Is Sneaker Culture Dying?

In this episode of Almost 107, Fanshawe College journalism student Daniel Monroy investigates a question circulating across headlines, forums, and feeds: Is sneaker culture actually dying? Daniel traces the evolution of sneakers from the 1800s invention of vulcanized rubber to the rise of Nike, Adidas, Air Jordans, and the Yeezy era. He breaks down how drop culture, scarcity marketing, celebrity collaborations, and resale platforms shaped an industry that peaked between 2020 and 2022—before crashing into today’s cooling hype and oversaturated market. To understand the decline locally, Daniel visits N4E1, the last remaining sneaker boutique in London, Ontario, where owner Kish reflects on overproduction, declining quality, rising prices, the surge of high-quality replicas, and the “full circle” return to a pre-hype era when Jordans sat on shelves. The episode also features London rapper and fashion enthusiast 2Divine, who offers a cultural lens on reps, shifting style trends, and the evolving relationship between sneakers, hip-hop, and youth identity. Together, their insights reveal a complex landscape: fading hype, a changing consumer base, and an industry struggling with inflation and oversupply—yet still capable of rebirth. As Daniel concludes, sneaker culture isn’t gone; it’s resetting, waiting for its next spark.