text: History Consumers started to collect, trade and resell sneakers in the 1970s, and the sneakerhead subculture came to prominence in New York City during the 1980s. Sneakers such as the Adidas Superstar and Puma Suede were popularized by b-boys and hip-hop artists, and Nike's Air Jordan line revolutionized the industry with its marketing linked to superstar basketball player Michael Jordan.
  During the 1960s and 1970s, street basketball was widely played in the streets of the Bronx. One of the important rituals among the players was "stepsies", which was a game for everyone to step on a player's new sneakers. A clean pair of sneakers indicated that the player was weak. However, with the rise of hip hop music, a "clean and fresh" look gained popularity and the game of "stepsies" lost favor. Since the 1970s, there has been a strict rule against combining rival brands. For example, a person wearing Nike sneakers with Adidas track pants would be considered as someone going against the culture. This type of violation lowers a person's reputation and shows their lack of awareness of the culture, similar to forgetting to remove the tag from a designer suit. This practice led sneakerheads to favor one brand over another, resulting in strong brand loyalty. Although the concept of brand exclusively has diminished, the art of mixing brands properly has evolved as streetwear, luxury fashion, and sportswear became significant aspects of sneaker culture.