The Sneaker Culture

The simple sneaker as it was once known no longer exists; for several years now, almost every sneaker has had a story or a vast market of passionate people who have turned shoes into a business and a movement. All of this can be summarized as sneaker culture, but what is this whole movement?

It can be said that it all began thanks to one person, a young man from North Carolina who rewrote the history of basketball and more. His name is Michael Jordan, one of the best, if not the best, basketball player in history.

In 1984, Jordan signed a contract with Nike and launched his line of basketball shoes, which immediately became a must-have and created a movement of people who began collecting them. Much of the success of these shoes was due to commercials directed by the famous Spike Lee and, first and foremost, to Jordan's stellar career.

Nowadays, sneaker culture has become a worldwide phenomenon and a multi-billion dollar business. Sneakers are now part of everyone's life and have become for many a job, as well as a passion and a symbol of identity. Fairs, events, TV series, and songs are dedicated to them; for some people, they are a way to express themselves.

Today, the world of sneakers is vast, with new brands constantly emerging and more and more shoes and collaborations being released that are sending this market through the roof. Many collaborations are between well-known brands and often famous people like rappers or artists; some of them have unimaginable market values.

The most loved, sought-after, and unusual models of all time

As we have seen, shoes are now cult objects. Many are passionate about Jordans, as there are various models and continuously new colorways, so there are practically models that can appeal to everyone. Then there are the so-called OG models, which are the models Michael wore; these are obviously preferred by experts because they have a history behind them, and by wearing them, one can feel that magic and for that moment feel like Mike.

Another very famous shoe with a stellar value is certainly the Nike MAG. To many, this name will seem unusual, but this shoe was used in the movie Back to the Future 2; this shoe was actually produced in a limited series and commercialized.

Many will surely know the Adidas Stan Smith; they are perhaps one of Adidas' most famous shoes. They were commercialized in the 1960s as tennis shoes. Originally, they were called Adidas Robert Haillet, but then the name was changed for a collaboration with tennis player Stan Smith, who was a rising star in the 1970s.