In recent years, sneakers have become a source of obsession so high that the growing tribe of dedicated sneaker lovers has led to the invention of a new term, sneaker heads. Today, many sneakers retail for thousands of dollars and to take care of them people are ready to pay for special cleaning products offered by brands such as Crep Protect. On November 13, Boxpark organised a massive sneaker-cleaning event that saw the participation of 325 people in London. The event lead to the creation of a new Guinness World Record for the ‘highest amount of sneakers cleaned simultaneously’. Hypebeast reported all the cleaned shoes were subsequently donated to ShoeAid UK, a charity that prevents footwear waste and shoe poverty. All 325 participants were given a collection of Crep Protect products of their own and a limited-edition hoodie as a souvenir. While it makes sense that people would want to have clean shoes, however many luxury brands have tried to divest from this idea as they offer purposely ‘dirty shoes’. In 2019, Italian luxury brand Gucci got flak for launching a pair of “dirty” trainers that were priced at £615 (approximately Rs 57,078). Similarly in 2018, another Italian brand Golden Goose released sneakers that appeared worn out with their tattered design and featured a duct tape over the shoe’s toes. These shoes were priced at $530 (approximately Rs 38,000).
