Time Magazine has a nice article about the bubbling sneaker culture around the world– a culture that has helped propel the slow-growth athletic-shoe biz’ to more than a $15 billion industry today. If you’re still trying to grasp the whole sneaker culture concept, give this article a read. This bit was a little over the top for me though: Thomas, 21, reflected on how much getting the shoes meant to him. “Shoes run my life,” he said. “Without shoes, I don’t exist.” Ah, how dedicated.