There are a handful of constants in modern sneaker culture. For the foreseeable future, Michael Jordan is always going to have one of the most popular sneaker lines. Kanye West’s impact is going to continue to reverberate as his peers branch off into their own successful ventures. And despite talks of cooling off, Nike remains firmly seated at the throne. What’s far more volatile is the trend-driven influencer space, one which is constantly shuffling by welcoming new faces and quickly dismissing those who were once the wave.
The celebrity influencer sector is especially heated, with plenty of contention over who’s really moving the footwear needle. What was once a toss-up between West, Drake, and Pharrell has become overshadowed by proteges and new faces. Even unexpected names like Jonah Hill are finding ways to make a splash while social media continues to fuel the reach of people like Kylie Jenner and DJ Khaled.
Find out who’s really swaying sneaker audiences—and why—below.