Personal Value

In interviewing my subjects, I found that, like myself, many men have personal connections to as well as the culture that surrounds the sneaker industry. While the aspect is a large part of sneaker collecting, for some collectors it is much more than just style that draws them to not only a specific , but to the entirety of the culture as well. I came to realize that for many of the men whom I interviewed, style was not at the forefront of their purchasing decisions. The ideals and values varied between participants including beliefs such as, “It’s a simple flex. And it’s not too over the top, like you’re not wearing a Gucci jacket or something. Its just a pair of sneakers… that probably cost as much as someone’s paycheck.” Or

“I started to get into at a really young age and have carried that with me, I think one of the really interesting things about guys and fashion; about athletic shoes in particular [is] it does serve as kind of an interesting indicator about who that person is, before you even really hear them speak.” The men whom I interviewed all had their own reasons for getting involved in sneaker culture. However, what I found interesting is that more often than not, what drew men to sneakers and to the sneaker community was family. For some it was a family member that first introduced them to sneaker culture such as Subject 5, who recalls how he was introduced to the industry. “It really started early with my mom. She would get me all the Jordan’s that would come out when I was younger, as well as… my two younger sisters at the time, so we would all have the matching Jordan’s.” Similarly it was Subject 3’s parents who first introduced him to high end sneaker’s at young age, some of which he still has. “ was my favorite player growing up and of course everybody knows Jordan’s, so probably I think I had my first pair of Jordan’s when I was little, like 1, 2 or 3. I think I was a one year old when I got my first pair of Jordan’s. I still have them, and I hang them up on my rear-view mirror in my car.” Sneaker collecting, like many hobbies, draws people together to form a community and is something that people want to share with one another, including family members.

Rather than learning the ideals of being a sneakerhead from his parents, Subject 1 is the one who is now passing the culture down to his son; Something that he says has become much more special than collecting for himself. “So, people's heads explode when they come by and visit about how many shoes [my son] has, and of course he doesn't care, he’s a toddler. But I'm trying to instill these values early on… and it's kind of our thing. So, I'm able to channel the sneaker culture… and I'm not only selfishly thinking about scoring some for me, but I’m thinking its gonna look even better for him.” Being able to share his love for sneakers with his son is important for Subject 1. It is both a way to connect with his son and also way to satisfy his hobby unselfishly. Subject 1 is growing the culture by sharing with his son at an early age, but he also finds himself sharing his love for sneakers with strangers as well, even if involuntarily;

“But, again, I talked about when somebody who's wearing like, my favorite style that I have this instant bond. I find that, you know, if somebody is wearing like generic shoes that might be an indicator of sort of a lack of creativity.” As Sneakerheads walk through life they are constantly looking down and observing and analyzing what passersby have on their feet. Subject 2 says,

“It’s an easy thing to look at. For me I just stare at peoples feet all the time walking around New

York.” This is one of the outside influences that Subject 2 places value on, which is one of the reasons he believes that he and many other may be interested in sneakers outside of them just being fashionable. He says, “I guess its just if you’re wearing something loud on your feet that’s the first thing someone notices. When I wear my Sean Wotherspoon’s I guess it’s like statement,

I don’t know.” Subject 2 admits that sometimes it feels good to be noticed, which may influence some sneakerheads purchasing decision, but also adds that it is also a bit of the problem in the culture. He comments “That’s why hypebeasts is such a big thing right now for kids. It’s a way to prove they’re rich. People just waste so much money to look the part.” Though his opinion may differ from others involved in sneaker culture, Subject 2 raises a valid point pertaining to the sneaker industry. While the personal value may be what drives many purchases, monetary value always lurks in the background of the sneaker industry. However, lately with prices skyrocketing due to resellers, the monetary aspect of collecting and the sneaker industry has become a larger discussion.

Monetary Value

Behind every sneaker collection is thousands of hard-earned dollars that were spent to grow the collection from one shoe up to over 70 for some of my interview subjects. Sneaker collecting is not an inexpensive hobby. Most popular releases are a minimum of $150 and that is before they enter the resell market where shoes can reach prices up to $2000 for a single pair.

When it comes to purchasing sneakers, my subjects had different opinions in what they were comfortable spending on shoes or how often they were buying new pairs.

For example, Subject 5 is currently purchasing more pairs now than he has in the past.

