GOOD-LOOKING FEET AND NEVER MIND THE COST
BY THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL

Call it the Sneakerhead syndrome. Fashion-conscious consumers are joining shoe devotees known as Sneakerheads when it comes to trendy athletic footwear.

As a result, high-priced athletic shoes are jumping off the store shelves and padding profits at Nike and its rivals.

Sneakerheads have long had a reputation as a rare breed of collector willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on hard-to-find sneakers few others have. But analysts say a fashion shift to premium sneakers like the Nike Shox has turned spending big bucks on athletic footwear more mainstream in a trend that is a boon for shoe companies.

Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at marketing firm NPD Group, said demand for athletic shoes that cost more than US$100 ($140) grew 18 per cent in the United States last year to almost US$600 million as premium footwear became the latest rage.

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