Friction in the sneakerhead consumer culture: The morality of resellers versus collectors.

Abstract

This thesis explores how different subculture groups in the sneakerhead consumer culture perceive each others’ roles, and how this shapes interactions within their community. This study adopts a morality lens to the practices of consumers, which lead to friction within the sneakerhead consumer culture. To explore frictions between different consumer groups within this subculture, a conceptual framework is developed from in-depth interviews among eight respondents. Also, a social media analysis is done to explore which and how friction among consumer groups manifests. This has been done according to a consumer culture approach, value in dispositioning theory, and consumer community theories. Frictions manifest in the valuation of sneakers, secondary selling, and through different social media practices of two consumer groups within the community: resellers and collectors. This study has shown that for communities to sustain in the sneakerhead consumer culture, these consumer groups do not have to be equally or mutually dependent on each other. This research led the foundation to understand consumer community frictions between sneaker resellers and collectors, which sustains the sneakerhead consumer culture community. Also, managerial implications and future research directions are given, that follow from insights made possible by this study.