Worldwide Sneakerography: Colombia
"I'm pretty sure that over 50% of the sneakers you see on the streets are fake."
Just a quick shoutout to those who are sending me info about the sneaker scene in their countries…I got A LOT of positive feedback from our first two installments of Sneakerography Worldwide, so here we go with our third installment, brought to us by @dirugo1 in Colombia. At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Diego reached out to me and asked me about the authenticit
y of a few pairs at a sneaker shop in Colombia. We have been in contact since.
Some background on the column: A short while ago, I was looking around at sneaker social media and asked myself...'why does it all look the same?'
It's almost like a byproduct of living in America...the homogeny. You just kind of take advantage of the fact that we are so ignorant to believe that the American sneaker scene is omniscient. Like...our conversation revolves around us and what we're doing. And...I dunno...the fact that there are quite a few international collectors in my DMs tells me that this thing is so much bigger than us. So in the words of Michael Jordan: 'I took offense to that'.
I've had the opportunity to do a bit of traveling, and I'm constantly amazed at the regional differences that exist between sneakerheads. As a kid, I found it supremely frustrating that I had to ask my parents to drive a half hour or more for me to find a cool pair of shoes. As a kid, I found it frustrating that everything I saw in The Source and Slam Magazine was virtually inaccessible to me in the mountains of Northern California.
And now that the internet has made nearly everything available to everyone on the world...it made me think of the people in those places that choose to participate in sneaker culture, whether that be prefaced with 'American...' or not.
So I reached out to a bunch of people in international cities who volunteered...I wanted to hear about 'sneaker culture' in their world.
Let’s give it up for Diego Ruiz:
Name: Diego Ruiz
Profession: Reseller / event organizer
Country: Colombia
City: Bogotá
Introduction:
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your involvement in the sneaker culture in Colombia?
I'm a 26-year-old boy who has been deeply involved for over 7 years in the sneaker culture here in Colombia. I'm a collector reseller and also one of the owners of SNKRS SHOW COLOMBIA. Self-proclaimed (also by the sneaker community) as the biggest ‘collectable sneakers’ event in Colombia.
Local Influence:
How would you describe the overall sneaker culture in Colombia? Are there specific local influences that stand out?
Of course! Sneaker culture in Colombia is driven by three main pillars: music, fashion, and hustling. And of course, the trend is making normal people consume this type of article, and in some ways, this affects the equation. I think here in Colombia we are still living the ‘fake it till you make it’ culture, but with a little bit of hope, mainly from the sneaker culture driven by some activists and sneaker stores that are doing an excellent job.
From my point of view, we have to separate the normal consumer from the sneakerhead. Why, you may ask, is because here we have to deal with a lot of counterfeits. I'm pretty sure that over 50% of the sneakers you see on the streets are fake. With that said, I think the real sneaker culture in Colombia is a reflection of United States trends in 70%. The other 30% is driven by multicultural tastes from Europe and Asia. But there is a dominant force aiming to look for different brands and unpopular models. Because of our economy, it is really difficult for the majority to play the consumer game with sneakers, and also because we don't get all of the hyped drops, we seem to appreciate shoes more than usual, if that makes sense. The Colombian people love fashion, and some of us like to be different. That's from a consumer perspective. If we talk about the people, I can easily say that sneakerheads are really cool people looking to meet more people with the same love for sneakers.
Favorite Brands:
What are the most popular or preferred sneaker brands in Colombia? Are there any local brands that have a significant presence?
The main brands in Colombia are Adidas, Nike, Jordan, and New Balance.
The thing is that Adidas has an advantage as they have a representation of the brand in Colombia, so the prices are aligned with global retail. That's not the case with Nike, Jordan, and New Balance. This brand's distribution is in the hands of a company based in Panamá that sells the product to stores; therefore, prices are really high in our country, and if you add our tax policies, the price of a $100 shoe is almost double.
If we talk about Colombian sneakerheads we can easily say that Nike is the most wanted brand followed by Jordan and then Adidas and New Balance.
Buying Habits:
How do sneakerheads in Colombia typically acquire their sneakers? Are there preferred retail channels or marketplaces?
The main stores in Colombia are Broken Chains, Hype, and Krem. Those are energy stores that bring top-notch products. On the other hand, we have Sportline, Kicks, Sportage, and other multi-brand stores that also sell sneakers.
In the retail perspective, in Colombia, we use a lot of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. There are sneaker resellers with IG platforms. But also, WhatsApp groups were a middleman that connected buyers and sellers for a small fee.
Basically, to get the product at retail, you go to: Broken Chains, Hype, Krem, adidas, and Nike when they receive it. If you want the product after its release, Instagram and WhatsApp groups are your options. But when the shoe is not released in our country, Goat, Stockx, and eBay are the main options in that order.
Trends and Styles:
Are there specific sneaker styles or trends that are particularly popular in Colombia? How do these differ from global trends?
