Discussion-SneakerHead

What is a SneakerHead exactly? The term seems to have had come out of nowhere and has stuck ever since.

Personally, I don’t like being categorized as a ‘SneakerHead’… I almost feel as if being a SneakerHead for most of us is a fad or the ‘in’ thing. I remember as a kid when marbles and pogs were the ‘in’ thing. It didn’t last too long but you can bet your bottom dollar I did what I could to get my hands on as many as possible. That is somewhat how if feels to be passionate about sneakers for so long and then all of a sudden there are SneakerHeads running around claiming that if you aren’t into sneakers, then you are missing that swag factor.

While I pondered whether or not to write about this subject I decided to Google Search the term, SneakerHead, and see what came up. To my surprise this is what I found…

These 4 definitions were taken from Urban Dictionary, you know… because SneakerHead isn’t a real word so at this point in time it’s currently unlisted in an actual Dictionary.

1. A person who collects limited, rare, OG, or flat out exclusive kicks. Usually the collection consists of Jordan’s or Dunks.

2. A person with background knowledge of certain sneakers.

3. Somebody who owns a number of sneakers and is always up on the latest J’s that come out. Their collections consist of rare, vintage, and collectable sneakers from classic Chuck Taylor’s to custom Nikes.

4. Someone who shows a great passion and knowledge for kicks ; you don’t necessarily need a lot of kicks. If you don’t know whats on your feet, you’re a hype.

Number two & four are the only definitions that I can partially agree with, partially being the key word. Number one & three sound like they were written by hype obsessed teenagers.

Now this definition is taken from Wiktionary… I honestly had no idea there was a Wiktionary until now!

1. (slang) A person who owns multiple pairs of shoes as a form of collection and fashion. It is often manifest by the use of shoes primarily made for sports such as tennis or basketball as normal everyday clothing.

Again, I can partially agree… however those of us who have been into sneakers ever since we can remember can agree on one thing, we are 100% addicted to shoes.

With so many definitions claiming to belong to the term ‘SneakerHead’, which one is it?

Are you a SneakerHead or are you addicted to kicks, is there even a difference; Is being a SneakerHead just a fad or have we always been roaming around the world nameless until now?

This discussion literally has no write or wrong answer so please feel free to discuss your thoughts on the term SneakerHead below.

Image Via Yaboylv

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18 Comments

  1. Well definitely “sneakerhead” is a word that just came up and has stuck on…see it now t-shirts and Facebook statuses….everywhere. In my opinion there’s two types of sneakerheads…the ones that just buy shoes and don’t even know the name of the shoe or wouldn’t know what to choose between a retro Jordan or team Jordan or prestige and airmax90….the other types are the ones that can look at an old shoe and appreciate it…ones that will wait whatever time in line for the shoe they want…the ones that arrive early for retro releases and don’t call 5 days later asking if we still have the retro 11 and and calling it the space jams when its a cool grey release…the ones that constantly read into sneakers everyday just to see what’s been going on and changes…I mean its always funny to read and find out something stupid like jordans and air force ones have fused together to take your money….anyway….I only own about 90 pairs of shoes but if I had the money I would have more but tuition is a biznitch…my collection consists of selected jordans, dunks, blazers, and airnax 90’s but I have a lot more other brands but that’s the majority…I dont consider a sneakerhead to have a lot of shoes a expect them to know about the shoe on their feet…appreciate an shoe and its colorway whether its OG or not, and know that a Passion for sneakers isn’t that latest fad but a hobby…that’s my opinion…so sneakerhead might be the term NOW but hasn’t changed my Passion for sneakers since I was bought my first pair of retro 4’s and dunk lows.

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  2. A sneaker head is one who has a passion for sneakers, simply as that. It doesn't have to be every sneaker from every brand. Maybe you just like Vans. There's nothing wrong with that.

    A sneaker head doesn't have to know everything about every sneaker from every brand. Does a Ferrari enthusiast know the ins-and-outs of a Honda or a Mazda? Probably not. Does that make him any less a car enthusiast? Not at all. He has a particular passion, which is still involved with the auto scene. So even if you like and know everything about Vans and not Jordans or Converse and not Reebok, you're still a sneaker head in my eyes. Now, if you consider yourself a sneaker historian, than yea, I expect you to know everything about every sneaker from every brand.

    A sneaker head isn't defined by his sneaker collection. A collection just goes to show you have money to play with. I love exotic sports cars and can tell you a boat load about them, but I don't own one. Does that make me any less a fan of the cars than the guy who owns one? No. It just means he's in a better financial position than I am. Passion can't be bought.

    Its sad to see these kids who think they're a "bigger sneakerhead" than the next guy cause they have 100 pairs and he only has 10, when little do they know the other guy may also own a house, several cars, go on vacation regularly and enjoy all life has to offer, aside from just sneakers.

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  4. No, a sneaker enthusiast is not defined by how many and/or what type of shoes they possess. But lets think about a "shoe person" that owns two pairs of shoes. Is there something strange about that? Having said that I should inform you that I own about 9 pairs of what I'll call "clean shoes", that I'll choose from when I want to look good. I also have 4 pairs of what I call "beaters", which I wear for dirty jobs like hiking or playing sports. I do not consider the beaters to be a part of my collection. In fact, of the 9 clean shoes, 5 of them are collectibles (Jordans, Quickstrikes) and the 6th are Supra Skytops for the club scene. I wear my collectible shoes. None of my sneakers are deadstock. The other 3 are shoes like Air Max, Zigtechs, and Shox for casual, everyday wearing (but still kept very clean).

