Less than a decade ago, the term “sneakerhead” did not exist. Today, everyone understands this term to mean “a person who collects and trades sneakers as a hobby, and who typically is knowledgeable about the history of sneakers.” Sneakerheads vary in enthusiasm: while some may own collections worth well over the average cost of a house in Leavenworth, others may simply rock the latest edition to be released by their favorite brand. Either way, it is undeniable that sneakers have become a staple in modern culture due to the influences of basketball and hip-hop. In many sports, including basketball, skateboarding, track and field, tennis, and golf, shoes play a huge role in a player's ability to get grip on the field or court. This brought a blank canvas for many shoe companies to start creating and designing durable and performance shoes for sports. Today, Nike™, Adidas™, Puma™, Vans™, and Jordan Brand™ are some of the most recognizable shoe brands.
At Cascade High School there is a mix of sneakers, crocs, and running shoes. Some take pride in the shoes they wear, and some just have their everyday shoes on. Sneaker culture started in the streets of big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It started with early shoes like the Converse™ Chuck Taylors that were mainly used for basketball. The style and comfortability of the shoe became popular in the ‘50s and resurged in the ‘90s with punk rock bands like KISS. In the ‘70s, basketball started to get more popular. Players like Walt “Clyde” Frazier got a shoe sponsorship with Puma™ and the Puma™ SUEDE was born. The shoe caught more and more people's eyes. Later throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, recognizable basketball players like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were superstars on the basketball scene bringing with them their shoe sponsors like Converse™ and Nike™. Michael Jordan inspired many people because of his outstanding performances on the basketball court. This brought new customers to Nike™, and what is easily the most recognizable shoe in the industry was born: Nike Jordans™. Recently, sneaker styles from the ‘80s and ‘90s have had a major comeback as more people take inspiration from that era. Many musicians have been debuting new shoe designs for the public to see and buy. What many of those shoes have in common is a simple design and shoes whose styles span the decades.
For sophomore Ethan Davis, the best shoes around are “Crocs. Crocs are comfortable all around.”
A good shoe can be defined by how durable and comfortable it is. For sophomore Ethan Davis, the best shoes around are “Crocs. Crocs are comfortable all around.” Shoes like Crocs are an easy slip-on shoe that is made up of durable foam for the soul purpose of comfort. While Crocs are not for sports, they are good for recovering from sports. Athletic shoes are important to athletes. “Probably my Kyrie 4s. I like those, they were pretty good,” said Ethan about his old basketball shoes. What goes into a good basketball shoe is its grip. Noah Copson’s (9) go-to shoe brand is “Probably Nike.”
Sneakers will forever be part of the community whether it just be a simple running shoe or an expensive shoe with eye-catching colors. Sneakers play an important role in everyday life so that people will have their shoes to walk in. The best sneakers are the pair someone owns that will be comfortable and durable.
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