As boot culture continues to rise in North America, a new crop of experts on the scene are quickly rising to prominence. Among them? Kicks to the Pitch founder Curtis Brown.
The culture curator caught the sneaker bug as a kid, and eventually started an event-based sneaker convention for people looking to buy and sell sneakers. In recent years, that morphed into Kicks to the Pitch, an online lifestyle magazine and event company focused on the blending of soccer with fashion, art, music and streetwear culture.
As part of our continual look into this growing scene, we sat down with Brown to get his thoughts on where boot culture is going next.
MLSsoccer.com: When did you start to notice boot culture here start to parallel sneaker culture?
Curtis Brown: When I fell in love with football I was a young kid watching the World Cup in the US. Sneakers never crossed paths in football because you didn’t play in sneakers. I started to see something strange happen in South Africa in the 2010 World Cup that really made me think a culture lived within the game.
When I came back to the US I noticed that boots began to take the style of sneakers. From patterns to colorways, football boots had started to get more stylish.
In recent years, the “boothead” has taken shape based on brands creating boot demand exactly the same way the sneaker culture was created: limited runs, exclusive stores, special colorways, and so on.
I think that the look and style of a boot sets the standard more than the actual technology and comfort of the boot. Major brands are starting to now take the latest tech and mix it with the best colorways, and created limited runs with those silhouettes, and this has added to the craze.
Another thing I have noticed in and around the football “boothead” culture is the influx of customs around the marketplace. When sneakerheads started collecting a long time ago, everyone wanted something unique and special. They wanted to be seen in a one-of-a-kind shoe that not anyone could pick up. As distribution became more and more open, the customization market opened up and a new lane was formed. Now in relation to football boot culture, the same thing has happened.
Do you think that boots will become sought-after items for collectors outside of soccer?
That’s a very hard question to answer. Boots are made for one function, and that’s to play soccer. If we are comparing boot culture to sneaker culture, that might be the main difference in collecting. Sneakers can be worn at anytime — boots not so much.
If soccer continues to grow as it is now, then this might be a possibility. Money is a big factor too. If boots begin to boast high dollar values, then this could also shift things in that direction.
Timbers sneakers from Brown's collection; photo courtesy of Curtis Brown
How likely do you think it is that people who are not really soccer fans will start buying boots, to either collect or to make money in the resale world?
The resale market is always dictated by people who are not real big fans of the actual item. Either that, or they become fans because of the money involved in the market. I think people will always gravitate towards cash and if boots become big-ticket items, then people [who are not soccer fans first] will start collecting them.
Why now? What do you think is happening in and around the sport right now that has so many people interested in the culture that soccer inspires?
The timing on this is not really something I have thought about much. I think the big companies have seen the rise in footwear-collecting, and have made it a focus to bring it to life in other sports. As soccer becomes more and more mainstream, the brands are taking notice to create a bigger buzz.
I think the way the game is being viewed in such a big light now is because the big networks and brands are putting dollars into the sport. This creates an automatic growth in the fan base because it’s in front of millions and millions more people. Out of all those people, the fashion-forward fans are beginning to see how they can be a unique fan and showcase things in ways others are not. I think soccer brings a different look that resonates well with a younger generation.
Another look at Brown's collection; photo courtesy of Curtis Brown
Do you think the expanding culture off the field is good for the sport on the field?
I think it’s great for on the field. The more that the fans see the players similar to them, the more the game will be shared between those networks. I also think the players on pitch will feel more freedom to showcase who they really are, if the culture off the pitch becomes more hip, so to speak. It’s a win-win for all.
