I don't see a lot of the ‘older heads,’' said Igbinoba. In Miami, the range of people interested in sneakers only extends so far.

Jordan’s namesake is increasingly known for the sneaker empire he has built with Nike. Sneaker culture was introduced through hip-hop music in the 1980s then popularized by the epic hoopster, Michael Jordan, in the 1990s. Those are places where sneaker culture has existed for several decades. But the demographic of Miami shoe lovers is different in comparison to established urban cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., where sneakerheads are “OG,” meaning old gangster or original. Not knowing the history of certain shoes is not to say people aren’t fascinated by sneakers in South Florida. He said many people who approached his table wanted limited pairs of shoes but did not understand the history behind different shoes. They aren't real sneakerheads,' said Owen Igbinoba. 'They don't know what Jordan did in these shoes. A “hypebeast” is something of an insult, referring to a person who only buys shoes that are popular and cool. But me and my friend - we’re real ‘sneakerheads.’ We’ve been in this since ninth grade,” said Williams.Ī 'sneakerhead' is a shoe enthusiast that not only collects shoes, but is very knowledgeable about the history of the sneaker and its meaning. “You’ve got ‘hypebeasts’ and people that just want to buy shoes.

The event allows vendors and guests to buy, sell and trade their “kicks.” It's also a hot place to check out the shoe scene in Miami.Īrthur Williams, 19, attended the event to buy shoes and noticed various kinds of interests. Shoe enthusiasts gathered recently at the Bank United Center on the campus of the University of Miami for SneakerCon.

Whats a hype beast