The 2nd annual Tico Sneaker Day will be held on September 28th.
The phenomenon of sneaker fashion is one that’s stood the test of time. Since the marketing campaigns of the 1980s, the fusion between sneaker fashion and urban culture has grown at an incredible pace. With companies such as Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma, and Fila leaving their imprint in the sneaker world these last 30+ years, the new generation has learned to fall in love with the styles many of us older heads fell in love with during a previous era. These brands, at one time or another, we’re seen regularly in the neighborhoods of urban America. Sneakers began to be seen as more fashionable during the days of RUN DMC who we’re famous for wearing their Adidas Superstar sneakers without laces. They even created a legendary track paying homage to their favorite sneaker and brand. It was 1985 in Hollis, Queens.
Interestingly enough, Nike was investing and endorsing an athlete by the name of Michael Jordan at the same time, drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA Draft. Sneaker fashion would take off and never look back.
Along with sneaker fashion’s rise in popularity, the world of Hip Hop has now become mainstream. It’s no longer a “ghetto secret” as the god MC Nas once said. Urban culture is now pop culture, whether you like it or not. With the shift, we’ve seen Hip Hop expand its influence to the four corners of the earth. Latin America has been heavily influenced by its Hip Hop roots, particularly in the Caribbean with the rise of Reggaeton (remember, it was African-Americans and Latinos in the South Bronx during the mid-70s that were directly involved in the creation of Hip Hop). At the same time, Salsa music was growing at an exponential rate with the rise of FANIA records. This has only helped to promote a lifestyle sustained by those that are directly influenced by urban America, passed down through generations dating as far back as the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and beyond. From the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s through the growth of knowledge of self teachings taking place at the same time, Hip Hop and urban culture will always co-exist as part of a whole.
Fast forward 34 years and the world of sneaker fashion is front and center. Some styles have withered away while others are stronger than ever. New styles have entered the arena to contend for supremacy and those that see profit in these sneakers take full advantage of it. Of course, it feels as though the sneaker game has been exploited and it many cases it has, however, it allows for the community to grow far beyond its expectations and for sneaker enthusiasts to gather around and celebrate a passion they have in common. From Mecca through Medina (Harlem – Brooklyn, NY), the Windy City (Chicago), the 305 (Miami) to South Central (L.A.), Paris, London, Berlin, Mexico City, Hong Kong back to San Jose, Costa Rica, sneaker fashion is cherished and here to stay.
Stay tuned to GOTTA BE LEGEND for exclusive coverage of Tico Sneaker Day 2019.