“I’m probably getting, right now, I would say about 4 pair a month. I’ve been really getting back into to lately. Making sure my shoes are top notch.” While Subject 6 on the other hand has been trying to cut back his spending. “I think like, two years ago, maybe a year ago, I was buying maybe a pair month or two pairs a month and that like just kind of drained my bank account because I started going from like buying $100 shoes to like $220 every drop… but I think this month actually, is kind of my breaking point. Because I started having some more financial responsibilities. I’ve got like house payments, got all my utilities and things like that going on. Trying to save up some money. And I think last month I bought three pairs of shoes and I'm kind of sick with myself. So I'm going to cut it off for a while.” The sneakers that the subjects I interviewed purchase are not by any means necessities. That being said they often convince themselves to make purchases, even when the money may not be available. Subject 5 states, “I might move a couple coins here and there depending on the release and depending on how exclusive it is. I’ll move a few dollars around to make sure I got those.”

Subject 1 on the other hand is at an age where he no longer prioritizes purchases and therefore is not moving money around in order to buy sneakers. “For me the last 10 years of being a sneakerhead has just meant making sacrifices… we've got some big thing that we're really saving for; a big family vacation. [It is] not really fair to my wife, who also works, and she saves and she doesn't have a shoe addiction like a I do.” He mentions that there are plenty of releases that he has had restrain himself from buying because the money was not available for shoes at the time. That being said, there are still shoes that when they release, he will be sure to have the money for. One of his favorite shoes is being re-released in May of 2019 and he will be purchasing hopefully more than one pair for himself as well as his children, as he did with a release in early 2018 which cost him over $1000.

While many men are losing money on sneakers, there also plenty who are finding ways to make money in the sneaker industry as resellers. When we spoke, Subject 1 alluded to the battle in the sneaker industry between the collectors and the resellers who are driving the aftermarket prices of shoes. He mentions that it can be frustrating having to purchase at extremely higher prices than the original, but he can also see why the resellers continue to sell. If collectors are willing to pay, he can not fault resellers for trying to make as much money as they can. Subject 2 falls on both sides of the collector vs seller debate because selling is what originally introduced him into collecting high-end sneakers. In our discussion he reflected on the moment he realized he wanted to be not only seller, but also a collector; “I couldn’t make any money at the time because I couldn’t work, but I realized this was an easy way to make money.

At first that’s literally what it was, but then my first pair of Zebras came in and I was like oh fuck… so I put them on my feet and looked down and I was like oh my god… then 11 more came in! and I was like oh shit. I remember wearing them to class one day and like 20-30 people tapped their friend when I walked by or said something to me like “holy shit how did you get those” and I was like I’m just cooking baby, I don’t know.” Subject 2 continues to both sell and collect, straddling that divide in the sneaker industry, however he says that since he acquired a fulltime job he is no longer selling as much as he used to. Subject 6 attempted to live on both sides of the selling and collecting spectrum but expressed to me that he failed. He explains that he often attempts to purchase shoes that he thinks will have a high resell value, yet when they arrive at his house, he struggles to make the sale because he likes them and, in the end, keeps them for himself, leading to his 40 pairs of shoes and the feeling of needing to relax on the spending.

With collector’s incomes, finances and values being in different places some are willing to spend more than others on a single pair of shoes. The most that Subject 3 has spent on a single pair is $220 on a pair of Jordan’s, while Subject 2 has spent $800 on a pair of Ultraboosts. He then followed that up with a $700 purchase. However, in his mind, Subject 2 is not losing money when he makes purchases. “I think that what I realized with reselling is that I could get the shoes that l liked, and essentially they’re free… I see it as an investment.” With shipments coming in every few weeks Subject 2 became not only interested in making money, but with the fashion side of the sneaker industry as well.

Fashion

For Subject 2, his style began to morph into what it is now in his college years. He attributes it to a combination of his losing weight and growing interest in DJing. “[I] started thinking I’m not gonna dress like this frat guy my whole life, and I liked the way the DJs looked… And that’s when I started, not just the sneaker thing, but really changing my style in general.” For many of the subjects it became apparent that their style and daily sneaker decisions were made based on opportunity and ability. Subject 1 commented that he has just begun a new job in a new city and therefore may not be able to wear what he is used to. “It may be a little early for me to break out, you know… something interesting from the closet.” He feels it may be inappropriate to wear his favorite sneakers in the workplace, considering he is not sure how receptive the new culture he is a part of would be. However, Subject 1 does mention that he still finds opportunities to wear his sneaker. In the coming weeks he will attend a conference where he plans to wear one of his favorite pairs; the Jordan Black Cement 3. “I’m gonna be stylish… I wanna be comfortable, and I wanna be me. So when I go to conferences, or something I like to really reflect that.”

