WORCESTER — A sneaker, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "a sports shoe with a pliable rubber sole." Having expanded beyond sports to casual wear over the last several decades, sneakers are quite possibly the most ubiquitous footwear in the country.

While they may just be useful, all-purpose shoes to most people, to many, they're a passion and profession that form an entire subculture.

Hundreds of "sneaker heads" — those who wear and collect sneakers as a hobby — gathered Saturday at the DCU Center for Boston Got Sole that is the largest sneaker convention in New England.

The convention serves as a massive hub for buying, selling and trading sneakers with vendors and attendees from all over the region and beyond coming to offload extras, score the next big addition to their collection or, like Adam Gonzales of Seekonk, to buy some awesome new shoes.

Before the convention was over, Gonzales had purchased at least 20 pairs, pulling a cart (supplied by Got Sole) behind him stacked high with shoe boxes. Clearly, it was a good day. 

Almost all of the vendors present started out as sneaker collectors before transitioning into sales or flipping — purchasing a particularly coveted pair and reselling them to collectors, who will often pay well above retail price.

"Some people like to wear them and show them off, and others like to put them in a display case," said John Lam, of Boston, who has been buying and trading for the last five years since his sophomore year of high school, starting with one pair of Adidas.

Value can come from a number of factors including brand, design, and even size, all of which sneaker heads need to take into consideration.

"This is a Travis Scott shoe," said Lam holding up one of his wares, referring to a shoe design from Nike in collaboration with singer-songwriter Travis Scott, "and in a size you don't find a lot." Lam was negotiating a $3,000 sale for the pair. 

"It's about what's in and has long term potential," said Jake Diamond of Arlington, a regular attendee of Got Sole, who runs a vendor stall with his brother, Sam.

In sneaker reselling, trends fluctuate every few years with the release of new product lines from a corporate-celebrity collaboration as demand skyrockets for the newest and hottest thing.

"Right now we bring a lot of the Travis Scott Jordans and Dunks," said Diamond, both of which are Nike products.

Inevitably other designs are eclipsed by the new and their value falls — be it through popularity or the partnerships that created them breaking down.

Diamond said the rise and fall of the Adidas Yeezy's were a good example of this. The collaboration between Adidas and artist Kanye West enjoyed strong popularity for a time, but with the subsequent fallout between the two,

"Yeezy's are kind of getting fazed out right now," said Diamond, and won't be finding a place at the brothers' stall for the time being.