A customer checks out a pair of Nike Dunks at the Politics' Decatur street location in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells sneakers at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Nike Dunks, a popular sneaker sold at Politics, sits on a table at the Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Employee Ryan Johnson holds open the door as customers leave with a new pair of Nike Dunks at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells Nike Sacai sneakers at their Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sherm Mushatt, an employee at Politics, explains why he loves the Nike Tom Sachs sneaker at the Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells the Nike Air Force 1 Low "Little Accra" at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. The sneaker honors a neighborhood in New York. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics, a shoe boutique, sells sneakers on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sherm Mushatt sits at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells sneakers and clothes at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A customer tries on Nike Dunks at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Alan Dieu, a New Orleans sneaker collector and reseller, shows wears the newest addition to his collection the Air Jordan IV's in Military Black on Saturday, August 13, 2022. Dieu prefers to buy his shoes online so that he can get more exclusive and limited releases. (Photo by Jabez Berniard)
A customer checks out a pair of Nike Dunks at the Politics' Decatur street location in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Employee Ryan Johnson holds open the door as customers leave with a new pair of Nike Dunks at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sherm Mushatt, an employee at Politics, explains why he loves the Nike Tom Sachs sneaker at the Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells the Nike Air Force 1 Low "Little Accra" at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. The sneaker honors a neighborhood in New York. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sherm Mushatt sits at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Politics sells sneakers and clothes at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
For some people, sneaker shopping is simple. On any given day, they can make a quick trip to the mall, walk into a chain shoe store and buy what’s available.
For others, buying a new pair of shoes is a bit more complicated.
For them, scheduled releases mean they're waiting for coveted shoes to drop. Sometimes, raffles need to be factored in.
Custom or stock, high-end or classic, colorful or neutral: Sneakers can range in price from $60 to over $250. They are available at shopping centers, specialty shops, swap meets and most of all, online.
What’s the key to choosing the perfect pair this fall? Well, it depends on personal style.
Politics sells sneakers at the Chartres street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Alan Dieu, a New Orleans-based shoe collector and reseller, said his style is modern streetwear with a mix of colors and patterns.
Growing up, Dieu said he had always been interested in looking put together but he felt limited by his school’s uniform policy. He attended West Jefferson High School in Harvey, where students had to wear red or white shirts with gray pants. But shoes were their choice.
At first, he said he wasn't picky about the shoes he wore. But his perspective changed in ninth grade when he bought his first pair of Nike Air Maxes in navy blue and white.
Politics sells Nike Sacai sneakers at their Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
“That’s when I finally got the appeal,” he said. “With uniforms, I thought there was no room for self-expression. I never felt confident until I realized my shoes were the problem.”
Now twice graduated, most recently from Loyola University New Orleans in May 2022 with a degree in mass communication, Dieu is no longer limited by school uniforms, but he said he still builds his outfits around his shoes.
He has a collection featuring more than 40 pairs of shoes in every color of the rainbow as well as others with unique prints and patterns, displaying them on shoe racks lining his room.
Alan Dieu, a New Orleans sneaker collector and reseller, shows wears the newest addition to his collection the Air Jordan IV's in Military Black on Saturday, August 13, 2022. Dieu prefers to buy his shoes online so that he can get more exclusive and limited releases. (Photo by Jabez Berniard)
"I want to have a little bit of everything," he said. "Every time I wear a different shoe, I’m able to feel like a different person."
Dieu said he rarely shops at physical stores anymore because they typically only stock generic styles and colorways, the sneaker-fan term for color scheme. Instead, he prefers to buy his sneakers online through apps like Nike Snkrs, which give users access to new releases, exclusive colorways and special collaborations.
“Online is where I can find exactly what’s on my mind,” he said. “I also like the idea of the exclusiveness of having something a lot of other people won’t.”
To buy a pair of shoes, interested customers open the app at the scheduled release time so they can be entered in to a raffle drawing for their selected shoe size. After a short wait, they’ll receive a “Didn’t get it,” with a prompt asking them to try again to another size, or a celebratory “GOT ‘EM,” followed by a share button.
“Minutes matter,” Dieu said. “You really have to be on top of it, and even then, it’s still difficult to win.”
Nike Dunks, a popular sneaker sold at Politics, sits on a table at the Decatur street store in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Dieu has been buying sneakers online for around eight years so he had time to find a groove, but he said the raffle process may be tricky for beginners.
He recommended following threads on Twitter and shoe companies on Instagram, which can help shoppers stay on top of new releases.
“Sometimes it’s just luck,” he said. “If you're into sneakers, you definitely know about the app, so it’s kind of nice to flex about it when you do win.”
One of Dieu’s recent purchases was the Air Jordan 4 Military Black sneakers. The retail price for his size was $210.
“Sneakers are such a big part of my generation's culture,” he said. “Even the shoes that were released in the past are a big deal.”
Though he sees the appeal of cool and limited-edition sneakers, Myles Monconduit, a rising senior at Loyola University said he likes to stick to the basics.
"I think I have a pretty natural shopping process," he said. "Most of the time, I’ll just go thrifting or inside stores, but when I do browse online, it’s not because I’m waiting around for anything specific to come out."
At the moment, he said he has seven pairs of shoes in his rotation. They include a pair of black Converse and tan Birkenstocks. He said both work well with his laidback, '90s fashion style.
A customer tries on Nike Dunks at Politics on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
“It's good to build your foundation around basics," he said. “There’s not too much going on so you can pair them with a lot outfits and get the most out of them.”
With exclusive shoes regularly selling for over $250, Monconduit said another benefit of sticking with more casual shoes is the price point.
"Anything over $200 is just hard for me to get my mind around,” he said.
A pair of low-top black Converse retails for about $60 and can be found in the mall in stores like Journeys and Footlocker. The fact that other people can easily purchase the same shoes as he does isn’t a drawback for Monconduit. For him, the shoes just complement his outfits.
"If it looks good on my feet, then I'll wear it,” he said. "It's really just what I see and what I'm feeling at the moment.
For buyers on the fence between shopping in stores or trying out the niche shoe apps, boutique stores may be the happy medium.
Politics, a shoe boutique, sells sneakers on Decatur street in New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Boutique shoe stores like Sneaker Politics give "sneaker heads" the in-store experience they can’t get behind a screen, without compromising on style.
In addition to the basics, the store stocks and sells some of the more exclusive shoes, styles and colorways that are more likely to be found online than in a run of the mill sneaker shop.
But Jalen Gray, store manager at one of the two Politics locations in the French Quarter, said shopping in a brick-and-mortar store has its advantages.
“Pictures can look different online,” Gray said. “Sometimes you buy something you like and it doesn’t look how you thought it would look,” so coming to the store can help you save time and money, he added.
Shopping local for shoes also ensures they fit the area's fashion trends.
“Politics is a Southern company, so we definitely represent the style of the South,” he said. “We stick to what we know works for the people who shop with us.”
Beyond the shoes, Gray said the environment at boutique stores helps make the overall experience better.
“There’s really no rules to it,” he said. “People come in all the time, whether it be to talk about shoes, clothes, music or sports. It’s kind of just a spot where you can find like-minded people and just kick it.”
Whether a person chooses to shop online or in store for their back-to-school fashions, Gray said he just wants people to put them to good use.
“Hopefully, you’re not letting your shoes sit in the box,” he said. “Shoes are meant to be worn.”
Alan Dieu’s top shoe choices for fall:
Myles Monconduit’s top shoe choices for fall:
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