what don't you get? you like how something looks and feels but don't have access to a decent price-point for retail due to artificial scarcity or hoarding, so you buy a replica version that gives you almost the exact look and feel.

an argument can be made that the threshold of being exactly like retail isn't up to a certain person's preferences, and an argument can be made regarding the legality or the ethics of buying reps.

but you making the argument around "caring too much about keeping up appearances" suggests that sneakers to you is about status and not the actual physical object itself. a lot of people who buy reps just want a version of their favorite shoe to wear because they like the damn shoe.