The internet has completely changed the landscape of sneaker culture. What started off as a niche hobby has now hit a much wider audience thanks in part to the ease of communication and accessibility of content. With just a click of a button, anyone can fully immerse themselves in sneaker culture. While the internet and social media have affected our lives mostly for the better, can the same be said about what it's done for the culture?
Corgishoe, an O.G. sneakerhead from Los Angeles and one of the few respected resellers in the game, spoke with GQ and offered his thoughts on the matter.
"It's benefited someone like me: I now have a loyal following of people who are interested in either buying a shoe I have listed or just happy to see shoes they remember from years or decades ago," said the famed reseller. "It's amazing how word of mouth and support spreads on social media."
While a platform like Instagram has made reselling more efficient for Corgishoe and helped him reach a wider demographic of supporters, he believes it comes at a cost.
"In my opinion, if social media didn't exist, 98 percent of those currently involved in this hobby would have no interest in sneakers beyond owning a pair or two that serve for a specific function."
Corgishoe even questions the motives of today's sneaker enthusiasts. "If you couldn't post photos of your shoes would you even be buying shoes?" He believes some sneakerheads use kicks as a means to develop an Internet persona or lifestyle far different than what their everyday lives would be without sneakers.
"Social media has also dumbed-down the sneaker hobby and stunted individualism," he said. "Knowledge, an appreciation of history, and well-rounded taste have all been replaced by the masses trying to be the first in line to be just like everyone else ... The hobby has become so repetitive, predictable, and cliché."
[via GQ]
