By MEDELIN CUEVAS  

Many teenagers in high school wear popular shoe brands. Those include Nike, Adidas and Converse. But among the more sought after pairs is the Nike Air Jordan, long considered the popular shoe of choice. An average pair runs between $120 and $300, roughly the same price as a college textbook.

And while the “sneakerhead” sub-culture is dominating a teen’s life, some have found it’s replaced the need to use money for college tuition, favoring the hottest trend over a path to education.

Its popularity is widespread in the Bronx, where the debut of the latest pair of Jordans often becomes an event, with teens waiting outside a store prior to its opening.

 

Nick Reyes, 16, a self-described sneakerhead living in the Bronx, said he “wouldn’t even think about saving my money for college tuition.” Told about the long term effects, Nick admitted he’d “have to double think that because sneakers are a short term thing, college tuition isn’t.”

College tuition in New York City is increasing tremendously. In 2014, CUNY tuition cost about an average of $4,800 in community colleges and $6,330 in four year colleges. That’s about the cost of 24 to 30 pairs of Air Jordans. College debt has increasingly risen over the years, according to The Institute for College Access and Success, college education thinktank. In 2012, average student debt across the country was $29,400, up 25 percent from 2008 when average student loan debt was $23,450.

Another teen, Julie Melendez, who attends a Catholic high school, said, “Jordans are very popular. It’s like a trend.” Genesis Campos, 15, not currently an owner of Jordans, added, “I never bought a pair, but, it has definitely caught my eye. It’s because of the popularity.”

Buying sneakers has become an addiction for a majority of Bronx teens. Instead of using sneakers as something to walk or run in, they have become a collector’s item.

“They’re spending like $200 to $300 on sneakers when they should save that money for college,” said Waly Wade, a Bronx teen. “Most of these teens don’t even buy them to wear them; they buy it to fit into the standards.”

The need for sneakers can be so intense that students often wait at shoe stores overnight for a new shipment to come in the next morning.  At Hyperactive, a shoe store located on Hunts Point, the store manager who went by Sadikou said, “I tend to do a raffle in order to keep the cool in the store. But I think it’s a win-win situation; we get their money which is put into the business and the customers get the sneakers they want. It’s not bad that we’re doing this.”