Sneaker collecting is the acquisition and trading of sneakers as a hobby. It is often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding. A person involved in sneaker collecting is sometimes called a sneakerhead. A sneakerhead may be highly experienced in distinguishing between real and replica sneakers. The birth of sneakerhead culture in the United States came in the 1980s and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols. The sneakerhead culture has emerged in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic during the early 2010s.
Styles and marketing
Several popular brands and styles of sneakers have emerged as collectors items in the sneakerhead subculture. Popular collections include Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Nike Dunks, Nike Skateboarding, Nike Foamposites, Nike Air Max, and more recently, the Nike Air Yeezy and Adidas Yeezy. Shoes that have the most value are usually exclusive or limited editions. Also certain color schemes may be rarer relative to others in the same sneaker, inflating desirability and value. More recently, sneaker customs, or one-of-a-kind sneakers that have been hand-painted, have become popular as well. Nike, New Balance, and Reebok also have custom shops where people can choose from the color, lettering, and materials that they want. Adidas discontinued their custom shop in February 2019. Nike continues to use basketball stars to market new sneakers. In 2011, the Zoom Hyperdunk was introduced through Blake Griffin. Nike has also employed celebrities from outside of the sports world to design and market new shoe lines. One example is the Nike Air Yeezy, designed by rapper Kanye West and released in 2009, as well as the Nike Air Yeezy II, released in 2012. Skateboarding, since about 2005, has been a major player in the shoe collecting industry especially with the variety introduced with the Nike SB and Supra product lines. Jordan brands most popular models include the Jordan 1, 3, 4, 11, and 13.
Sneakerhead subculture
The sneakerhead subculture originated in the United States during the late 1980s and had gone global by the end of the 1990s. Hardcore sneaker collectors in Britain, Europe, and the US buy online and go to outlets, sneaker events, swapmeets, parties, and gatherings in search of rare, deadstock, vintage, and limited edition shoes to invest in. Originally popular among urban black youth and white skateboarders, by the 21st century, it had also gained a sizeable Asian following especially in the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and China. Sneakerheads collect sneakers from many different brands depending on their preference. Popular brands for Sneakerheads are Nike, Air Jordan, Adidas, Converse, New Balance, Puma, Vans, Reebok and many others. Even though there is no restriction to what brands Sneakerheads collect, those usually taking the top spot are Nike, Air Jordan, and Adidas. In Complex's "Best Sneakers of 2019" list, eight of the top ten sneakers of 2019 come from Nike and Jordan Brand with one from Adidas and one from New Balance. As for clothing it is generally left up to the individuals personal style, although popular trends in sneaker culture usually overlap with Streetwear trends and styles. As of 2016, the most desirable colors for sneakers and apparel were black, red, and white due to their longstanding association with late 1980s new wave music, the Michael Jordan era of basketball, and old-school hip hop.
The sneaker market has begun to manifest itself in different venues. The growth of online retailing and auction sites has provided sneaker collectors with new methods to find the rarest shoes. Sneakers retailers have begun to adopt creative means to release these rare sneakers. Some retailers have implemented a raffle system where the winners are chosen at random while others have implemented a first come, first served model. These methods of buying the shoes have allowed all consumers to have a fair chance at buying the shoe. Jordan Geller opened the Shoezeum in San Diego, a gallery of collector sneakers. Foot Locker launched Sneakerpedia.com, a wiki based online community for shoe collectors. Due to the popularity of these rare sneakers and streetwear culture, the emergence of a large scale counterfeit market has risen to meet the demand for these highly sought after sneakers. However, in response to the large counterfeit challenges, new companies have taken off. The shoe reselling market is currently dominated by StockX and GOAT. These sites provide a trusted platform where buyers can buy shoes from sneaker resellers. The model works when the sellers send purchased items to StockX or GOAT facilities for inspection and verification, then authenticated products are shipped to buyers. Additionally, sneakers bought from StockX arrive with a QR coded tag on the shoe guarantee the authenticity of the shoe.
