away from large crowds to avoid any contact with the coronavirus. "But it's been pretty much the opposite of that."