The Intersection of Sneakerhead Culture and Racism in the United States of America”
Intersect, Vol 13, No. 2 (2020) “The Intersection of Sneakerhead Culture and Racism in the United States of America” Erin Gunduz The University of Virginia Sneakers are an omnipresent force in our modern world. Sneaker culture is effectively an encompassing platform that breeds self- expression and creativity. They have been a continuous presence throughout history, evolving in accordance to societal and cultural changes. Today, sneakers symbolize material status and wealth. However, this has brought on an abundance of sneaker-related violence within the United States, generally geared toward Black youth. The reasons for this type of violence can be attributed to several different components. Sneaker companies create artificial scarcity during sneaker releases, which maximizes product anticipation, consumer excitement and profit projections. This, closely coupled with significantly increased resale prices and glamorized advertisements (which can indirectly promote violence due to poor product naming), can transform sneakers into a dangerous commodity. However, it is one-sided to only place blame on an individual group. Rather, there are many other forces at play, representing a complex network concerning sneaker consumption and associated violence. Through extensive research and interviews, the exploration of the robust theory of consumption, in terms of class distinction theory and the transmission of taste, stimulated further investigation into racial social membership and consumption habits. This theoretical proposition has been used to explain that sneaker-related violence is a result of societal imbalance of values and social class, and racial inequality. In addition to statistical figures, it will be demonstrated through a qualitative measure that sneakers have the potential to bridge the gap between socioeconomic and racial groups across the United States, by acting as a medium for cross- cultural understanding.
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