- Fashion
- March 23, 2022
An Ode to Sneakerheads
*Sneakerhead: a person who collects and trades sneakers as a hobby, and who typically is knowledgeable about the history of sneakers.
I used to always think investing in high end sneakers was a complete waste of money. I would be out for a morning run and never understood why people were lined up outside of sneaker stores like Cool Kicks LA (@coolkicksla) waiting for the latest hottest drops. The process has become more sophisticated over time with apps like Confirm and SNKRS allowing collectors to play the odds from the comfort of their home.
Sneakerheads have changed in terms of gender, age, and race. In the past sneakerheads were associated with urban African-American males. Now we see young and old, black and white, educated and the uneducated hustling cop to the latest and greatest.
My opinion about sneakers changed when I started living with one. My man is not exactly what I would’ve considered the demographic of a sneakerhead. He is an extremely successful professional who dresses rather conservative for work. But when the weekend hits you can find him standing in his closet trying to choose between Yeezy’s, Jordans, New Balance, Puma, and who knows what else. We had a pair of barely worn Yeezy – Beluga 350 V2 Reflective Originals that he sold for more than what he paid for them. It was then that I realized that the sneaker game is big business.
I’m new to the world of sneakerdom but there are some who have many many years in the game like @kingoftrainers, Franklin Boateng, if you want descriptions of some of the newest releases and video reviews, he’s your guy. If you want to get funky and cop some custom kicks then @theshoesurgeon not only can create a unique pair of customized sneakers but they also teach workshops so you can learn how to do it yourself.
Some women heavy in the sneaker @SherlinaNym’s fire sneaker collection has its own room, @TeeLeeper because she is a woman whose love for Nike is infectious, and @rebeccahyldahl who highlights some of the best sneakers for women around the world.
The sneaker business is like the stock market. I’m not joking. This is a global business. They literally have a website called StockX which is a marketplace where you can bid, buy and sell the hottest sneakers. “Real-time prices that reflect the current demand.” I like the stock market so this where I start to understand the magnitude and power of the sneaker.
Of course, I have acquired a couple of my own. We are native New Yorkers so the standard, for me, is always going to be a pair of low top all white “Uptowns” aka Air Force 1’s.
My man doesn’t care for the all white version but I love them. I have them in black high tops and white low tops. But the all whites are a staple. I guess you can say I’m a convert and you can expect to see a lot more posts about our latest sneaker acquisitions.
Thank you to all of the sneakerheads around the world for showing me the light.
Hi! I'm Nina Daniels
A recently married native New Yorker aka Long Island B.A.P.* who was hoodwinked by the love of her life to relocate from Los Angeles to the DMV. I’m a comedian by night and homemaker by day.
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