Sneaker collecting
Sneaker collecting is the acquisition and trading of sneakers as a hobby. It is often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding. A person involved in sneaker collecting is sometimes called a sneakerhead.
Sneaker collecting came to prominence in the 1980s in New York City and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols. Sneakerhead culture has extended beyond shoes designed for particular sports, and overlaps with streetwear trends and styles. By one estimate, the sneaker resale market was worth US$10 billion in 2021.

Background
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.Sneaker culture became global by the end of the 1990s. Originally popular among urban black youth and white skateboarders, by the 21st century it had gained a sizable Asian following, especially in the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and China. Sneakers have had cult followings in Japan since the 1990s, where many American fashion brands remain highly covetable. Outside the US, Japan is one of the only markets where limited-edition styles (particularly Nikes) have had region-exclusive releases.Sneaker collectors buy online and go to outlets, sneaker events, swapmeets, parties, and gatherings in search of rare, vintage, and limited edition shoes. New launches of popular sneaker models increasingly take place via online raffles through mobile apps. Collectible sneakers can usually be resold for well above their original retail price, including certain collaborations with various athletes and celebrities. Popular fashion trends in sneaker culture usually overlap with streetwear trends and styles.

Styles and marketing
Several popular brands and styles of sneakers have emerged as collector's items in the sneakerhead subculture. Popular collections include Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Nike Dunks, Nike Skateboarding (SB), Nike Foamposites, Nike Air Max, and the Adidas Yeezy line. Shoes that are valued most are often exclusive or limited editions, and certain color schemes may be rarer relative to others in the same sneaker. Several sneaker manufacturers have custom shops where people can choose from the color, lettering, and materials. One-of-a-kind sneakers that have been hand-painted have become popular as well.Nike continues to use basketball stars to market new sneakers. In 2011, the Zoom Hyperdunk was introduced through Blake Griffin (a Los Angeles Clippers player and NBA 2010–11 NBA Rookie of the Year). Nike has also employed celebrities from outside of the sports world to design and market new shoe lines. One example is the Nike Air Yeezy, designed by rapper Kanye West.

Nostalgia
Sneaker collecting is largely inspired by the history and the nostalgia behind different sneakers. For sneakerheads, it is not always about acquiring the latest releases or having the most expensive collection. The majority of sneaker lovers have a deep history behind the sneakers they wear and collect. One popular motive behind collecting sneakers is based on what people watched and who they looked up to as a child. Athletes and superstars are people who have a significant impact on individuals and the shoes they purchase. Growing up in the 1980s when Air Jordans were first released, kids looked up to basketball players who were wearing the latest styles.Mainly due to the media, there has been a great deal of traction around the sneaker collecting culture. Articles, TV shows, radios, etc. are all forms of media that has brought attention to the world of sneakers. Through these outlets, children were able to see and listen to their favorite athletes wearing the latest shoe styles. This is where the history comes into play: at a young age when sneakers first gained popularity, the issue was that these shoes were either unattainable because of popularity or due to the aftermarket price tag that parents were unwilling to pay for.The sneakers individuals see their favorite celebrities wearing from an early age is one of the reasons why the shoes they buy create such a sentimental feeling. Sneakers that were once so desirable yet so unattainable from a young age is something that individuals can afford as their lives go on. The feeling of acquiring a pair of shoes that you have been eyeing since you were just a kid is what makes sneaker collecting so special and nostalgic.

Sneaker stores
Stores such as Kith, Concepts, Rif LA, Union LA, Undefeated, and more are places where sneaker lovers enjoy spending time. Flight Club was one of the first consignment shops to open in 2005. Sneakerheads have made Flight Club a destination to see some of the most exclusive, rare, and famous sneakers in the world firsthand. Flight Club has been referred to as a museum for sneakers, with multiple sections dedicated to different kinds of sneakers. A full wall holds all of the latest Nike, Jordan, and Yeezy releases, while another section holds some of the rarest and most expensive sneakers with a price tag of upwards of $50,000. The store also holds a section with the entire line of 1985 Jordan 1s, the shoes that helped start the sneaker culture and craze. Flight Club along with many other stores not only serve as a place to buy sneakers, but a place to experience the excellence of sneakers in person that were once only a digital image in their minds.