While Subject 1 is often in business attire, the athletes I interviewed take on much more of a style to accompany their footwear choices. SUBJECT 4 for example likes to keep his outfits relaxed; “Well I’ve always been a hooper, so I wear a lot of joggers and stuff like that, but I like to switch it up… I usually pick the shoes first and then put [the rest of the outfit] together from there.” SUBJECT 4, like many sneakerheads, begins building their outfit for the day by starting with the sneakers. However for some, it does not really matter when the sneakers are chosen, considering they wear very similar outfits very day. Both Subject 6 and Subject 2 said that they almost exclusively wear black jeans with either black, white or gray shirts. They both expressed that wearing those neutral, quieter colors, allowed their shoes not only to stand out, but also allowed them to wear more unique sneakers. Subject 2 added, “Once I started wearing less colorful clothes I started realizing you can wear any colorful shoes with it. I think my style changing has definitely helped with getting to wear crazier color shoes.”

While Subject 2 may have plenty of expensive shoes, he, like plenty of other collectors rarely wear them out to the bar or to social events. “I don’t wear them unless it’s like a day thing where I know I’m not gonna be in like a dirty basement of a bar. It makes me a little cautious going out to wear my nicer shoes.” Subject 2 is not alone in this sentiment. When buying shoes that he really likes Subject 1 often buys “one to rock and one to stock,” a concept that is very popular among sneaker heads. By doing so Subject 1 is saying he will buy two pairs of the same shoe, one which he will wear and not worry about ruining and another pair that he will not put on until necessary. “I don't sell anything, but also don’t rock my stuff, I kind of like keep them for a few years and then break them out like five years after they dropped. So right now my rotation, is like about 10 to 12 that I wear pretty regularly. The others, Kind of sit and I like to admire them.” This is a practice in the sneaker community know as putting shoes “on ice.” Subject 1 adds that he has a custom closet to display his 75 pairs of sneakers. He has different views though from his friend growing up who is also a sneakerhead. “My friend Scott, he buys all the same stuff that we like, the same style, and he wears everything. As soon as they arrive in the mail, he wears them that afternoon.” Though they all agree that the shoe is the most important part of the outfit, Sneakerheads all have different a style and value different aspects of collecting; be that putting pairs on ice or wearing them as soon as they are purchased. However for some the style is not enough, but the function is of great importance.

Function Because I had the opportunity to interview athletes I was able to ask them about their sneaker decisions on the court, apart from what they wear on the streets. Most of them came to a similar conclusion that comfort was most important and style came second on the court. That being said, for SUBJECT 4 it was playing in different basketball shoes that got him interested in sneakers off of the court. “I just really loved hooping in different pairs of basketball shoes. Seeing how different ones felt and wearing different ones, so I kind of just started getting more and more shoes and trying different things.” SUBJECT 4 also mentions that while he likes the way that they look off the court, he doesn’t believe that retro Jordan’s are meant to be worn during a game. Subject 5 on the other hand disagrees; “On court purposes, more so Nike’s, but a couple pair of Jordan’s that I play in. Really though, 11’s are the only Jordan’s that I play in that are most comfortable for me.” He says that he has a few pairs of Jordan’s that he plays in and he makes sure that the pairs that he wears on the hardwood stay on the hardwood. He does not want to take the risk of ruining the shoes traction by wearing them out in the streets.

All of the basketball players I spoke with did have one thing in common and that was the size of their feet. They complained about the difficulty of finding shoes in their size that want, especially in stores. Subject 3 says “I wear a 14, so they usually don’t have that in stores anyway.

So I have to order mine online. I’ll go to the store, see what the style looks like in person, and then I’ll go home and order it.” He also spends a lot of time on social media looking at sneakers that he is interested and then will go see them in person. After which, he will have to go back online and find them in his size. Another problem that Subject 5 mentions when it comes to his shoe size is trading and selling. He says “I wear a size 14, so it’s hard for me to be trading a lot.

But I’ve got a couple guys that I trade with and they’re basketball players of course.” The basketball players all agreed that on the court comfort comes first and style is second. However, once off the hardwood they have their own styles that reflect their personalities.

