We all know the feeling. You’ve got a fresh new pair or some heat that you don’t usually break out on foot, and someone notices. “Nice shoes bro!” “Those are dope” “Like the kicks man!”
Yes, it’s the always-coveted sneaker compliment. Someone likes what you’ve got on foot enough to make a comment about whatever heat you’ve got on foot. Some people get a lot of them, some people not as many, but all sneakerheads can agree that it’s a pretty damn good feeling.
Where am I going with this, you might ask? It’s the beginning of getting to the root of who we hope to impress with our shoe choices, and why we wear what we wear.
Most sneakerheads like wearing a nice pair because they appreciate the history of the shoe, and it’s something more to them than just a piece of clothing that protects your feet from the elements. There’s a story behind the shoes be it personal or otherwise, and usually a pretty interesting one.
Some other people (when I say other people, I mean male sneakerheads) might tell you that they like wearing a nice pair of kicks because the ladies love it. That’s sadly not true. Although most girls would likely prefer someone who’s dressed well, your 2001 Royal I’s aren’t going to have the ladies flocking to you.
Still confused? Alright, well I’ll just come out and say it. A large reason that most guys like to rock fresh kicks is to stunt on other men, whether they care about shoes or not. Some will admit it, and some won’t. It strokes your ego when you know that you’ve got on the best kicks in the room and everyone else is rubbernecking or mean mugging because they’re just so freaking salty about the ridiculous amount of heat you’ve got on your feet.
We all like being the top dog, and even though some of us won’t admit it, this all plays some part in our desire to collect shoes. There’s something satisfying about having shoes that other people don’t have, can’t find, or to be brutally honest, just can’t afford. Although the importance of this varies to different people, it factors in to all of our sneaker decisions in some way or another.
So next time you pull out those limited kicks to go with that fire fit you have, enjoy it. Be honest with yourself. You’re killing everyone else and you know it. Let it hang out!
-RDwyer
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