Despite a backdrop of inflation and financial insecurity, money is still being made in new and interesting ways across this country - and plenty of it. RTÉ's New Money follows the journey of those looking for their place at the table.
From never-to-be-worn runners to the volatile world of crypto-currency, this series takes a deep dive into perceived 'gold rushes' and fast-emerging industries that have been brought about by today’s youth culture.
In the first episode, viewers will be introduced to the growing sneaker scene that's bubbling up around Ireland as well as the artists cashing in.
While so-called 'sneakerheads' have been around in the US since the late 70s and early 80s, a time when high-profile athletes like Michael Jordan signed with Nike, and hip-hop icons like Run DMC professed their love for Adidas in their songs, the social and financial investment of sneakers has been slow to catch on in Ireland.
While anyone with an interest in street style may own a pair of Air Jordans, a true sneakerhead will have a collection of limited edition or vintage styles that can't be found in any old shop.
Similar to art or fine wine, runners are a financial commodity, with committed sneakerheads owning 'deadstock' - shoes that have never and will never be worn, keeping them in mint condition.
Early Irish adopters are laying the groundwork to support and promote its culture and looking to get rich in the process. We caught up with Barbara Bennett, a Galway woman whose bespoke sneaker customisations have gained international attention, to find out more.
Having moved home from Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAD graduate said she decided to fill her lockdown days by designing some plain runners. Dropping by her granny's house to help out with the gardening, her collections were often inspired by wild flowers.
"I've always been into my runners, like, I collect Nike runners and stuff," she tells me over the phone. "Out of pure boredom, I ordered some blank Nike runners and applied designs to them. I put them on Instagram and it kind of blew up from there."
Posting photos of her colourful creations, Bennett's designs gained traction and were eventually picked up by Brown Thomas' CREATE - an annual exhibition of up-and-coming Irish designers.
"It's really good to get into Brown Thomas because the exposure is class," she explains. "Then Loveshack Candy in the States found me through Instagram and asked me to do 200 shoes for them, so I had to send them over to the States last year."
"I basically had to do 200 shoes in a month and a half, so I was literally getting up at 7 o'clock in the morning and painting until half 11 at night. I'm definitely going to have carpel tunnel," she laughs.
"It's literally just me and a paintbrush," she adds. "It was hell trying to do them; I've never been so stressed out in my entire life. My boyfriend helped me - he was in NCAD as well - but he was working so he could only help me for an hour or two in the evening."
Following on from the success of these sales, the one-woman operation has found a brick-and-mortar home in the enviable location of Dublin's Dawson Street. The pop-up store plays host to a number of female-owned businesses and is a huge accomplishment in the Galway woman's growing career.
"Hopefully I can have some employees soon," she says. "This year I hope to check out factories in Spain or Portugal and get my own shoe produced. That's down the pipeline, but it's the main goal - for me to bring out my own sneaker. I'd loved to do matching clothes, too; I love a good co-ord, so matching shoes would be class."
"In my wildest dreams, I'd love to collaborate with Dolce & Gabbana - they do crazy shoes - and Emilio Pucci, I love their patterns so it would be really cool to collaborate with them, but I'm way off yet!"
As one of the few female sneakerheads in Ireland, Bennett says the community is "super friendly" and welcoming. And although being one of the only women selling her wares at sneakerhead conventions has helped her to stand out, she hopes to see "more females in the field" soon.
Reflecting on the industry, Bennett says, the popularity and willingness to invest big sums in runners is going nowhere anytime soon.
"Sure there are still runners being sold for high prices from the 70s and 80s," she explains. "All those Nike runners, they keep bringing them back, so I don't think it's going anywhere any time soon. I think it's just going to grow over the next few years. It's going to grow to crazy prices."
"I do love runners but some of them are insane," she laughs.
To find out more about Bennett and Ireland's sneakerhead scene, tune into New Money on the RTÉ Player.
