Are Sneakerheads Important?

Just as “Peak Oil” refers to the point at which the world’s oil reserves have reached their maximum extraction level, there are those in the sneaker community who will point to 2005 — the year the Tiffany Dunk inspired lines throughout the country — as Peak Sneaker. In reality, the vitality of the sneaker landscape hasn’t diminished since then; it’s simply evolved. One component of that evolution is the mainstreaming of the very concept of the sneakerhead, evidenced by the launch of a regular Sneakernomics feature in Forbes. Last month, writer and sneaker industry expert Matt Powell posed the question “Are sneakerheads important?” Following a primer on the concept of the sneakerhead itself, Powell delves into the impact that the sneakerhead community has on retail sales, as well as less tangible measures like cultural influence. Check out the full article here.