Sneakerheads is just a label. Each one is different and brings something new to the culture. It's the stories behind the shoes that bring them together. Richmond, VA has a budding sneakerhead community that seems to center along a 3 block stretch of Broad Street. I wrote, directed and edited this mini-documentary on the community.
These are the Broad Street Sneakerheads.
To start my submersion into the culture, I would ask people who had unique shoes on, where they got them. Most answers directed me to Wavy Kickz or Round Two. Then through Instagram, I found out about The Source House of Shoes over on the Southside. Turns out the owner of that store had a boutique shop in the city called Monument...opening just a block from Wavy Kickz and Round Two.
At first I was wary of walking into these stores and being told to hit the bricks because of my beat up Air Max 90's. But I couldn't have been more wrong. For a culture based around something as exclusive as limited edition sneaks, the members couldn't be more inclusive.
I even tried to goad them into making fun of my shoes, but they wouldn't budge.
“That’s just you, man. Nothing wrong with that.””