Introduction Sneakers have become a lot more than just a kind of footwear, as they are now an essential part of an influential subculture. Sneaker culture finds its roots in African American culture of the 1980s and currently is experiencing a second rebirth. The rise of the Internet and the trend of blurring the line between formal and casual clothing making it socially acceptable to wear what people want in any circumstances. The subculture has become a driving force for manufacturers to design and produce more sneakers making a substantial profit. The present paper is an attempt to answer the question of whether sneaker culture is a long-lasting phenomenon or the popularity of the subculture will soon deteriorate. Description When referring to sneaker culture, one must realize the complexity of the subculture, as it includes many interconnected aspects. Traditionally, it is understood as collecting exclusive pieces of footwear to create and maintain an individual style. It is associated with three core principles to buy, sell, and trade unique pairs of sneakers, which are modified by the changes in technology (Bekoe 7). Until recently, a typical representative of the subculture was a violent Africa American ready to kill for a pair of shoes. However, due to the rise of athleisure, the subculture found many new followers from other parts of the population (Grover). In short, sneaker culture can be described as a hobby to collect, sell, and trade limited editions of sports shoes with passion and zealousness. The central effect of the sneaker culture is a tremendous boost in the footwear industry making a substantial profit. In 2016, the global footwear industry was estimated as a $52 billion business (Laitasalo 3). Additionally, Laitasalo states that “sneakers have given rise to a gigantic secondary market estimated to be worth more than $1 billion” (3). This market is occupied by hypebeasts, or resellers of pop culture products, who try to buy as many pieces of sneakers high in demand and sell them with an additional 50%-100% charge. These people line up in stores for several days or create bots to buy exclusive footwear within seconds after they are available for sale. Some of the products they keep for themselves, while others are resold. In brief, sneaker culture has unintendedly created a new market niche that allows hypebeasts to make money out of knowledge of fashion trends. The phenomenon brings together people with the same interest from all over the world. The fans of the sneaker culture refer to themselves as sneakerheads and consider the whole subculture one big family that counts in tens of thousands (Ema). However, being a sneakerhead can be controversial, as, on the one hand, one feels comfort and support from all the other members of the community, but on the other hand, people become obsessed with footwear, which leads to increased amounts of stress and anxiety (Ema). This is partly because even though the culture is intended for enthusiasts, they are not the ones creating trends and cannot influence fashion. Brief History Before discussing the future of the sneaker culture, it is beneficial to refer to the history of the phenomenon. It started as an urban countercult