Image via Complex Original
I began collecting sneakers my freshman year of college, during the fall of 2001. I had a job, I had disposable income, and I didn’t have to rely on my parents to supply me with money to move around in the streets. I worked at a major retail chain selling shoes, and I was good at it. I could tell you about supination, pronation, gait, and everything else you needed to know about sneakers from both an aesthetic and technical standpoint. I loved and still love shoes, and that was reflected by the kicks that I had in my closet.
You have to understand, things weren’t like they are today. There were no mainstream sneaker blogs and the only time magazines showed love to sneakers were a few pages in SLAM or a fashion feature in your favorite hip-hop mag. Or maybe you got a peep of them in a music video or from a commercial, but that's it. Sneakers weren’t pop culture—they were sub-culture.
That’s how I, and many others like me, stumbled upon Niketalk. We needed more. It was the game changer.
From Niketalk, you discovered that there were more freaks out there just like you. It was like X-Men, and you’d found out there were more mutants amongst the people than you first thought. That was the spawn. The network was there, the inspiration was there, and more importantly, the kicks where there.
Fast forward a few short years to the middle of the decade. The web was blowing up, social media was in its infancy, and a boom of sneaker culture emerged from the depths of the digital world. There were sites like Crooked Tongues, Sole Collector, Superfuture, The Hundreds, and, of course, the behemoth that was Niketalk was still going strong. Brands became increasingly aware of the influence that these sites had on kids who, like I did coming out of high school, had buying power.
There were always collectors, going back as far as sneakers have been around, but now these companies had a vehicle to reach the masses directly. Now, what was once a nuanced, underground street culture had turned into an emerging mass-consumer business with levels to it. Rappers were getting in on the act, becoming brand ambassadors and starting their own clothing lines and sneaker collaborations. Shops had exclusives, and the evolution of the camp-out and release-day madness would soon occur. It would set the tone for the way things are handled a decade later, for better or for worse.
Social Media
A decade ago, Twitter and Facebook were in their infancy. Myspace was king, and message boards were the go-to for people who wanted to be in the know. Of course, AOL Instant Messenger was a way to communicate quickly with another sneakerhead. Now, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, group texts, and YouTube all run the landscape. You can find out when a shoe releases in a small shop in Kentucky as quickly as you can learn that Nike is about to drop new product on their site. We are truly connected. With social media rising in popularity and big budget commercials on the decline, the shoe game saw an influx of social media influencers. Now, the seed list is as elusive a spot as being the first in line. Send a guy a box and tell him to throw the product on Instagram. It’s the way the game is played now, and since it’s cost effective, it’s unlikely that it will go away.
Frequency of Releases
The business model has changed so much in the last decade. Companies rely on the web to push product, and moving inventory to brick-and-mortar locations has dwindled. Do you remember when December was the time to cop the most fire Jordan Retro? Even quick strikes and hyperstrikes have meant that sneakerheads have to stay on their toes and near their phones at all times. The demand for product coupled with the ease of distribution has seen releases change from every month to, often, bi-weekly. Why send to a shop when you can simply put the shoe online every weekend?
Resellers
Research shows that the secondary market is upwards of $1 billion. There were small-time resellers in the mid-00s, but the lengths that consumers go to purchase their kicks has changed dramatically. Relationships with store employees and managers used to be key. The interpersonal hookup was cherished as you were literally doing backdoor deals to cop multiples. In 2016, bots buying out stock and secret links to kicks all mean that it’s grown increasingly difficult to obtain the sneaker you want, because they’re sold out online before you’ve even had a chance. The money changed everything—and now everyone wants a piece of the pie.
Marketing
Sneaker commercials are dead. The aforementioned explosion of social media has led to companies discovering new ways to connect with their buyers. Why spend thousands of dollars on a commercial budget when we can throw a pic or two on Instagram? It could also be said that the amount of television viewing among young people has dropped dramatically in the last 10 years. The aforementioned emergence of influencers has taken the creativity out of the way brands have to market to consumers. Now, it's simple and to the point.
Sneaker Summits
With message boards came smaller, localized groups who would eventually meet up. They’d even make events out of camp-outs for heads who obviously had similar interests. Some may recall that those summits were special occasions where you brought out your most fire pair of Jordans, Dunks, or Forces. These days, sneaker events are held in convention centers and gyms where there are contests, resellers looking for a come up, and buyers looking for a steal.
The Rise of the Musician
Sure, in 2006, Pharrell had a shoe with the Ice Cream/BBC line. Even Lil’ Jon had his run with A-Towns. But in 2016, artists are collaborating with brands left and right. adidas and Kanye, Drake and Jordan Brand, Rihanna and Puma—all examples of how the masses are following trends set by musicians, and not athletes, in the sneaker world. When Kanye wears any shoe, it sells out, and every company is looking for that next big thing.
Material World
Sneakerheads have always cared about quality, and they’ve always cared about material. The customer base is more knowledgeable than ever before, and they know what does and does not work. In 2016, kicks are more than just leather, patent leather, suede, and canvas––they’re primeknit and tech fleece. The past decade has seen what is only the beginning when it comes to finding comfort and performance. It’s completely possible that this is the best time ever for fans of advanced footwear.
Counterfeit Sneakers
Fakes are a huge part of the equation these days, as they look more and more like the real thing. Sure, the websites and resellers get shut down, but in an endless game of whack-a-mole, they always seem to pop up again. “Unauthorized” and “replica” shoes are a huge market, and it’s completely different from their predecessors, because the colorways are identical and the shape of the shoe is less obvious. It’s only getting more difficult to tell the difference between real and fake, and while purists are completely against the notion, more and more sneakerheads are turning toward the grey market to satisfy their needs. Interestingly enough, the old fakes were so absurd that there was a comical element to them: Imagine seeing someone with Spongebob Yeezy Boosts or “Invisible” Jordan Is in 2016.
Fashion
The best thing about looking at old photos is looking at how poorly dressed you were back in the day. In ’06, the all-over print hoodie, bandanas, wallet chains and Bathing Apes were at their peak. A decade later, a subtler, more simplistic style dominates. High-end sneakers from Europe are as popular as the technical runners and retro Jordans in 2016. Smaller companies like Asics, Saucony, and Diadora are also making a strong push into the market. Individuality is at its peak, and hopefully we won’t look back in 2026 and wonder what we were thinking.
The Culture in Its Entirety
We've seen something that we love change before our eyes. The generations that raised us had a dress shoe, a work shoe, and a sneaker for yard work. A decade ago, the scene was what it was: Emerging. You were doing something first and there was no precedent set before you. Today, there’s a generation of heads who have seen their older brothers, sisters, cousins, and parents turn to collecting. It's hit the mainstream. Everyone is in on it—and what a time it is.