With the headquarters of Nike and adidas located in the area and the recent addition of an Under Armour office, Portland is without a doubt the hub of sneaker business in the United States. Yet while all of the movers and shakers in the business come to Portland for meetings, there has been a void of actual culturally based sneaker activities and events.

The sneaker sage gives a breakdown of his five favorite kicks from the PAM exhibit.

Portland Sneaker Week is happening from July 26-August 1. It's long been recognized as a hotspot for athletic apparel and, most notably, sneakers.

On Friday afternoon, a group of students will gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square for a competition worthy of reality television but with a Portland twist: Design a sneaker in front of a live audience.The grand prize? The winner’s design will get manufactured by Hilos, a Portland company that makes 3D-printed shoes.The design contest comes at the start of Sneaker Week, an annual celebration of Portland’s place at the heart of the sneaker business, and one that’s expanding this year to all four quadrants of the city.‍