Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — Whether it be a pair of classic black and white Nike Dunks or vibrant neon Pumas, trending shoes are everywhere right now. And because of these popular styles, the Palm Beach County sneaker market has grown in recent years creating a community of “sneakerheads” or passionate shoe fans.

Sneaker culture created a thriving hub for buying, selling, and trading popular and limited edition shoes. As sneakerheads share in the collective hype for brands like Nike and Adidas, local stores find themselves trying to keep up with the demand of the community. 

“Sneakers, at least when I was growing up, it was all community,” said Tyler Folds, co-owner of Cold Shoulder Kicks in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “We just try to keep that community aspect in sneakers because I think that’s what brings people together. Whether you're a kid down the street or you're a professional athlete, everyone can bond over the love of sneakers.”

The subculture of sneakers kicked off in the 1970s, popularized by the hip-hop genre. Popular shoe brands continued to evolve thereafter, with companies releasing many variations of Nike Dunks, Air Jordans, and celebrity Puma collaborations.    

Today, these top shoe companies earn billions of dollars and dominate the industry, but the secondary resale market has become a common way to shop for newer styles. These local resellers have become a catalyst for rampant price increases and inflation, causing controversy in the shoe community.

“Ever since Covid, a lot of the prices have gone up. It is a good business to get into, there’s plenty of sneakers, plenty of people that want new shoes. Some people are doing it for the money, but there’s people here and there that are in it for the culture,” said Jay Lopez, a sales associate at Impossible Kicks in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

As the resale market for sneakers continues to expand, shoe fans in the U.S. can expect the market to be worth around $30 billion in the next seven years.