Sneaker Culture – East vs. West

Sneaker culture changed in North America.

I was once fully immersed in the sneaker industry.  In January of 2021, I landed my dream job working at an up-and-coming sneaker startup. Exactly one year later I was laid off. 

In hindsight, it was probably for the best. I’d realized that sneaker culture here in North America has deviated so far from what it once was. 

The days of scouring Facebook groups in search of your favorite drop are gone. Instead, we now have an online echo chamber interested in the aftermarket value of a sneaker rather than its creative execution.   

Thankfully, there are still other global markets doing their due diligence in paying reverence to the origins of sneaker culture. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that these attitudes trickle back here stateside.

Sneaker culture has stayed true elsewhere. 

Sneaker traditionalism

A couple of months ago I visited Japan, one of the biggest hotbeds for “sneakerheads” in the world. I found that sneaker culture in Japan — and perhaps more broadly across Asia — has maintained traditionalist values when it comes to footwear fashion, and I just had to be in on it.

While it’s not uncommon to see some crazy Travis Scott x Nike collaboration there, you’re far more likely to see folks toeing the line between utilitarianism and artistry over pure ostentation. 

I’m not trying to say that there is a “right way” to wear sneakers, but there is a wrong way.

When comparing North American sneaker culture versus Asian sneaker culture, I believe that we’ve lost a bit of our sense of self-expression and passion here.

We could stand to learn a couple of things from our fellow sneakerheads overseas. 

Sneaker culture is more than hype

When taking a walk through any “trendy” neighborhood, you will see one of these three silhouettes, if not all of them: the Nike Dunk Low, the Adidas Yeezy 350, and/or the Adidas Samba.

Three great shoes, but all three born from the modern notion of “hype.” 

In Western street fashion, hype dictates what the masses wear. In our societies that value individualism, we’ve ironically grown to blend in with the rest of what everybody else is wearing.

One could understandably expect this outlook to extend to Asian cultures where self-expression is not held with as high of regard.

But it’s actually quite the opposite in the sneaker world.

Sneakers with unorthodox silhouettes like the Nike Air Max 95, or the New Balance 580 have risen to meteoric popularity across Asia over the likes of Dunks and Sambas.

No one really knows why, but the Air Max 95, and NB580 do have a couple of things in common.

First and foremost their price points at original release were relatively high — $140 USD and $110 USD respectively. In justifying these high costs, Nike and New Balance rightfully prioritized craftsmanship and attention to detail, and in Asian sneaker culture that tends to value longevity and subsequent timelessness, the sneaker giants quickly set themselves up for success.  

Secondly, each of these silhouettes sport incredibly intricate exteriors, lending both to more opportunity for one to express themselves through color schemes, while also serving as a natural medium to break out of the collectivist norm through its sophisticated design. 

And at its core, is this not the very basis for what sneaker culture is supposed to be?

Everyone’s sneaker –  Onitsuka Tiger

Onitsuka Tiger sneakers skyrocketed in global popularity following the release of “Kill Bill” (2003).  

All throughout Japan and much of Asia is a sneaker brand that you rarely find in North America: Onitsuka Tiger.

Onitsuka Tiger is the lifestyle subsidiary of Japan-based footwear company, ASICS. Their international prevalence exemplifies the great current divide between North American and Asian sneaker cultures. 

Onitsuka Tiger does so well to bridge the gap between personal expression and accessibility. This gap is an everlasting dichotomy that plagues the Western sneaker scene.

Through their wide array of color schemes and readily available silhouettes, they’ve made it much easier to find something “cool” while also conveying one’s sense of self.     

It’s here that the sheer cultural differences between Asia and the West become more apparent through sneakers.

It’s here that these differences serve as a detriment to North American sneaker culture as a whole.

Domestically, our thirst for individualism has led us to disparage accessibility. Collaborative glamor and hype would appear to be at the forefront of both contemporary creative decision making and consumerism, which is a disappointing contrast to the origins of sneaker culture as a whole. 

The divide between what is “hyped” and what is not has vastly widened over the past five-to-ten years with few “cool” alternatives in the middle ground available.

To me, this further exemplifies the need for some sort of change as this gap has left many stranded in terms of creative outlets of self-expression. 

While exclusivity very much still exists in the Asian sneaker world, brands such as Onitsuka Tiger aim to create timeless and culturally significant silhouettes for the masses to enjoy.

I am not necessarily petitioning for Nike to churn out millions of pairs of Air Jordan 1s. But, North America needs to adopt something similar.

It needs to set aside its hubris in relation to exclusivity. Otherwise, its own sneaker culture will only resonate with social status instead of artistic expression.

Sneaker lessons from the East

Although on the consumer level the future of domestic sneaker culture may seem bleak, I do think that trailblazers within the industry are actively trying to improve it.

Companies like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance are all looking towards Asia in attempts to reinvigorate a stagnant market.

And with the recent additions of Asian creatives like Yoon Ahn and Edison Chen to their rosters, these conglomerates are proving that they’re willing to curb corporate interest in favor of implementing tried-and-true approaches and aesthetics from the Asian sneaker world. 

To me, a better sneaker future in North America sees these market leaders continue to dedicate themselves to the bona fide culture.

With so much trend-driven hype saturating the current state, it will take much time to realign with the origins. But, I do believe such dedication will yield long-term benefits.

After all, campaigns such as Adidas x Yeezy have proven that hype alone is not a sustainable business model.

Sneaker future and storytelling

Deep down, people want a story — simply put, they want something that they can connect to. 

Creatives like Ahn and Chen are paragons in embodying storytelling through design.

While their respective collections with Nike and Adidas may be unorthodox to some, I believe that they’re integral in developing brand presences that emphasize artistic integrity. 

Although some may scoff at the notion of sneakers being art, they have traditionally been one of the most accessible forms of expression. After many discouraging years the culture in North America is finally beginning to trend in the right direction. 

The coming years should be especially exciting in the sneaker world.

There are so many stories that have yet to be told.

Perhaps we’ll stop seeing Panda Dunks every time we grab a coffee.