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 Posted: Wed 2:29, 04 Sep 2013 Post subject: Sneakerheads show sole devotion to footwear |
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Sneakerheads show sole devotion to footwear,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
The 27-year-old former computer programmer is part of a growing subculture of devotees known as sneakerheads,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], who spend all night in line eagerly awaiting the release of a new shoe and devote staggering amounts of time and money to collecting footwear.
But it is an investment that can prove lucrative to collectors fortunate enough to get their hands on shoes like a limited edition version of the Nike Dunk that retailed for $120 and,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], a week later,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], sold on the Internet for about $1,500.
The sneaker subculture has also attracted the attention of big companies like Nike Inc., which see the shoe-collecting community as a way to gauge the latest fashions and boost their brands among young trend-setters.
Known among sneakerheads as "Retrokid,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Wang caught the shoe bug in high school. "Any sane person only needs two pairs of shoes at a time,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but we have 10 or more or even hundreds."
Collectibles easily run into the hundreds of dollars with vintage models, and limited-edition sneakers or anything related to basketball legend Michael Jordan are typically worth more.
An original black-and-gold Air Jordan 1,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], for example, is estimated to have cost a Japanese collector $23,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],000,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and Wang said he has paid as much as $875 for a pair of sneakers.
But with so much money at stake, some sneakerheads refuse to wear their collections and only grudgingly divulge details about what they have hidden away in their closets.
"Your never keep them in one place,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," said one sneakerhead at Huf, a San Francisco shoe boutique. "You need to keep them in a safe place like a bank vault."
Sneakerheads say their hobby is no different than collecting stamps or baseball cards,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]. "You are better off going to Footlocker and buying the latest Jordan retro and sitting on it than going to Charles Schwab and buying stocks."
As an example, he cited the limited edition Nike Dunk release in Paris in 2003 when the shoe retailed for about $120 and was selling for about $1,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],500 on the Internet a week later.
He also attributes the growing ranks of sneakerheads to popular NBA stars like Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Garnett as well as hip-hop musicians like 50 Cent, who has his own Reebok line of shoes.
"Some of these kids will buy three or four of these really hot shoes,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], make the money and pay for the other ones,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Mullholand said. "It is insane."
The Internet,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which allows collectors to buy, sell,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], trade and talk about shoes,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], has also played a pivotal role in creating a worldwide marketplace and online hang-out for sneakerheads.
"Ebay is the Kelly Blue Book of shoes,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," said a sneakerhead in a shoe boutique, referring to the popular online marketplace. "It is like the stock market somewhat."
Nike spokesperson Joani Komlos said the company was well aware of sneakerheads and "pretty tied" to the community.
Keith Hufnagel,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], a professional skateboarder who owns Huf boutique,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], agreed that small stores like his are important for big shoe companies and enable them to create a bigger buzz for their products.
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