For some people, sneakers are little more than an attractive footwear option. For others, they're an obsession.
From humble beginnings in 1970s hip-hop and b-boy culture, then ballooning through Nike's Air Jordans in the 1980s, the sneaker industry is a $75 billion-plus behemoth with die-hard fans scattered throughout the world. Known colloquially as sneakerheads, fans are hooked on collecting the latest styles and rare versions and often have collections reaching into the hundreds.
One of Louisiana's most prominent sneakerheads is Derek Curry, the founder and owner of clothing and sneaker boutique Sneaker Politics. First opening in Lafayette in 2006, Sneaker Politics now has additional stores scattered throughout Louisiana and Texas (now in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Austin and Dallas). Sneaker Politics is one of the leading stores of its kind in the country.
Like many — if not most — sneakerheads, Curry's passion for shoes began when he was a kid. He was immediately hooked by their look, the cool factor, and the athletes who wore them.
"I just started off liking shoes, man," he said. "It was such a big thing growing up. Getting a fresh pair of shoes, going to school with them on … that was the main attention grabber there was. And supporting athletes, too, since I was a big fan of Deion Sanders, Charles Barkley, MJ (Michael Jordan) of course. Just being able to wear those guys' shoes."
For Curry, with Nike and Jordan, the branding and storytelling turned his interest into a next-level collectable realm and, eventually, a store with an edge in the business.
Sneaker Politics has the rare and sought-after Tier Zero contract with Nike, meaning it gets the brand's most exclusive releases before anyone else. It acts as a sort of barometer for the manufacturer.
"They basically look at us as influencers in our territories," he said — giving an idea of what will and won't sell before the shoes are more widely distributed. "They know we have a younger and forward thinking customer willing to get that different shoe and try that different technology out, wear that crazy color no one else is thinking of yet."
Though he's occupied with his ever-growing business, Curry hasn't lost sight of the shoes that hooked him in the first place. His favorite model is a Nike Air Max 1, while his most valuable one is a Nike x Coraline Dunk, of which only 15 were made. As for the size of his current collection … well, it's big.
"I got to a point where I had shoes at my mom's house. I had shoes at my house. I had shoes stashed at my kids' house. I would keep them at work and everything," he said, laughing. "My girlfriend was finally like, 'OK, this is enough. If you buy one, you've got to get rid of one at my house.'"
Despite his girlfriend's ultimatum, and his ongoing downsizing, Curry estimates his collection to be around 350 sets of sneakers (down from a peak of 500). His paring down has also been helped by one of his children sharing his shoe size.
Two Sneaker Politics customers, and devout sneakerheads, are Lafayette workmates Jonathan Pellegrin and Brittney Williams. Both have dozens of pairs they've collected over the years ("just under 100," in Pellegrin's case), all lovingly curated and cared for.
Pellegrin began collecting in 2015 after being inspired by a sneakerhead roommate in college. Williams began her collection just a few years ago, though she had fostered a love of sneakers since childhood.
"Growing up I saw so many different shoes come out," Williams said. "My family weren’t quite able to get me what I would call 'designer type' sneakers. So I kind of made it my mission when I became an adult, to go back and get all the shoes I wanted when I was growing up. So that's what I've kind of been doing, little by little."
Both have sneakers that mean a bit more than others.
For Pellegrin, his most treasured pair is a set of Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott Mochas, a collector's favorite featuring backwards Nike swooshes. It's also, he says, his most "exclusive" pair. According to most online sites that sell the rare pair of shoes, they are typically valued at about $2,000, but some sites sell them for more than $8,000 for reasons that matter to sneakerheads.
Both Pellegrin and Williams wear the shoes they collect in a rotation, which begs the question: With pairs often valued in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, are there any that they won't wear? The answer is simple. "No," said Pellegrin.
So what keeps sneakerheads hooked? For Williams and Pellegrin, it's about style, culture, and a never-ending array of new and interesting sneakers to look forward to.
"I wish I had more feet so I could wear more shoes," Pellegrin said. "(The manufacturers) just come out with so many bangers. They keep coming out with so many good shoes. It's like Pokémon: You gotta collect them all."
The same goes for Curry.
"I've been into shoes since I was 12 years old, and I've been running shoe businesses for the last 17 or 18 years," he said. "You'd think I would be over it by now. But to this day, when we get a new shoe in and I see it, I still get excited. I want to wear it right away. It's just, I guess, that expression, that difference. It's just that little conversation piece — that little piece of art you get to wear."