In a nutshell the sneaker culture is simply the lifestyle surrounding the love and appreciation for kicks, but there's much more depth beyond the surface. Like many cultures there are points of origin responsible for helping to shape and mold the sneaker culture. Sneakers started as necessary accessories for basketball and skateboarding, but after the emergence of hip-hop and the NBA's infamous ban of the Air Jordan 1 added a sense of style and rebellion, what started as a trend and a hobby quickly transformed into a culture. The culture as we know it today is made up of 9 main elements in which keep it alive and well. These elements are as follows:
Collecting- the accumulation of sneakers with the intention of collecting.
Hunting - to seek out shoes that you want for your collection this includes the buy/sell/trade circuit.
Camping Out- waiting outside a store in hopes of getting you hands on a pair of shoes.
Customizing- adding certain specifications to your sneakers to add that extra flair.
Collaborations- a sneaker company and some other entity joining forces on a project.
Blogs/Forums- act as the community in which sneakerhead connect and communicate.
Battling- competition between seakerheads to see who has the best shoe game.
Art- refers to art inspired by sneakers such as painting, photos and sculptures.
Knowledge- refers to the obtaining and passing on of sneaker knowledge such as history, significance,and even release dates.
In an attempt to define the culture this is what i came up with, so feel free to leave your 2Cents!
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