The Sneaker Culture

Dating back since the first launch of Air Jordan 1 in 1985 by Micheal Jordan, the sneaker community grew ever so rapidly. Many brands soon gained traction, most notably: Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and many more. It’s currently 2020 and the popularity of sneakers seems to be growing, attributed to the number of releases throughout the years.

I recall learning the notion of sneakers after middle school (for I wasn’t too much of a fan of them) and it was quite a journey. It was by the end of 2017 when the Air Jordan 1 Chicago Off White by Virgil Abloh (who remained a staple in the sneaker community) released and the resell prices were astounding (at the time). These shoes which initially retailed for $200 were reselling for around $500 to $800, ridiculously high for an average person. But this was just the beginning. See, as I was barely learning about this community, the prices of these limited shoes began to grow exponentially. Right now, if you want to buy them, you’re looking at around $4,000 or even more!

This was around the time where Off White began to collaborate with Air Jordan for a number of releases (EX: “The Ten”). And without a doubt, these shoes are reselling for large amounts of money. Now Off White is just one small example. There have many multiple brands that have collaborated with Nike & Jordan in the past, and their prices are quite hefty.

Without a doubt, rappers/hip-hop artists, and celebrities are the sole drive for the popularity of sneakers. Give our attention to artists like Kayne West, Pharrell, Travis Scott, Drake, Lebron James and other influential artists. These individuals often collaborate with notable brands or promote rare shoes through their social media. This in return increases the prices and popularity of the sneakers.

Travis Scott Promoting the Upcoming Pharrell Promoting His Collaboration

Air Jordan 1 x Dior Collaboration with Adidas "Pharrell x NMD Human Race"

Lebron James using the Kayne West using his upcoming

Offwhite x Nike Dunk Low Collab Yeezy's with Adidas

Now how does one acquire these very sought after shoes? Well, there is a number of ways to go about this, via the “Nike Snkrs App”, “Adidas App”, select retail stores, raffles, or friend/family connections. As a side note, don’t expect to automatically purchase them, there are thousands of people who wait for them and are sold out under seconds. Don’t worry, that’s the norm for the sneaker community and it’s never too late to join.