Sneakers have gone from being a practical necessity to investment pieces for the Gen Z. Are they the future of fashion or just overpriced soles?

By Khushi Puri

Back in the day sneakers were just shoes, worn, used and eventually tossed away. Today, they are not just footwear rather an investment, a status symbol or straight-up gold for Gen Z. What once was just a practical need has now turned into an obsession with Gen Z going crazy for limited edition drops.

“Your shoes say a lot about you,” says Pratham Kohli, 21, studying BBA at Amity University Noida. “I got into the sneaker craze during the pandemic, and ever since, my wallet has been crying. The most expensive pair I own is The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Reverse in the colour Mocha from CDC—I paid around ₹1.6 lakhs for them in resale, which is insane because it is more than my semester fee. Some of my friends have even started reselling full-time. It’s the stock market, but way cooler, and probably more profitable.”

Dunk culture has always been big in the West but in the Indian market, it has quickly gone from a zero to a 100. A niche obsession among sneakerheads has now turned into a full-fledged battlefield where people are willing to spend lakhs on a pair of shoes. According to Statista in 2025, the Sneaker market in India is forecasted to generate a revenue of US$3.1billion and is expected to grow annually by 6.88% between 2025 and 2029.

Platforms like VegNonVeg, Superkicks, and Crepdog Crew are some of India’s top rare pair retailers that also deal in resale to cater to this growing market. International resale markets, including websites like StockX, GOAT, and Flight Club dominate the market. Instagram resell pages are way ahead with kick collectors running private groups, negotiating deals and setting prices based on demand.

Let’s talk about some limited-edition drops. The Dior x Air Jordan Drop 1 retailed for about ₹1.8 lakhs but in the resale market, its price shot up to about ₹10 lakhs. The Travis Scott x Nike collaborations are another example—these sneakers originally sold for around ₹15,000, but now one won’t find them for less than ₹3-5 lakhs. Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 – originally released at ₹2.5 lakh, now is selling for ₹10 lakhs. After seeing the insane prices one might wonder whether people actually wear these sneakers or just keep them in a glass case, the answer is– both.

Not everyone is on board with the insane prices, Varda Sharma, 23, a fashion design student at Pearl Academy West Delhi shares a contrasting opinion. “I don’t get the sneaker craze”, she says. “I appreciate good-looking footwear, but spending lakhs on them when they look the same as my ₹3,000 pair, is wild. My most expensive pair of kicks were the Nike Panda dunks, that I got for ₹8,000—and even that was a splurge. They’re white and black, and go with everything. I refuse to get into the hype, and would much rather spend money on an actual vacation.”

So, are sneakers the real gold for Gen Z? Well, unless one can walk around flexing a gold bar on their feet, the answer is yes. Whether you’re in it for the drip or the flip, this isn’t just a passing trend, it’s a multi-crore industry that’s only getting bigger. But the real question is are you even wearing your prized possessions enough or are they just sitting in a box?