Sneaker culture

W

Also called Ws, dub, take a W

A W is a win. Borrowed from sport, it is used across sneaker culture for any release you managed to get: an entry that was selected, or a checkout that went through before the stock ran out. It is the everyday word for a Got 'Em, and it is also said as a dub.

In use: Two sizes tried, one order confirmed and shipped a week later: a W, and the only one that month.

A win, said quickly

W is short for win. On a limited release it means you got the pair: your entry was selected in a Draw, or you reached checkout first on a first come, first served drop. People take a W, post a W, or say dub, which is just the letter read aloud.

What it does and does not imply

A W is about the outcome, not about skill. On a Draw the selection is random, so a W one week and an L the next are the same process producing different results. Nobody is good at being picked, and anyone selling you otherwise is selling you the wrong story.

It also does not mean the shoe is in hand. A Got ‘Em starts an order that still has to be paid for and delivered. A W announced before the payment has gone through has a habit of turning into something else a few hours later. The safe version is to count the W when the shipping confirmation arrives.

L is the opposite, Got ‘Em is the message SNKRS sends, and to cop is to get the pair by any route at all, retail or resale.

Related terms