Industry growth and reselling
Sneakers have some of the highest resale multiples among retail consumer goods. Sneakers are resold for prices that can exceed 10x return on the most coveted, low-production releases. In the 2010s, the sneaker market expanded into online retailing and auction sites. Some retailers have implemented a raffle system for online and in-store sales, while others have implemented a first come, first served model. Nike launched its SNKRS app in 2015 to give better access to its latest sneaker releases. The app implements multiple variations of raffle systems – notably 10-minute-long "draws" – and as of 2020 mostly eschews the first come, first served model. (Nike still sells the vast majority of its products via its separate, non-SNKRS-related app, along with sales through traditional brick-and-mortar sellers such as Foot Locker and large department stores.) Apps like SNKRS were made to give ordinary buyers a fair chance to purchase a given pair, but with mixed results. While Nike has the financial wherewithal to continuously improve the app to prevent internet bots from exploiting it, this is generally not the case with small, independent sneaker boutiques; on many such sites, bots and proxy servers in particular (which "spoof" IP addresses to obfuscate multiple purchase attempts from a single buyer) have made it difficult to purchase popular sneakers via scheduled releases before they sell out. The old-school sneakerhead community routinely expresses distaste for the resale community, especially buyers who only do so for profit, not appreciation for sneakers' history or artistry.The high value of limited-edition sneakers has given rise to a large-scale counterfeit market. In response to the large counterfeit challenges, new companies have taken off. The shoe reselling market is dominated by StockX and GOAT, and eBay launched its own authenticated-sneaker initiative. These sites provide a trusted platform for sneaker resellers, though on occasion they are accused of delivering counterfeit shoes that somehow passed their "legit checks," the specifics of which are kept close to vest. On both StockX and GOAT, a buyer places an order for a given pair of sneakers, and the seller sends the purchased item(s) to StockX or GOAT facilities for inspection and verification; products are shipped to buyers if they are successfully authenticated. StockX allows registered users to watch and track resale prices in real time, along with publishing longer-term pricing and sales trends for sneakers that have been available for extended periods of time. Additionally, sneakers bought from StockX arrive with a QR coded tag on the shoes as an ostensible guarantee of their authenticity, but some buyers have nonetheless claimed that the shoes they have received are fakes – though given the opaque nature of online sneaker reselling in general, it is rarely possible to discern whether such claims are accurate. Authentication apps like CheckCheck, Legitmark, and Legit Check App By Ch were created to stop problems with counterfeit shoes. These apps are designed to help other users who lack knowledge in the sneaker community. People pay and send pictures to experts where they are "legit" checked.While StockX and GOAT have not disclosed how many sellers on their platforms sell goods en masse, they are believed to be the most popular outlets for doing so; StockX sold $1.8 billion in merchandise in 2020 alone (including sportswear and some other lines, but predominantly sneakers). StockX estimated the secondary resale sneaker market to be worth $10 billion in 2021 and to reach nearly $30 billion by 2030.

Sneakerhead slang
During the 2010s, teenage sneakerheads influenced by hip hop fashion and skater subculture began to develop their own jargon. Commonly used words include:

See also
Benjamin Kapelushnik (sneaker reseller)
Just for Kicks (documentary film)
Sneakerheads (TV series)
2010s teenage fashion
Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee character)
Josh Luber (Co-founder of StockX)
Jordan Geller (created the first sneaker museum, ShoeZeum)

References
Further reading
Michael Khan, "Sneakerheads show sole devotion to footwear", The San Diego Union-Tribune (September 28, 2004).
Richard A. Martin, "The Rebirth of the New York Sneakerhead", The New York Times (July 11, 2004).
Michael Tunison, "'Sneakerheads' Kick It Up a Notch in Search for That Rare Pair", Washington Post (Saturday, February 17, 2007): D01.
Eric Wilson, "Front Row; Sneakerhead Bonanza", The New York Times (March 23, 2006).
Bloomberg, "Sneaker Culture and Street Wear on Bloomberg TV", Bloomberg TV (January 31, 2012).
Cool Hunting, "'Where the Ladies At'", Cool Hunting (October 11, 2005).
Douglas Brundage, "A Close Reading of Hypebeast’s “Streetwear Impact Report”, Medium (May 26, 2019).