A subculture of sneaker fanatics keeps the flame alive for the iconic shoe.

Dead Heads love the Grateful Dead, Dittoheads love Rush, and sneakerheads love sneakers.

But sneakerheads love sneakers in that special way that enhances a subculture. They subvert the shoe, disregarding the most utilitarian parts, favoring style over function, lavishness over thrift, culture over consumerism.

Yes, culture. The sneaker was invented in the 1880s, but its modern incarnation came of age in the 1970s skate and hip-hop worlds (famously celebrated in 1986 by Run DMC’s “My Adidas”). The sneaker has spawned long-standing homage by people searching for hot, weird and vintage Nikes, Adidas, Pumas, Reeboks and Converse, and more obscure brands like Terrem, Pointer and Tsubo.

Like most collectors, sneakerheads love the hunt for the rare or the new. They’ll go to trade shows, conventions, swaps and online auctions. They’ll make connections to procure new sneakers. They’ll spend lots of money and time.

Sometimes.

“The last time I was in Los Angeles and stood in lines for sneakers, I told myself, I’m never doing this shit again,” says local musician and DJ Esteban “Steb” Montez. “They were [Nike’s] Tiffany Dunks from Diamond Supply. The line took three hours.”

July Barredo, who books bands and spins as DJ Toto at Blue Fin Cafe & Billiards, is still in the sneaker game. He describes himself not so much as a collector, which implies someone who doesn’t necessarily wear the shoes (he does), but as an addict.

“If I like what I see, I’m going to get it,” he says with a laugh. “Shoes play a big part in how I dress.”

At one time, he says, he owned more than 200 pairs of sneakers. After he wears them, he cleans them and puts them back into the box. He’s bought his toddler niece sneaks to match his own – about 30 pairs so far. He’ll frequent Foot Locker, but he has out-of-town connections too. He also has his limits, like the shoe called the Nike Yeezy 2 Red October (Yeezy is Kanye West), which were snatched up upon release and resell for thousands of dollars.

Barredo is hosting a sneaker and e-cigarette convention at Blue Fin this Sunday. He’s also put some of his own shoes on consignment at Ocean Grown (www.OceanGrown831.com, 747-1098), a new store in Marina that sells the so-called streetwear this echelon of sneaker belongs to: hoodies, baseball Ts and beanies by brands like Deadline, Official, 40s & Shorties and 10Deep.

On the Ave in Salinas (www.ShopOnTheAve.com, 444-2151) opened last September after operating out of a boutique truck. Owner Juan Guerrero says he got into sneakers via Michael Jordan and other famous athletes in the ’80s and ’90s. Air Jordan, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is still the big fish among sneakerheads. But what started in pro sports has earned pop-culture endorsements like Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” and Miley Cyrus’ “23.”

On the Ave’s stock is composed of resale and used sneaks that fluctuate in price like the stock market; the Jordan 11 Space Jams retailed for $180 and can fetch $500-$600. (They don’t keep the high-end shoes in the store as a security precaution.)

“The ones at Foot Locker, Jumpman, that’s not what we sell,” Guerrero says.

His team travels to sneaker conventions, selling and buying for customers, and maintains an active blog on the website. Guerrero knows what’s hot.

“There’s a shoe for every year [Jordan] played,” he says. “The first year was year 1. His sophomore year, Jordan 2s. And so on until he retired. Right now everybody wants the retro Jordans 11s.”

Prestige was another store in Salinas that sold collectible sneakers, a stylish shop that repped the culture with fidelity. It closed recently after a robbery.

Camilo Mondragon, 24, is the owner of Clique in downtown Monterey. His 1 1/2-year-old store is clean but sparse. His small inventory of shoes by Huf, Stussy and Gourmet is due to be augmented soon by New Balance.

He says the trick is not to stock too much because his customers, young people who actually wear the shoes, don’t want to sport the same gear as others.

“These guys want new stuff all the time,” he says. “Fanatics are really into limited [editions].”

He also stocks T-shirts and hats by indie labels like Pink+Dolphin, The Hundreds and Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club. On www.SneakerCulture.com, one can buy accessories like high-top sneaker air fresheners (what they smell like, I don’t know), or iPhone cases molded into sneaker treads. In this world, the sneaker is the star.

THE VAPE AND SNEAKER CONVENTION happens 11am-3pm this Sunday, Aug. 24, at Blue Fin Cafe & Billiards, 685 Cannery Row, Monterey. 717-4280.