Photos: Sneaker Con packs them in at Vancouver Convention Centre West

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      Canadian kids love their kicks.

      That was pretty obvious from the huge crowd lined up at Vancouver Convention Centre West for the second annual Sneaker Con event in our town.

      One of the charms of Sneaker Con is that buyers and sellers can haggle over the price as other vendors wander about the giant hall showing off their wares.

      Back in 1984, the sneaker industry came to life when former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan was signed by Nike. More recently, rapper Kanye West has become an industry kingpin with his Yeezy line, offered first by Nike and then by Adidas.

      The craze crossed the border into Canada long before Raptors fans ever considered that their team might win an NBA championship. Nowadays, the annual trade in Canadian shoes and boots is estimated to be around $7.7 billion

      Judging from the number of teenagers and young adults spotted carting boxes of sneakers out of Exhibit Hall A, more than a few of those sales occurred today at one of the country's largest footwear flea markets.

      Below, you can see a few images from today's event.

      The footwear at this table was being kept under wraps.
      Charlie Smith
      Today, it was possible to find Pride in a pair of Nikes.
      Charlie Smith
      Limited edition offerings come in all sorts of colours.
      Charlie Smith
      Every pair at this table had a piece of paper listing the price tag and the size.
      This guy just held this sneaker in the air waiting for bids.
      Charlie Smith
      It wasn't all sneakers...
      The photos above and below show the lineup into Sneaker Con, looking east toward the entrance (above) and west toward the back wall (below).
      Charlie Smith
      Charlie Smith

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