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What Sneaker Week Taught Us About Shopping

Hint: It requires more than just sneakers.

Shopping
What Sneaker Week Taught Us About Shopping

If sneaker week taught us one thing, it’s that collecting sneakers is serious work. Being a
sneakerhead is a look that comes with a whole new vocabulary. As Emily Oberg put it, it’s all about walking that fine line between looking sporty and rich. Sneakerheads rock Vans with Vetements and sweatpants with CHANEL. And not only do they look cool, they are cool. Everyone whose closet we raided (and then piled sneakers on top of) had a creative career that was just as cool as everything they wore. Emily Oberg works out with Ludacris, and Boi 1-da has known Drake since day one. Aleali May works with Lil Yachty, and Ibn Jasper cuts Kanye’s hair. Even though they could quite literally swim in their sneakers, there is way more to this look than just fancy footwear. So if you haven’t been collecting sneakers for fifteen years, here’s how to fool anyone on the street into thinking you have.

 


1. Keep it casual

Sneakers are part of every lazy person’s look. They’re comfortable and look good no matter what you pair them with. Since every sneakerhead told us comfort is key, sweatpants, sweatshirts, and denim are part of the everyday rotation. Best part about it all? Most of them are pretty affordable.

2. But not too casual

And even though comfort is key, the very lowbrow of sneaker week closets was accompanied by the very, very high. No designer was off-limits, although we did see a lot of Vetements, Gucci, and Off-White. Or as Aleali May taught us, just throw a CHANEL bag on with anything.

3. Act like your favorite celebrity is your best friend (and wear their merch)

Not only did we want to steal every sneaker week closet, but we also kinda wanted to take a look through some of our new stylish friends’ phones, find Rihanna’s number, and add it to our own little black book (like you haven’t dreamed of doing the same). Boi-1da did produce Rihanna’s “Work,” after all. Everyone we met wore their creative career on their sleeve (or on their feet). From Ibn Jasper’s Yeezys to Boi-1da’s OVO jackets, you need merch and to produce a number one song, like….yesterday.

4. Don’t just go for name recognition

Chanel, Gucci, Dior...we’ve heard it all before. But what about Misbhv or Seville Michelle? Sneakerheads know what they’re talking about when it comes to design, and they often own pieces by the next big designer before everyone else knows who they are. We’d like to thank Aleali May for our newest under-the-radar design crushes.

Part of the series:

Sneaker Week

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