by Charley Johnson
News Editor
Sneakers, slippers, boots, Dunks, Jordans, Louis Vuitton’s: there are so many shoe types to pick from. Most students reach for their comfiest pair of shoes before heading to school, rocking their Ugg slippers or a pair of New Balances; but some choose to show off their shoe game, characterizing them as “sneakerheads.”
Jordans, one of the most popular sneaker brands, bring in about six billion dollars for Nike annually. With 39 different Jordan models and hundreds of color combinations and style choices for each line, there are options available for everyone. With the Jordan brand being around since 1985, the prices of the sneakers vary based on where someone is purchasing them from and how old the model is. Costs tend to vary from about 50 dollars all the way up to thousands of dollars; the most expensive pair of Jordans being, game-worn Air Jordan 13s, which were sold for 2.2 million dollars.
Although you won’t see any student at Northern wearing 2.2-million-dollar shoes, there are many students that have racked up quite a collection of sneakers. Sophomore Steven Sodo has an impressive shoe collection that consists of about 50-60 different pairs. His most expensive pair, off-white Air Force 1’s, costing him about $1,000. Sodo claims that Jordans are his favorite shoe brand, and they are his first choice of shoes to wear to school.
Another amazing collection is owned by a junior, Eric Moncreif. He owns over 30 pairs of shoes–his most expensive pair are $1,500 Louis Vuitton Skates. Although Jordans are one of the most popular shoe choices, Moncreif states that his favorite shoe brand is Balenciaga. Balenciaga shoes retail for an average price of about $1,000–this is due to the brand’s unique and innovative designs; high-quality materials; superior craftsmanship; brand reputation; exclusivity; and a limited supply.
Being a sneakerhead doesn’t mean that students are always wearing expensive shoes; some still choose to wear comfortable shoes to school over pricier options. Senior Kaseem Brooks owns about 12 pairs of shoes–his most expensive being $800 Louis Vuitton sneakers. Despite this, Brooks claims that he prefers wearing shoes that are more “calm” to school, choosing to be a little lazy when he dresses for the day and wearing his slides. Senior Donovan Reynolds feels the same as Brooks, stating that his first choice of shoes are usually his Nike boots.
A few more sneakerheads within Northern are freshman Bria Williams and Sophomores AJ Martinez, Lane Knight, and Makai Jones–they all own a combined total of 61 shoes. Jones states that his most expensive and favorite pair of shoes are his Off-White Jordan 4s, which cost about $600. Knight, Williams, and Martinez also own expensive pairs of Jordans with prices ranging from $200 to $400.
Some view shoes as just footwear, but others see shoes as collectables–or even a hobby. The question is: Are the shoes worth their price? Some may argue that $500 for a pair of shoes is outrageous, others see that as an amazing deal for sneakers from luxury brands like Jordan, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton. The value of the shoes comes from their popularity, which is based on appearance, exclusivity, and quality. After all, no one would pay $200+ for shoes if they thought they weren’t worth it.