Some Trends Sneak Up on You
The younger generation gets its fashion cues from icons that pervade the Internet and cable channels. Professional basketball players such as LeBron James and hip-hop musicians like Kanye West inform plenty of shoe purchases in rural areas as well as the inner city. These stars know that high-class functions call for dress shoes, but they also demonstrate taste in sneakers.
Thousands of adherents follow along with sneaker culture; they keep up with the rapidly evolving fashion trends and try to anticipate the hottest new shoe lines. There are dozens of Web sites and print magazines devoted to chronicling the casual shoe scene. Some avid collectors buy two pairs at a time – one to wear and another to save for posterity. Don’t be surprised to see sneaker museums popping up in the not-too-distant future featuring Nike and New Balance womens shoes because the trend is just that hot.