Sneakers are Interesting and Valuable Hobby

Jordan 1 low photo taken by Emma Balon

Throughout the decades, people from around the world have come together and unite for the sneaker culture. The sneaker culture is comprised of people who have interests, passions and love for sneakers, shoes, and any shoe-related collectibles. Pusha T once said, “The passion for sneakers has been there since day one, but I never held onto them. I never shrunk wrap them. It's always been about getting it, buying it, wearing it, showing it and moving on to the next one.” There are a multitude of ways that people can express themselves through wearing your shoes. The culture of sneakers has value as a hobby in 2021.

StockX, a website where you can buy and sell your shoes, depends on customers to interact with sneakers on the app. According to CNBC, StockX finished in 2020 with over $400 million dollars in sales in 200 countries. Once this app was created, the way to purchase shoes online was changed. For a company like StockX to sell shoes, authenticate them, then ship out to the buyer is quite convenient without even meeting the seller.

This brand has changed the game of the sneaker culture through the market, you can get real-time updates on the changes in prices and how shoes will almost always keep a value. Determining the value of shoes is usually the number of pairs made and seeing how much hype has been generated by the shoe. If a celebrity wears the sneaker, then possibly the shoe raises its value. This process is what keeps sneakerheads on the tips of their toes and wanting to find out what the next

The rise of the sneaker culture has been brought to the attention of many fashion designers such as: Virgil Abloh, Tinker Hatfield, and Jason Petrie. These designers have a ton of respect from people because they create some of the most iconic sneakers in history . Tinker Hatfield, the designer for the Jordan Brand line, has created in his words “a masterpiece” of a brand that he has made. Each pair has their own creativity and design to it.

Jordan 3 hyper royal photo taken by Aaron Trach

This just shows the appreciation that people have in the sneaker culture because of the camaraderie it brings with people.  Sneaker Con is one of the biggest sneaker conventions in the country, and you can buy, sell, and trade sneakers there. Social media has a lot to do with the growth of the sneaker world. If you post something on social media, then anyone that could be interested in those shoes you has just posted will interact with you. It is the fact that more people are getting involved with one another to talk about shoes.

Some may argue that shoes are expensive and ugly. As some people look at shoes as expensive crap, sneakerheads look at shoes as art. Steve Jobs once said, “There are sneakers that cost more than an iPod.” Art is very opinionated, and the same goes for shoes. Shoes have a purpose, to protect your feet, but they could also serve another purpose of being an art form.

Some other people argue the waste of money. Shoes all have their values, and you can buy shoes low and sell them high just like stocks. It is all a gamble, but it is the game we play. Shoes are just another collectible thing that people get their heads around, and it excites people.