The Rise of Sneaker Culture

Sneakers have evolved over time from functional sportswear to top status symbols

According to the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the retail sales of sneakers in the city reached HK$436.6 billion last year. The dynamic Mong Kok shopping district has opened its arms to thousands of visitors every day, maps in hand as many try to locate "Sneakers Street" (on Fa Yuen Street) in this densely packed area.

Meanwhile, on Instagram, the popular sneaker-related hashtag #yeezy continues to run the show, with more than five million mentions. It started in 2009, when hip-hop artist Kanye West launched his sneaker collection with Louis Vuitton, then the Air Yeezy with Nike the same year, followed by the Air Yeezy 2 in 2012. However, in 2015, he switched over to Adidas and introduced the Yeezy Boost 750 and 350, both unquestionably the most-wanted kicks among "sneakerheads" (avid collectors) that year - and they're still highly sought after. The former was limited to 9,000 pairs worldwide and sold out in 10 minutes.