Nikes, Jordans, Adidas, New Balance, and Under Armour. These are just a few of the name-brand sneakers that hold the most popularity in our society today. Their original retail prices can range as low as $100 to as expensive as $500. Sneakers mean something different to almost everyone. For some, they’re bought simply to be worn and shown off, while for others that buy them in bulk to sell them, they’re used as a business opportunity. 

   Shoes are becoming a popular part of today’s culture, as they are a way for people to show off wealth, interests, or characteristics about themselves.  

   All in all, shoes represent many different worlds, but they all have price tags and spell out luxury to those that chose to purchase and wear them. There’s a status symbol connected to shoes as there is with many different material goods. While this isn’t new, it’s more diverse and profound due to millennials popularizing different kinds of shoes again. 

   The newest and most popular shoes aren’t just for millennials though. For AP World and African American Culture teacher John Sands, they are a statement he makes to students and staff here at Westerville North and an important part of the person he is today. 

   “I just genuinely like them,” Sands said about his Jordan shoe collection. “But it usually tells kids something about me when they see my shoes. If you see my shoes you know I’m a certain type of person you can probably talk to.” 

   Sands recalls getting his first pair of Jordans when he was around 10 years old. They were the Jordan 12’s.

    “I was a huge Michael Jordan fan, so I took my grandma to the mall in Zanesville, Ohio to Footlocker. And I talked my grandmother into the Bred pair,” Sands said.

   The Bred pair was a popular black and red colorway from that time. From the moment he came home with that pair of Jordan 12’s Sands remembers thinking, “I’m in.”

   “Up until that point I was like your little preppy White boy, and I got home with my first ever pair of black tennis shoes and my mother cried,” Sands said. “She was so upset because it was my first pair of shoes that I picked out on my own and they were black and red and they weren’t what she wanted them to be.”

   For Sands, the shoes were a turning point in his life as they represented a change in who he was. While Sands makes a statement about approachability and style with his Jordans, for him and many others, their inspiration goes back to the face behind the shoe. 

   “It all goes back to Michael Jordan. He was my hero, so I wanted to wear his shoes because they made me feel cool or invincible,” Sands said. 

   Westerville North student Derrick Porter (11), shares a similar interest in shoes as Sands, except he takes a different approach to his sneaker interest. Porter is a local reseller, and he started this business on his own. Porter uses his business as a way to get shoes for himself as well, “It’s an easy way to get money, and I love shoes so it’s an easier way for me to get shoes also,” he said. 

   Reselling shoes has become increasingly popular, especially among millennials. It’s a simple way for them to make money at a younger age. For those looking to buy shoes, it can cause a problem because the limited amount of pairs leads prices to skyrocket. 

   “It’s frustrating when you can’t get the shoes you want and someone is buying them just to sell them,” Sands said. “But, that’s part of it. So when you get a pair, it feels a lot better.”

   Porter uses the shoes on his feet to make a statement of style and popularity, and this brings in business for him.

    “If I wear certain shoes to Footlocker people will ask me where I got them from, and it’s an easy way to get more customers,” Porter said. “I use the shoes I wear as a business opportunity because people see them and ask me where I get them from, and I say from me.”

   While reselling can be tedious, people like Porter make good profit as the shoes can resell for upwards of $80-$150 more than the original price. According to fashion website GQ, the top sneaker reseller using the popular resell app known as GOAT in 2017 made over two-million dollars in profit. Now, acquiring this status takes time and effort but it can be achieved. 

   While some people are major brand shoe fans, others like Westerville North’s Danielle Humbert (10) wear certain shoes for other reasons such as comfort.

   “I’m not going to wear heels to school everyday, they may be cute but they’re not going to be comfortable,” Humbert said.

   While she wears shoes for comfort, she does believe that shoe brand comes into play sometimes. 

   “I like wearing [Nike] Air Forces because they’re super comfortable and they’re all white, so they go with any outfit,” Humbert said.

   Whether you buy shoes to send a specific message, because of popularity, or for business opportunities, almost everyone has a pair of shoes. There’s a statement behind every shoe purchased that each individual can make unique to themselves. Whether the shoes are $25 or $500 the value behind them is determined by the buyer and their statement behind each pair.