Discussion

When beginning my research, I was interested in learning how collectors of sneakers assigned value to their shoes, both personally and financially and I came to learn that what makes a specific sneaker valuable differs from subject to subject. The water diamond paradox speaks to the idea that what may not carry life sustaining value may carry great value financially

(Hill, 2018). Sneakers fall into that category. While a pair of shoes may be necessary for survival or at the very least, safety, spending hundreds of dollars on a single pair is not necessary. I sought out searching to understand why certain pairs of sneakers were assigned such high monetary or personal value. Some of what I found did not surprise me. It is often as simple as rarity, however what makes a shoe valuable can be so much more. Subject 1 commented on how a favorite pair of his shoes is the Jordan Space Jam 11, which released in 2016. What he finds valuable about the shoe is not only the limited release, but the cultural relevance. The shoe is modeled after the shoe Michael Jordan wears in the Space Jam film. Being a fan of the movie,

Subject 1 is able to combine his passion for sneakers with his enjoyment of the film. The shoe’s monetary value reflects the popularity of Space Jam and that specific style of Jordan sneaker, making the shoe valuable to collectors.

Others still, find value in sneakers because of what a certain shoe means to them; often from a memory. However, while I expected memories such as the first time someone wore a shoe to be more prominent, it seems as though what made a shoe more special to my subjects was recalling who first introduced them to sneaker fashion, which was most often a family member. Multiple subjects recalled first being introduced to high-end sneakers at a young age by a parent. Parents passing down their interest in sneaker fashion to their children creates a personal value that was seen in more than one subject. For Subject 5, the memory that they associated with a certain shoe made them think of their mother and the relationship they have.

Because this personal connection is specific to Subject 5, others may not assign that specific shoe personal value or an inflated monetary value, but the shoe is still of great importance to the subject.

For the athletes whom I interviewed, the first shoe they remember playing basketball in was extremely valuable to them. Because it brought back positive memories of them playing basketball in their younger days, the athletes still value the shoes they wore when they were kids and all admitted that they are searching to find a pair in their current size so that they could wear them again.

Furthermore, what draws several sneakerheads to certain releases is influence from collaborators and sponsors. Not many shoes on the market today garner more attention than

Nike’s collaborations with Off-White; a company founded by Virgil Abloh. The shoes designed by Abloh, which retail between $100-$200 can resell for up to $2500. Subject 2 finds both the monetary and personal value in the Nike x Off-White collaborations. He feels that the sneakers not only complete his look, but also make statement. Subject 2, as well as many others, finds personal value in the attention that high-end sneakers bring the wearer. Receiving compliments or glances from strangers satisfies the desire that many people have to be noticed. Therefore, the value for Subject 2 lies in the how the shoes are perceived by others. He finds value in wearing something that others may not be able to. In his own words it is “a simple flex” or a way to stand out. Collaborators such as Virgil Abloh and have added another layer to sneaker collecting. Rather than shoes being designed by and for athletes such as Michael Jordan’s expansive brand of sneakers, Hip-Hop artists have entered the industry and are influencing those who may have been on the outside looking in, to become involved in the sneaker industry and culture.

Subject 2 mentions that the shoes that first got him interested in sneakers and collecting were Kanye West’s Yeezys. He and Subject 6 who are both fans of the x Kanye West collaboration choose to support the artist by buying their sneaker. Nevertheless, West is not alone in combining hip-hop and sneakers. For example, is currently collaborating with Jordan Brand for a popular sneaker and there were many before West as well. By popularizing the Adidas Superstar RUN-DMC would be sponsored by Adidas, inflating the value of both the brand and artists.

While all consumers assign value to sneakers for personal reasons, it is the culture as a collective that decides the monetary value of the most expensive and sought-after sneakers on the market. Through reselling, limited releases and popular collaborations, the sneaker industry, and its collectors have created an after-market that benefits some while infuriating others. The high prices found on the resell market forces consumers to believe that a shoe may be more special or valuable than another, which, in a sense, makes it true. Sneakers are assigned monetary value by those who consume the product and consequently, when sneaker collectors force a shoe’s resell price to inflate it is a statement that the shoe is valuable within the culture.

What I came to learn through my interviews was that the cultural value of a shoe does not always reflect the personal value assigned to shoes by my subjects. There are numerous outside influences that cause a collector to appreciate a specific sneaker, style or brand. Be that a memory, a desire, or a simple difference in taste from other collectors. What remained constant however, was the idea that the sneaker is the most important piece of the outfit. The fashion style of collectors comes down to what is on their feet. As sneakerheads, we walk through life with our heads down, seeing what others are wearing; looking for inspiration, a connection with a stranger or just admiring the pair of shoes that walks by.

We all assign our own value to sneakers from our experiences and preferences, but the influence of the culture will always drive the monetary and cultural value of what is popular. The culture itself is something that was often taught or handed down from an elder generation, and something that, like in the case of Subject 1 and his son, should be handed down and shared with future generations.