Jeff Staple [Founder and Creative Director, Staple Design]: I like the culture a lot. You have good quality friendly (and not so friendly) competition between the giants Nike and adidas. You have a great crop of small indies bringing fresh perspectives to the table – all the way from Greats to Visvim.

Oscar Castillo [Founder & Editor, Modern Notoriety]: Ten years ago, everything was much less accessible. Now everyone can enjoy and be part of it. I don't like old school guys complaining how it's not the same: it's like how no one is listening to backpacker hip-hop because trap is the new shit. Move on, stop complaining on my timeline.

Alex James [Creative Brand Manager, Publish]: The current state of sneaker culture is a world of culture vultures dying to be fed trends.

Masta Lee [Media Director & Designer, Patta]: Sneaker culture moves in cycles. I think currently it’s on the upside. Brands seem willing to experiment again, blending various influences to create something fresh, and also being more involved with the culture. The only thing that bothers me is the lack of balance. When a silhouette becomes successful, 50 mediocre colorways of those shoes soon follow.