7 Background: What is Sneaker culture? cont.
The impacts of hip-hop music and general listening audience are those from the PEERs community. Nike Air Force Ones are a different and very popular sneaker amongst the PEERs community and were first promoted with the sneaker anthem, “Air Force Ones”, by Nelly in the early 2000s. Nelly raps “(I said) give me two pairs, (Cause) I need two pairs, (So I) can get to stompin’ in my Air Force Ones, Big boys stompin’ in my Air Force Ones” 13.
To this day his music and these sneakers still have cultural influence and are promoted by other artists. Many artists reference sneaker culture throughout their music starting from when hip-hop was first forming its roots and is still used today. Shoe game has been studied and supported by various “sneakerheads,” sneakerheads are people who collect, trade, and are very well-versed in trendy sneakers. These individuals tend to have knowledge about the history of sneakers and are passionate about the features and individuality of each design. Sneaker culture sparked a new generation of sneakerheads which are both heavily influenced by hip hop culture.