Music culture is really big in Colombia, which is why you may also see Patrick Ewing, vintage Converse, rebook pumps, and so on. Hip-hop, reggaeton, and metal influence the way people dress. Now that pop music (reggaeton, banda) has followed the hip-hop style trend, the normal consumer aims to buy the Air Force, Jordan 1, and those types of items that they see in their favorite artists. Bad Bunny has also made a big impact on our culture.
Community and Events:
How do sneaker enthusiasts in Colombia connect with each other? Are there community events, meet-ups, or online forums that are widely used?
Not really; we only have 3 sneaker events: Sneaker Society (the oldest one with 4 editions). Sneaker SHOW (with 2 editions) and Melaoland (with 1 edition). So every sneaker drop seems to be an excuse to meet with other sneakerheads.
Collecting Habits:
Do sneakerheads in Colombia have unique collecting habits or preferences? For example, do they focus on certain collaborations, limited editions, or vintage sneakers?
There is a big group of people who are still evolving their sneaker taste. So the main collecting habits are based on hype. Yeezys, Jordans, dunks, air forces, running trends, and so on. But because of our large population (over 50 million) and multicultural background, you may see people who collect vintage Converse and rebooks. There are people who love fashion as well, and they collect brands that offer a unique style and deliver quality. .
Cultural Influences:
How does the overall culture and lifestyle of Colombia influence the sneaker choices and preferences of enthusiasts?
Every day seems to be less and less. Back then, when brands were difficult to get, people used to go to a commercial point called San Andrecitos where sneakerheads would get 100% authentic sneakers. So every main city had their "San Andrecitos", so if you were somebody from Cali, Valle del Cauca, most likely you would get an nike air max 95, or TN; they were called "7 camaras" (seven capsules), making reference to the air capsule that nike air shoes had. But in Bogotá, because of the graffiti, metal, and hip-hop culture, you may see a lot of Reebok Pump, Patrick Ewing, Nike Trainers, Command Forces, and so on.
But in recent times, this has changed, and people seem to be held in the same taste bag.
Collaborations with Local Artists:
We have the J Balvin Jordan Collection, which, without a doubt, is one of the most important achievements sneaker-wise. But recently, Salomon has named Reggaeton artist "Feid" their global brand ambassador (in fact, Feid's real name is Salomón). Also, there is a local artist called ECIM1, who has worked with adidas on the superstar's 50th anniversary, making a Colombian exclusive collaboration. (18:45)
Sneakerhead Language:
Are there specific terms or slang used by sneaker enthusiasts in Colombia? How does the language of sneaker culture differ locally?
Yes! and they are really funny.
‘Tripa’ means guts and is used to refer to general releases or ugly shoes.
‘Grasa’ means grease and is used to refer to hyped shoes or cool shoes.
‘Niño rata’ means rat kid and is used to refer to someone who is new to the reselling world.
We also use terms like DS, TTS, OG ALL, and so on...
Challenges and Hurdles:
What challenges or obstacles do sneakerheads in Colombia face, whether related to availability, pricing, or other factors?
The main problems are taxes and prices because of a middle-man company, as was explained a few questions ago. Also, we are still a small market for less popular brands like Asics, Saucony, and even main brands like Nike and adidas; therefore, we do not get enough quantities of the most sought-after sneakers. To put it into perspective, back in 2018, when the Jordan 1 UNC obsidian was released, we had less than 150 pairs for our whole country. And for the born and raised dunk, Less than 300 units.
Innovation and Technology:
How do sneaker technologies and innovations impact the choices of sneaker enthusiasts in Colombia?
Not as much as I would like to, but we are in the correct direction. As I said, we are really new to the sneaker world, and new collectors are still crafting their taste. If you talk with somebody who has been collecting for more than 3–4 years, you will see how they look for different styles and technologies, and they put their money where their taste is. But normal behavior prefers brand recognition or hype over quality or technology. I remember that one of my friends had a Nike ISPA Road Warriors OG limited edition, and even with a good price and a more culturized clientele, it was a hard sell.
Social Media Presence:
How influential is social media in shaping and showcasing the sneaker culture in Colombia? Are there specific platforms that dominate?
We have multiple sneaker-informative pages, such as @sneakerzine and @sneakersheadcolombia. They try to cover all the locals and global information, and I think they do a really good job. It is not like a Nike or Adidas page, but they try to give diverse information. It's funny because even though Colombia could be a big market because of our population (the second-largest Hispanic country after Mexico), there isn't a Sneaker influencer at the moment. Fun fact: Kanye recently messaged @sneakersheadcolombia because of one of their posts regarding the adidas Yeezy drop.
Cultural Traditions:
Are there any cultural traditions or rituals related to sneaker culture in Colombia that might be unique or interesting?
Nothing out the normal, smelling a new fresh pair of shoes, and so on....
Future Trends:
Here in Bogotá The Tabi trend is growing quickly.
Alright y’all…that about wraps it up for this month’s look at Worldwide Sneakerography. Again, give @dirugo1 on IG a follow if you want to see more of what they’re up to down in Colombia. I know if I’m every down that way he’s the first person I’m going to hit up!
Again - if you know anyone that might want to tell us all about sneaker culture in their country, have them reach out to me!