A glimpse into the lives of sneaker heads at UNC

The world of sneaker culture began in the late 1980s with the emergence of Michael Jordan and his release of the Jordan brand in 1985. The former UNC superstar hasn’t played a game since 2003, but everyone still wants to be like Mike. 

In 2017, Nike led the way in the footwear industry bringing home $21.08 billion in revenue. Adidas and Puma took home second and third place, bringing home $10.36 billion and $2.41 billion in revenue respectively. However, large corporations aren’t the only ones profiting off sneakers. According to Forbes, there’s a $1 billion resale market for sneakers. 

But why is it that there’s still such a thirst for these shoes? 

Livis Freeman, a member of the DTH Board of Directors, has been a professor at UNC for the past five years and has owned his own public relations company for the last 17 years. For his MEJO 634 class, Public Relations Campaigns, he’s teamed with Jordan as a client for the semester.

Like most sneaker heads, Freeman started his collection at a young age. 

“Growing up, I was a big sneaker head as a kid,” Freeman said. “The first item I ever laid away was a pair of sneakers.” 

Freeman recalled getting his first pair of Jordans: the Jordan 2s. It was such a big deal for him at the time because he remembered Michael Jordan playing in the pair.

“I had every inch of my room covered in Jordan pictures, cutouts from newspapers. You didn't see a wall,” Freeman said. “My entire room was all Jordan stuff, and to get the shoes, it was just, I want to be like Mike.” 

Junior defensive end for UNC football, Tomon Fox, credited that same desire “to be like Mike” for getting him involved in sneaker culture. 

“It all starts with Michael Jordan and the legacy that he led,” Fox said. 

Fox started his sneaker collection back as a freshman in high school when Jordan released a new pair of Infrared 3s that he just had to have. From there, his collection expanded to more than 40 pairs of sneakers and over 20 pairs of Jordans. Fox also has a pair of shoes that have a resale value that's over $2,500. 

“The experience makes it worth it, and the fact that you have a shoe that nobody else has or that not many people have, that’s my favorite part of it," Fox said. 

The Georgia native said he tries to be selective with what he buys because of the time and money devoted to getting each pair of shoes. 

“Sneakers are a way to express myself, I feel like a shoe makes the entire fit,” Fox said. “You could wear some sweats, a T-shirt and a real nice pair of shoes and everybody think it’s a real tough fit.”

The ability to be unique and express themselves is something many of the sneaker heads have in common. Sophomore basketball player Brandon Huffman said he likes things that make a statement and stand out in some way.

"There’s a lot of aspects that go into (picking a shoe),” said Huffman. “Everybody is different with shoes — some it’s based off popularity, for some it’s based off the look, the colors, the story behind the shoe. That makes it interesting.”

Huffman started his collection back in seventh grade with old-school Nikes and shifted his focus toward Jordans around the age of 14. Today, Huffman’s collection is nearing 100 total pairs of sneakers, including around 50 pairs of Jordans. 

However, sneaker heads aren’t just all about quantity. Shoe collecting taught Huffman valuable life lessons. Huffman said he was always rough on his clothes until the time he started collecting shoes. After he began his collection, he appreciated their value more and put more emphasis into keeping them nice. 

Sneaker culture is reaching more avenues as well. The collaboration between music artists and sneakers is well known. Kanye West, Drake and Travis Scott all have their own line of shoes. A lesser-known venture occurring is the attempt to reach more women.

Freeman is currently working on a project with the Jordan Brand for the newest release in their women’s line. The women’s line has only been out for a few years and will allow more people to partake in the culture.

Senior Heather Fowler appreciates the value shoes provide in brightening her outfits. As a part of her school requirements, she finds herself oftentimes wearing khakis and a polo.

“Shoes are a way for me to express something fun with a typically boring outfit,” Fowler said. 

Fowler and her friends now celebrate what they call "Feet Heat Fridays," where they wear their freshest pair of shoes. 

Beyond making statements with her outfit, Fowler supports the statements shoes make in society. She’s found herself supporting the Nike campaign this past year and looking up to Nike athletes like Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams. 

Regardless of the brand they rock most, sneaker heads agree, the value and reach of sneaker culture is limitless. 

arts@dailytarheel.com

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