What is Sneaker Theory?

Anyone. But we especially want students, student-athletes, educators and people in sneaker relevant careers, -- whether they be doctors of sports medicine or graphic artists who know how to make some kick-ass sneaker logos. We want to assemble a Sneaker Theory collective with a wide range of perspectives and experiences to make sneaker theory -- and Sneaker Theory -- as vibrant and relevant to students as sneakers are themselves.

Sneaker Theory will produce a series of lessons and ideas for educators to implement sneaker theory in their classroom or school. We will also maintain a repository of resources for great books about sneakers that would be of interest to educators and students alike. At the same time, Sneaker Theory believes that in order for an educational movement to be truly successful, it must be led by both conscious students and progressive educators. Along those lines, we have developed a guide that provides practical tips for how students can get their school or district to start offering courses in sneaker theory. It’s called "11 Ways to Get Your School to Offer Sneaker Theory." It is available for free on our site.

Our mission is to promote the study of sneakers in America's public schools, colleges and universities. In short, we want to re-conceptualize sneakers as an educational tool. Sneaker theory is not obsessed with "drop dates" for new kicks or the latest trends in athletic footwear, although we'll examine those things through the lens of behavioral economics. We're more about elevating people's consciousness about the dynamic interplay between the sneaker industry and society.

Yes, Sneaker Theory is the name of a soon-to-be 501(c)(3) that is on a mission to establish sneaker theory as a legitimate subject to study in school, just like art theory or music theory.

Everything. We believe that if you're old enough to select a certain brand of sneaker, you're old enough to study sneakers and the sneaker industry. We believe that educators should harness the affinity that U.S. kids, teens and young adults have for sneakers and channel it to teach a range of important concepts and skills.

Sneaker Theory could eventually become a full-fledged curriculum. Who knows? It might even evolve into Sneaker College or Sneaker University. But for now, Sneaker Theory is more of an ideology and a nascent movement in education. It’s not about promoting sneakers. We might be enthralled by the latest designs and inspired by the athletes -- collegiate and professional -- who are inking impressive and sometimes enormous endorsement deals. But we're also here to do critical analyses of the sneaker industry and sneaker culture and how those things affect the planet and its people, for better or for worse. For instance, how do sneaker companies acquire the raw materials from other countries, such as rubber, needed to produce their shoes? How much do they pay people to make their shoes? Do they rely on exploitive practices? Or are people in other countries getting a fair deal for their role in making the often pricey shoes that the people of the world increasingly want to put on their feet?

Sneakers can be used to teach just about any subject – from social studies to STEM. For instance, a high school economics teacher could explore how sneaker company stocks have performed since the students were born. That could yield important insights on whether it's better to invest in sneakers -- as a growing number of people are doing -- or sneaker stocks. Then there's a lot that could be done with art and architecture. For instance, at the college level, architecture majors could be challenged to design a sneaker-shaped library. At the elementary school and even pre-school level, art educators can guide students to design and sketch their dream sneakers. Our theory is that if educators can harness the affinity that America's young people have for sneakers and use it to teach a variety of lessons, schools would be unwise not to try it.

Sneaker theory is the study of sneakers and their impact and influence on society and the world -- culturally, economically and otherwise.

Given how long sneakers have been a major force in American culture, a better question might be: Why didn't America's schools start offering sneaker theory a long time ago? As of 2024, the global sneaker market stands at $80.19 billion. That’s larger than the GDP of more than half of the world’s nations, including that of Panama, Belarus, Serbia and Ghana, to name a few. And the global sneaker market is expected to grow even more -- 5% annually through 2030. A sizable share of the global sneaker market – $23.4 billion – is based in the United States. And America’s young people – particularly its students – are at the heart of it. One survey found, for instance, that American teenagers own, on average, eight pairs of sneakers. That’s enough to wear a different pair every day of the week and leave one pair untouched. Further, when kids and teens wear brand name sneakers to school, they essentially become unpaid brand ambassadors, and the hallways of their schools essentially become fashion runways for the latest footwear. In short, students in the U.S. are already doing sneaker theory. We're simply urging educators to recognize this phenomenon, catch up with students and begin to design and offer meaningful lessons that lead students to become more critical and conscious "consumers," if you will, of the sneaker industry's evolving array of products.