"The Stories that Come With the Shoe": A Qualitative Study of Male Sneaker Collector Motivations, Experiences, and Identities
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The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
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Abstract
There is a thriving community of individuals with a passion for wearing, collecting, and sometimes reselling sneakers. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations and perspectives of male sneaker collectors. Twelve men participated in semi-structured interviews. Research questions included: (1) How do sneaker collectors perceive the experience of sneaker collecting? (2) What makes a shoe collectable? (3) Is sneaker collecting used to represent or explore identity? Most participants were active in sports, especially basketball, and they thought that collecting arose naturally from their sports interests. Respondents cited three primary reasons for collecting a shoe: They collected shoes associated with particular moments in basketball history, shoes with aesthetic qualities they particularly liked, and shoes that would resell for high prices. Sneaker collecting does appear to be a way for these men to voice their interests in fashion, dress, and personal expression.