Young male consumers dominate the sneakerhead community, and they’re a niche but passionate culture.

Young male consumers dominate the sneakerhead community, and they’re a niche but passionate culture. Now, for the first time in decades, Nike is facing a serious rival for their attention. The battle of Adidas versus Nike is raging, with the former poaching designers and talent from “the king” of sneaker culture, most recently nabbing Kanye West to design a line, and doing “everything it can to out-cool Nike—to win the battle of taste first, ultimately building enough street cred to win the long-term financial contest.” (GQ)