Sneaker Culture For the past twenty years, sneakers have been
on the rise as the most popular choice of casual
footwear all around the world. In America, they
are a status symbol in urban culture as well
as a symbol of masculinity. Having a new pair of
sneakers is a big deal for many people. There is a sub-culture of sneaker fanatics who are
constantly on the look out for new and hip designs, and who collect as many pairs as
they can. They call themselves sneakerheads and take pride in their collections. Some
people take so much pride in their collections that they refuse to wear them, afraid to
scuff them and mar their perfection instead, they keep their shoes stored in their
closets.
The first celebrity to endorse a pair of sneakers was Chuck Taylor, a basketball player,
who helped catapult the Converse sneaker to fame. Later, NBA star Michael Jordan
designed his own pair of performance sneakers, and his line is still popular today. The
shoes became popular in hip-hop culture, and as hip-hop became more popular, so did
sneakers. Now it is common for celebrities to create shoe lines, with Kanye West an
Drake as examples.
Use the RACE strategy to answer the following question, using the checklist as you write.
Why do some people have a passion for sneakers?