Whether it’s an Adidas or a Nike, sneakers are seen as the ultimate fashion statement. But what is so enticing about these shoes? Why on earth would people buy them by the pair, wear them on their feet for hours, and spend $300 on one pair?
The answer is prestige.
Prestige can be defined as “the status associated with bearing the title of ‘prestigious'”. This sense of prestige can be denoted by some objects that are widely considered to be prestigious in human society. Shoes are no exception to this conventional idea.
How do ‘sneakers’ and ‘prestige’ align together?
Prestige has been the notion which shoe designers have been looking for in sneaker design. They seek to accomplish a key human need prevalent among today’s youth – an underlying sense of fulfillment of the human need for distinction.
The prestige associated with wearing sneakers like Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Mono Cinder reflect how people think about themselves, their place in society, and their own achievements. It helps that
Shoe designers are essentially looking to make people feel good about themselves. Their job is not merely to make a product, but it is to make people feel good about themselves buying the product(s). This is not a new concept, but a classic human strategy to sell a product to achieve a goal. In order to achieve this status gain, people will buy sneakers that range from $100-$5000. But one of the most important ways shoe designers create these feel-good experiences is with the use of status symbols.
‘Exclusivity’ – a bond between ‘sneakers’ and ‘prestige’
In the sneaker world, prestige is at its highest when it comes to limited edition shoes. They are sold in very small quantities and fetch high prices on the secondary market. Various designs serve as status symbols for all different groups of people. These include kids who see sneakers as an extension of their individuality and taste for sports culture.
This sense of prestige with sneakers also extend to adults who view them as symbols of luxury and wealth. Since these are made available in limited numbers, the sense of owning them gives rise to the fulfillment that not many could grab it but you have it in your cupboard! Owners of these limited edition of shoes don’t mind putting them on and going for a walk, with the sole goal of attracting others’ attention. And when they succeed in doing so, they feel content with the prestige factor.
To sign off
This is how we have come to associate the term ‘prestige’ with ‘sneakers’. Even though they may look like totally unrelated terms, this post showed how closely prestige follows with the ownership of exclusive pair of sneakers like the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Mono Cinder.