    I said that to say this, I consider myself to be a shoe enthusiast even though I only own 9 pairs. I'm also practical, so if I'm going to cop some XIII playoffs, and want to keep them clean for years, I can't wear them all the time, or in places that they'll get damaged. Also, tennis can be considered out of dress code for a lot of venues, so you have to have range as a shoe collector, and we only have so much money to go around. I consider that to be a sign of a true shoe collector; range. It's not about simply having a hot shoe, it's about having that hot shoe, at the right venue, compliment the rest of your outfit while fitting the dress code. So it's not about copping every hot shoe in every colorway. That would costs thousands of dollars annually as there are just too many shoes. A true connoisseur is aware of what is out there, thanks to the sneaker blogs etc., then picks some choice shoes to include to their collection.

    I find it hard to consider a person to be very interested in shoes if they own 1-3 pairs, because that's about $500 max and shoes last decades. That person's money is going somewhere else, and I bet it's to other interests. A true passion is reflected in the collection, and it's not about quantity, it's quality. You can own all the air max in all the colorways, but if your neighbor has a pair of casual everyday shoes, Jordan XI, Lebron South Beach, and Air Yeezy, the neighbor could be considered more of a collector; due to the range.

    Also, I don't like the term addict. Enthusiast, collector, connoisseur, passion for shoes all seem to fit better than addict or sneakerhead.

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  7. I would never call myself a sneaker head just like I would never say I collect shoes I think its a disrespect to something I love. When I look at a pair of shoes its never from a stand point of what anyone else things. I look at the intrinsic value every shoe has a story to tell and every part of the shoe is a brush stroke on a master piece. Im not a sneaker head I just got a love jones.

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  8. I don't like the term to be honest, because after the it became a big thing you saw a bunch of hypebeasts like alot of celebrities claiming they're "sneakerheads" and real sneaker enthusiasts know the difference. BUT if there ever was a true definition for it, it would have to be someone who not only buys sneakers but also knows all there is to know about the shoes they own, be it history, original releases and prices………….

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  10. i honestly dont really like the term 'sneakerhead' at all. my friend got into the shoe game recently, and he always says "when i started being a head", and i just think to myself stfu. he sounds like a douche. i have some nice shoes but i am NOT a sneakerhead. i like shoes and i have a passion for them. thats it.

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  11. My opinion sneakerhead has no meaning collecting sneakers is a passion for me but for others it isn’t that being said ask 5 people what loves is yur Gunna get different answers ask 5 people what a sneaker head is there no way u Gunna get all same answers so it’s pretty much what u make out of the word and stick by it

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  12. I wish the term wasnt ever made to begin with , honestly the whole i guess “culture” should just go back to the days where all of us , got our pairs from the mall and local shops, all this exculsice and hype shit is really overkill …. Nicely said Mark

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  13. Why is it that ‘sneakerheads’ have such a narrow range of kicks that they show interest in? It bugs me that it’s always Jordan this, air max that…. there is more to the world of sneakers than Nike, Adidas, Puma and the occasional Vans, DC and Supra. What about Merrell, Salomon, Magnum…..? This is where the innovation is at these days. Or is it more about street cred and urban kudos than innovation and style?

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  14. In my opinion sneaker head can mean what ever you want it to mean. I have purchased J’s for 15 years consistantly and I don’t really see my self as a sneaker head I just like Jordans. Like mark said it doesn’t matter how many you have or which one’s you don’t have I’m more passionate about the shoes than I am the label of sneakerhead. I see that word and I instantly think of a person with an addiction to purchasing shoe like a crackhead is to crack and it doesn’t match ends. The dumb people that put a definition online for the made up word of sneakerhead is dumb because the definition excludes millions of people who don’t have OG, Exclisive, Rare, Vintage, shoes from chucks to nikes. I don’t wear chucks and I’m not old enough to own any vintage chucks since these have been in existance since forever lol so. I guess I am a jordanhead lol if anything and my name is pointless it was already a sneakgeek so I added the er to my name on here lol I have jordan sneakers and I wear glasses if anyone wants to nit pick at the name lol

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  15. I hate it at times because we are made to be stereotypes and I truly think that one rule is that holds the sneaker community together and that’s “to each his own”. We all have different interest and we should not be brought under one category. Other than that I’m proud to say I’m a sneakerhead!!!!!!

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  16. It used to be all about Nike SB back then and now its only about Jordan retros that have Nike air, Nike basketball, runners, and of course yeezys. The culture has changed. I’ve never been able to call myself a sneakerhead because of the simple fact that nobody considers me one. I mostly wear dunks and older retros that have been forgotten. I have never once in my life claimed that i am a sneakerhead. I tell people that i like collecting sneakers ad that’s it. I wear what people don’t think is heat but hey its heat to me. If i were to wear a pair of Jordan 15s To a sneaker expo i would get clowned on for wearing something i like. A sneakerheads collection is made up of things they don’t really like but buy to show off to others but a sneaker collector buys shoes because he really wants and likes them. If i don’t like a shoe all that much then i will not cop but others will buy every shoe just to say they have it.

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