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Sneakerheads and Custom Kicks: Insights into Symbolic Mass Customization

Author
Giebelhausen, Michael D.; Lawson, Stephanie
Abstract
This chapter presents an exploratory study involving a group of athletic shoe enthusiasts and their feelings towards customized footwear. These "sneakerheads" demonstrate their infatuation with sneakers via activities ranging from creating catalogs of custom shoes to buying and selling rare athletic footwear online. The key characteristic these individuals share is that, for them, athletic shoes are a fundamental fashion accessory stepped in symbolism and meaning. A series of in-depth interviews utilizing the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) provide a better understanding of how issues such as art, self-expression, exclusivity, peer recognition, and counterfeit goods interact with the mass customization of symbolic products by category experts.
Date Issued
2010-01-01Subject
marketing; customization; Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique; ZMET; self-expression; exclusivity
Related DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814280280_0012Rights
Required Publisher Statement: © World Scientific. Final version published as: Giebelhausen, M. D., & Lawson, S. (2010). Sneakerheads and custom kicks: Insights into symbolic mass customization. In F. T. Pillaer & M. M. Tseng (Eds.), Handbook of research in mass customization and personalization (pp. 226-239). Singapore: World Scientific Press. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Type
article