Sneakerheads Take it to the Feet!

Walking With Style

The Life Of A Sneakershead

by Brandon Phillips, Savannah Parris and Hesham Albadr

A formal definition of a sneaker head is a person who collects, trades, and/or admires sneakers as a form of hobby. Sneaker heads, like most collectors, are passionate and dedicated to their subject. Many are very knowledgeable about the origins and history of sneakers. Now Jalen Dinkins doesn’t collect shoes as a hobby but he’s still a sneaker head by heart. Being a basketball player naturally, Michael Jordan’s shoes has a gravitational pull towards you and we see this with Jalen. “ My favorite shoes are the Jordan 11s, Jordan 8s and 13s, and retro Jordans are my favorite shoe brand.” Jalen says he first started collecting shoes when he first started making his own money. He realized that shoes can really complete an outfit, especially shoes nobody else has. Jalen now owns over thirty pairs of

shoes, all fresh and ready for day to day rotation. Jalen says the best way to keep up with new shoes and sneaker release dates are through apps and websites such as Kicks on Fire, Sneaker Crush, Flight Club, etc. To be more involved in the sneakerhead community, there are events you can attend to get started such as Sneaker Con. If you don’t know what Sneaker Con is, it is the world’s premier sneaker show, providing a huge space for vendors and attendees to buy, sell, and trade some of the most sought after footwear in the game. The show travels to several metropolitan areas on a yearly basis, including New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. From a girl perspective, we talked to Matti Morgan. She said her obsession with sneakers started when she was in high school.

showing off your sole!

Photos courtesy of (L) DrJ, top right Savannah Parris, and bottom left Emme Moorehouse

left photo by Dr. J, top right by Savannah, bottom right by Emme

Comfort is a big factor, but if they were cool enough comfort wouldn’t matter too much. “ I don’t have a meaning behind any of my shoes, other than the fact that I think they express my personality pretty well.” Matti goes for the fun and bright colors when it comes to shoes. She uses

certain sprays to prevent them from getting dirty along with putting the stuffing back in them and concealing them in their box to protect them. Sneakerheads are all over and pretty easy to point out. You can find them all over campus.