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About every month or so, someone in the mainstream media will “discover” that sneakerheads exist. They often seek me out to ask what drives this phenomenon and what their value is. This blog will attempt to answer those questions.
Definition
A formal definition of a sneakerhead is a person who collects trades and/or admires sneakers as a form of hobby. Sneakerheads, like most collectors, are passionate and dedicated to their subject. Many are very knowledgeable about the origins and history of sneakers. Many spend a great deal of time and money studying the category and its past, while building their collections.
I have a deep respect for the passion, commitment and knowledge that sneakerheads possess.
History
Sneakerheads have been around since brands began to associate athletes with particular styles of shoes. In the 70’s, the best NYC street ballers had the coolest and rarest shoes, supplied by the brands. When Nike reintroduced the Air Force 1 at the behest of East Coast urban retailers, the fervor ratcheted up a notch. Serious collecting started with the first Jordan shoe, banned by the NBA. Other brands got into the act signing players and creating special shoes just for them. Then when Nike began re-issuing “retro” Jordan’s, new and old collectors sought to start or fill in collections. And then sneaker collecting was off to the races.
This article was curated from Forbes.com - Click here to read the entire article.
About every month or so, someone in the mainstream media will “discover” that sneakerheads exist. They often seek me out to ask what drives this phenomenon and what their value is. This blog will attempt to answer those questions.
