Where there’s basketball, there are sneakers

25 June, 2026

Basketball and sneakers go hand in hand. For decades, both cultures have grown up side by side. Iconic shoes were born on the basketball court, while on the streets they became a symbol of identity, creativity and self-expression. From Michael Jordan to the newest generation of players: basketball and sneakers have been telling the same story for years.

It is exactly this shared history that led Sneakerness International to have its own area throughout the weekend at the 3X3 Festival. The organisation normally hosts its own events for people who love sneakers and recently entered into a partnership with 3X3 Unites.

“We want to give visitors a mini Sneakerness experience”, said Co-CEO Matthijs van der Meulen, while visitors browsed around him in the Sneakerness Experience Area. “We have basketball sneakers, regular sneakers, jerseys and caps. In addition, visitors can admire artwork by illustrators and buy collectible sports cards.”

Halfway through the weekend, Matthijs already felt confident enough to call it a success. “It’s great fun and we see a lot of overlap between the audience that loves basketball and the audience that loves sneakers”, he says. “We already knew that, of course, but here we are getting confirmation. And the nice thing is that people of all ages are coming to check out our Sneakerness experience.”

Jesper Jobse, co-founder of 3X3 Unites and tournament director of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour & Women’s Series, is also proud that Sneakerness has its own area at the 3X3 Festival. “As 3X3 Unites, we have been active at Sneakerness events before. The fact that we now have our own festival where they fit in seamlessly is really cool to me. Sneakers are deeply woven into basketball culture and are an important part of what lives within our community.”

Sneakerness Amsterdam will organise its own event on 26 and 27 September at the Kromhouthal. “Hopefully, the people here at the 3X3 Festival have gotten an idea of what they can expect at our major event later this year”, says Matthijs, who is looking forward to further collaboration with 3X3 Unites. “The Sneakerness experience is a great kick-off for our partnership. There’s real potential here.”