SNEAKERHEADS

Ever since trainers evolved from being purely functional to a fixture of mainstream fashion, no other item of clothing has played a bigger role in the history of youth culture. In the mid-1980s, after Nike launched its Air Jordan line and Adidas signed an endorsement deal with Run–DMC (the first of its kind), the art of collecting kicks quickly became a subculture of its own. There would be legendary rarities and deadstock, custom alterations and secret cleaning techniques, shrewd swaps and out-of-control auctions. It’s an addiction that has spread through all classes and ethnicities, signifying meaning in everything from social status to gender politics.

But true sneakerheads don’t believe in keeping their stash stored away in immaculate condition. They’re to