The 15 Types of Sneaker Collectors

Either this guy is still holding onto the dream of making the league, or he's just a really passionate fan. The PE Collector isn't about buying shoes that fit, he just wants them to be player exclusives. You ever come across those ebay auctions where someone is selling one autographed sneaker? Yeah, the PE Collector is the guy that scoops those up. The more obscure the better.

Just like sneakerheads that insist they aren't sneakerheads, the Non-Collector Collector doesn't like to be called a collector. With a few thousand pairs of kicks to his name, he's built his entire life around his sneakers, including that basement build out to store all of them, but HE IS NOT A COLLECTOR.

The Aspiring Collector may not even know he or she is on the way to being a collector but thanks to mom and dad, a massive collection awaits. Despite the fact that all the kicks in Aspiring Collector's collection are soon to be outgrown, these collectors are the future of the sneaker industry.

The Renter is the latest phenomenom in the world of sneakerheads. His collection is amazing, at least by Instagram standards. Instead of keeping any shoes, he rents them. Rather he buys them, throws them on for Instagram pictures and takes them straight to Flight Club so he can afford next weekend's release. He's never had to put out more than a few hundred bucks because, "who needs more than one pair of shoes at a time?"

You know the guy. He always needs two pair. But where the hell is he now anyway?

This guy always has something dope on his feet but since he values money more than sneakers (seriously, who does that?), he's never got more than a handful of kicks in his collection. A few favorites that he somehow held onto despite resale values that would make your rent money look like pesos.

No, not Mizunos. This is the "collector" that only wears a few pairs most of the time but gets super hyped over a handful of new releases. Often times can be seen outside of 21 Mercer wearing the last "super limited" release as he waits for the next. Most of his shoes have only been worn inside for Instagram photos. So, they're still near deadstock, right?

Not only does this guy not know how many pairs he has, he no longer even knows what pairs he has. Buy the same pair twice? Been there, done that-and not just to have a second pair to wear. The boxes on the bottom of his stacks are so old that they're starting to turn into compost.

This is the 'head that has all the "OG retros" on lock. He's been into sneakers for at least 46 minutes and 33 seconds. His collection consists of the GRs on his feet and two pairs from Foot Locker still on ice, er in the bag. But he's considering flipping them anyway, so he might not have a collection by the time you read this.

You know the guy. He looks like he should be wearing Air Monarchs or velcro New Balance walkers-and sometimes he does just that-but every once in a while, when you least suspect it, he breaks out a pair of something from the '80s that you've never even seen in real life before. He stopped collecting sneakers before you were born, but still has some gems that are only worn on sunny days.

We all have that friend that "has to have" every release. But in reality, he's got priorities in his life (that, and he doesn't want to hear about it from baby's mama), so he rarely comes up on any kicks. We respect the passion and secretly wish we had the self control without the baby mama drama.

The Digger still goes out there every day even though he's already been in every sporting goods store basement within a 300-square mile radius. Whenever he goes on the road, whether it's for vacation or business, he calls every store that might have sold sneakers once, and he doesn't take "no" for an answer. Has a massive collection of true deadstock sneakers from the '70s and '80s, but mostly wears black Timbs for his hunting expeditions.

Oh, you have every pair of LeBrons? Well, do you have a pre-production sample pair of the Air Zoom Generation? The Completist does. He knows people in Beaverton, and has pairs that should have been shredded long ago. He's made agreements to not show certain pairs in public, and just gloats over them in his climate-controlled storeroom. The rest of the time he's peering at Getty Images flicks with a magnifying glass, looking for minor variations in PEs.

If you have it, the Elitist doesn't want it (but he'll cop speaker sneakers just 'cause you won't!). Re-retroed Jordans? Psh. It's all about one-of-ones and PEs and samples that never actually released. He'll wear GRs and quickstrikes sometimes, but only if he gets them early. When the release date hits, he's on to the next one.

Nothing escapes the eBay expert. He knows all the search terms, and even scans all the most popular spelling mistakes-"air jordons"-for those super-cheap comeups. He messages sellers about sneakers they haven't even listed yet, and is fast enough to snipe the e-snipes. His UPS and FedEx guys send him birthday cards, and he even has his very own mailman.