Rise of sneaker culture

Air Force 1 Ultra Flyknit [Photo/Courtesy of Nike]

A Beijing-based sneakerhead who regularly shops for limited editions, Tianyi recalled the first time he started to save up for a pair of Adidas T-Macs (named for basketball star Tracy McGrady) when he was 13 years old. This was 10 years ago and he was the only kid in school with the shoes' iconic black and red design. From that moment, he became fascinated by the irreplaceable thrill of standing out from his peers.

However, in the past decade, things have changed. "Now, when you visit a middle or high school in Beijing, you see a bunch of boys wearing Yeezy," he says. "It's definitely a scene now." No matter whether as a wardrobe staple or a status symbol, sneakers have become truly essential – put your best foot forward.