Hype in media
Walking down the street, or even in school, people are wearing the nicest shoe. Shoes that won’t sit on shelves in stores because they are sold out instantly. The thing people may not understand is that those people may be “sneakerheads” which are people that goes after the shoes that are more hype out in the community. However, they are thrown off by the fact that Companies of shoes hype it up in the media as the fans follows onto that.
Public obsession with the latest trends means that The shoes themselves have changed drastically. Nowadays, it is about the materials that are being used in the sneaker as well as the looks. Materials like high quality leather, good stitching, as well as good cushioning would bump up the price of the shoe. For an example, the Jordan 11 Concords. As it started off as a basketball sneaker, the shoe began to make its pricy statement with the materials like patent leather, leather, mesh, and a tint of carbon fiber. The shoe is seventy five percent leather which makes the retail price two hundred and twenty. Quality would make shoes way more high in demand which is why people are trying to get their hands on them. It is put onto social media for people to see and follow.
From Konbini which is a sneaker website, In 2015, The NPD Group calculated an 8% year-over-year growth for the largely millennial-driven sneaker market, to $17.2 billion in total annual sales. When celebrities wear them before official release, the hype gets up there from social media which would bump the hype of the shoe. People like Drake and Kanye have collaborations with brands that would make the shoe hyped up. Kanye went a step further and started his shoe line with Adidas. His shoes, Yeezy, cost around two hundred and twenty dollars. It is very limited wear people start to camp out for the sneakers for hours. It is hyped up where people would spend extra hundreds of dollars to buy it off someone. Social Media is a place where people get their information on a shoe release which attracts people onto the shoe.
Brands like to created exclusivity shoes that gets people hopping onto the hype train. When a brand like Adidas creates a shoe that is only five hundred pairs made, it would make people go crazy. People will see it all over the media. Minds will be focused on getting that pair because of how limited they are. Shoes that are limited are more rarer in the sneaker community which would make people go crazy for them. The more limited they are, the higher it is for those shoes to be worth. An example would be the Jordan 4 x Undefeated. It is a collaboration with the apparel line Undefeated. This particular shoe has less than 80 pairs made. As it is known for being a Jordan shoe and being limited to less than 80 pairs, the cost for these shoes are above ten thousand dollars.
Although the sneaker culture only involves people who are into sneakers, it should concern everyone who wears a pair. Shoe brands will soon jump onto the hype and create better quality shoe, which will make prices rise for the average consumer as well. In the sneaker game, there will always be a buyer and a reseller. It is what keeps the cycle going in the sneaker community. And although many people may or may not support the sneaker culture, the prices of what they need will be influenced whether they like it or not.
Works CIted
Glazman, Evan. "More than Shoes: The Rise of Sneakerhead Culture." Konbini United States. Evan Glazman, 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. <http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/rise-of-sneakerhead-culture/ >
Taylor, Otis R., Jr. "Sneaker Culture Maintains Foothold in Battle for Acceptance." San Francisco Chronicle. N.p., 166 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. <http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Sneaker-culture-maintains-foothold-in-battle-for-9226097.php >
Fellingham, Christine. "From the Streets to the Runway, We Love Sneakers." The Courier-Journal. Christine Fellingham, 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Pearson, Daniel. "Why Big Sneaker Brands Want Resellers Making Money They’ll Never See." Highsnobeity. Daniel Pearson, 1 June 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/06/01/secondary-sneaker-market-rare-resellers/ >
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