Just as fashion saw major shifts across all facets of business this past decade, so did footwear. Now a multi-hundred-billion dollar industry, footwear owes much of its meteoric rise to sneakers and its surrounding culture. Once a niche underground world living within long release lines and internet forums, this collecting subculture found its way into the mainstream, becoming the launching point for many young people’s infatuation with fashion. Sneakerheads were thrusted into the global spotlight when certain coveted releases during the early part of the decade caused absolute pandemonium. News outlets, local and international, covered the chaos that ensued at malls and boutiques alike, from the overnight campers, to the fights, riots and arrests. Despite the apparent dangers however, people became fascinated by this world, the camaraderie it promotes and the status it brings. Now it seems everyone has a sneaker “collection” at home.
At the same time this mainstream adoption was happening, fashion and footwear were deep in a digital revolution, where blogs and ecommerce supplanted longstanding print publications and physical storefronts. Brands and retailers looked at the disarray that was now following traditional in-store releases, and began digitizing sneaker culture, creating social media communities, online raffle systems, augmented reality experiences and more.
Soon, demand for product, vintage and new, outgrew supply, leading to the secondary market boom of the latter half of the decade. It’s no longer just eBay and traveling conventions, but now there’s a whole stock market for sneakers, keeping track of their value in real time. Heritage auction houses like Sotheby’s have even brought their curatorial expertise and prestigious clientele to the reselling community, offering some of the rarest sneakers in the world to its most serious collectors.
The decade wasn’t all hype and digital reconstruction however, as the past 10 years also brought about some of the most advanced and rather necessary footwear innovations in history. From 3D-printed sneakers and auto-lacing systems, to sustainable, fully-recyclable footwear, the industry is primed for a bigger, brighter and more responsible future.
But before we enter the 2020s, we wanted to highlight some of the most influential sneakers of the last decade, kicks that have helped propel many of the aforementioned industry shifts. Here they are, the 12 most important sneakers of the 2010s in chronological order.
Special Thanks & All Sneakers can be purchased at STADIUM GOODS
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