Cassidy Edwards’ introduction to sneaker culture began during the glory days of basketball legend Michael Jordan. Repping Third Ward Houston, TX, Jordans and Air Max shoes have always reigned supreme in her city. “You would always see Air Maxes and growing up that’s probably what I saw the most down South,” Edwards told AfroTech. “I was always intrigued by the girls with the big bamboo earrings and grills. That’s always been a part of Houston culture and then sneakers intersect those things. Music, DJ Screw, grills and Jordans was kind of the thing.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cassidy Edwards (@cassidyonthegram) Since high school, Edwards’ love for sneakers has always been a creative outlet for expression and now 20 years later, it still continues to follow her throughout her life. The Houston native’s journey transformed her into a certified sneakerhead, but her passion runs deeper than just collecting sneakers. Within her career, her mission in the sneaker...

Wondering why you can’t get your hands on the latest Jordan sneaker drop? Well, you can thank the overwhelming hype culture around sneakers, the genius of tech and the boom of social media for the commoditized market. Previously, sneaker culture used to be glorified for its principles of style, community and history that defined a niche industry. And while this remains true, it’s impossible to ignore the shift that’s made consumers the biggest losers of the sneaker business today. Anyone who’s been truly invested in the culture knows that getting a pair of the hottest sneakers was never an easy feat, but after technology was introduced as a new avenue for brands to sell their shoes, it changed the rules so that consumers now are in an unfair competition with several different apps, websites and technology-based “cheat codes” (better known as bots). Bots, according to Business Insider, is a term that refers to a software application that’s used to expedite the online checkout process...