A certain pair of shoes caught your eye just a couple of weeks ago for its bold colors and sleek style. You rushed to the store to purchase it as you finally saved $100 for this purchase. Unfortunately, they are out of stock. When you ask when they will return, the shoe clerk says that they sold out the day they dropped because they were limited edition. Exasperated, you decide to go home, sit down and begin your search online for your sought-after pair of shoes. However, as you click past each website the numbers alarm you. What used to be a $100 pair of shoes has now turned to $200, double what you saved up for. You begin to realize that many of the most wanted shoes are often the hardest to attain. 

Shoes have become a staple in today’s outfits. What used to be an article of clothing for practical use has transformed into something that can make or break an outfit. Not only does it complete an outfit, but in a generation full of self-expression, what’s on one’s feet can now show more about their interests and passions. What has long been understood that clothes can express one’s identity such as grunge, emo or preppy can now be applied to a more specific article of clothing: shoes. According to FootWearNews, 80 percent of Gen Z uses social media to discover footwear brands. In an age of technology, influence and self expression, teenagers are the prime market for the sneaker industry.

So, what makes shoes so appealing to consumers today? 

According to National Geographic, the release of the Nike Air Jordan 1 in 1984 was trivial. They were not conventional basketball shoes as traditional NBA shoes had to be 51% white to be used on the court. However, Nike was highly invested in the success and paid each fine, leading to the great payoff of the Air Jordan 1s having many public appearances on the court and a growing fanbase. 

This partnership revolutionized how sports companies popularized their shoes through celebrities but also birthed new fashion trademarks. Jordans have seemed to revolutionize the idea of a fashionable shoe. 

“I have always liked the look of Nike. I thought it looked clean and sleek,” said Michael Riggio, physical education teacher. “When I want to add a little flair to my outfit, I look at the Jordans. Jordans are my look-good shoes.” 

Sneakers have increasingly become a symbol of status and wealth. According to National Geographic, sneaker companies have been collaborating more with celebrities and luxury brands to promote their products. With this, a community of shoe collectors has made more of an appearance paired with the resell market. Artists such as Kanye West, Travis Scott and Rihanna have all taken a step into the sneaker industry. 

What makes a shoe appealing to a consumer can be entirely different from person to person. However, according to the University of Southern California, people buy shoes to make their own statement. 

“I buy a lot of Jordans because they have bold or eye-catching designs. Some are made with different kinds of materials so some of them are suede and some are leather,” said Zayna Abdeldeen, senior. “I think that some big factors are that if they weren’t comfortable, I wouldn’t buy them. Also, if they are for different styles and if they are for dressing up or dressing down.”

According to Temple University, collecting, trading and reselling sneakers became popular in the 1970s. Resale shops such as StockX and GOAT have grown in popularity as they are often places that sell shoes that aren’t sold in the original store anymore. 

“I used to shop on GOAT and a little bit on eBay,” said Daivik Sekhadia, senior. “eBay I trust the most because they do pre-check things such as seeing videos of people checking your shoe.”

According to ReShoeVn8r, a shoe cleaning site, shoe reselling became popular when shoe companies such as Nike and Adidas began releasing limited edition shoes. This led to people seeking opportunities to make a profit off of the limited supply.

Whether or not this reselling culture is good or bad for teens is another story. 

“You know, you could argue for both sides. It’s our capitalist nature, we want to make money. So that’s somebody’s profession. They’re going to buy a surplus and resell [it] for more money to make a profit, it’s like supply and demand. That’s the nature of what we do in this country,” Riggio said.

Now, reselling and overconsumption are rooted in shopping, but that doesn’t mean everyone will fall for it. 

“Some of the more popular colorways are gone immediately. Some of the other ones sit on shelves, and they sit so long you get them at a discounted rate,” Riggio said. “I have a pair of shoes that retail for $220 and I got [them] for $180 because they had been on the shelves for several months.”

According to Take Charge America, one question to ask before a purchase is, “Do I need it?”

“How bad do I really want those shoes? And because I take care of them so well, that’s how I usually justify the purchase. I plan accordingly, I save up, I do what I need to do, and if I really want them, and I see them on StockX, I get them,” Riggio said. 

As online shopping becomes vastly more popular, the industry grows with it. According to Statista, in 2014 the sneaker industry was worth 45 billion dollars while today it is worth 72.2 billion dollars. Likewise, the sneaker resale market is worth 2 billion dollars, but it is estimated to grow to 30 billion by the year 2030. Lastly, the sneaker industry as a whole is estimated to grow to 101 billion dollars by 2026 which is not too far away. As the sneaker industry as a whole continues to grow and in correlation with the resale market too, people can expect to see websites such as StockX, Goat and Flightclub  to make more of an appearance in the shoe game industry.