Confessions of a Middle-Aged Sneakerhead
My Love of Sneakers has Grown over the Years
I love sneakers. They’ve become an important staple in my wardrobe. I love high tops, low tops, and platform sneakers. The more colorful the sneaker, the more I want to wear it. If the sneaker has an unusual design then it’s definitely coming home with me.
It wasn’t always that way. When I was in my teens, I couldn’t afford high-end sneakers. Adidas and Nike weren’t in my budget. I didn’t have a lot of money and when I did, it made more sense to purchase no-name (called bobos) sneakers. As much as I wanted to wear cool kicks, I couldn’t and wouldn’t dare ask my mom to spend money on them.
When I was a teen, Adidas, Nike, and Reebok were the kings of sneaker land. Nikes became really popular as the company made deals with basketball players. At that time, br80and-name sneakers cost less than $100. Generally, the average price was $ 80. Too rich for my blood as a kid.
Nowadays, Nike sneakers average $130 and up. I’ve even seen pairs go for over $200 in stores. If the sneakers are really sought after the price can go as high as $1000. Those are prices set by sneaker collectors. Reselling sneakers is a huge market with sellers making thousands in sneaker deals every week.
My sneaker collection began to grow in the early 2000s. I was a novice teacher and wanted to wear sneakers in the classroom. I was teaching high school English to 9th graders. I didn’t want to come in wearing no-name sneakers so I began to invest in Nike and Adidas shoes.
Back in the early 2000s, Adidas and Nike were still selling for less than $100. But less popular styles of those brands were being sold at discount stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I was also able to score deals at Marcy when they expanded their sneaker line. I’m a bargain hunter and I like to get deals.
Now, it’s much easier for me to spend over $100 on a pair of sneakers. But I still like the deal. I often can score bargains at Eblems stores, Expressions, and Kohls's. I scour the clearance sections of my favorite retailers to find unique sneaker styles. In addition to Adidas and Nike, I like Vans and Converse.
I never thought I’d become a sneakerhead. But I wear sneakers with many outfits like dresses, jeans, and joggers. Sneakers are fashionable and versatile. They can be worn every season. They even make sneakers for the rain and snow. I’m waiting for the perfect pair of sneakers to wear with an evening dress and I’m all set.
Sneakers are footwear fabulous!
