The 10 Types of People Who Get Free Sneakers

Everyone loves sneakers, and if you don't—we don't know who you are. Unfortunately, having a tic for a crispy pair on your feet also leaves you feeling lighter in the wallet. Unless you're one of the cool guys that's able to score free kicks. Then you're the envy of everyone you know.

But it's not just one type of person that gets sneakers for the awesome price of $0—they come from all walks of life, and partake in different roles to get their pairs on the ultimate discount. From rappers and athletes to those who conduct themselves in more dubious activities, their end result is the same: They're always laced-up and they can spend their money on things other than sneakers. Maybe you know these people; maybe you don't. Here are the 10 Types of People Who Get Free Sneakers.

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From the amateur ranks to the professionals we all watch on TV, athletes and free sneakers come hand-in-hand. Whether it's kid who made varsity and received sneakers to lace up when he gets burn on the court or the seasoned pro who has an endorsement deal, talented athletes rarely have to pay for sneakers.

The ones who build an on-going relationship with the brand they endorse are the ones who reap the most benefits. Take Rip Hamilton for example: At this stage in his career, he's not playing as much as he did in his NBA Championship-winning days, but from the amount of sneakers he's getting, you'd never know. Does anyone really need more than 20 pairs of Air Jordan "Grape" Vs? The answer is yes.

There are a handful of people at every publication and successful sneaker website, but the people you're most familiar with are the editors. They're the faces and minds behind your favorite information source. Although they may or may not be the ones churning out every article, they're the recognizable face and known contact for the media outlet they're employed at. And for this, they get a metric fuckton of free stuff. Especially sneakers.

So there's no mishaps of a brand sending them something that doesn't fit, editors will even broadcast their shoe size in their Twitter or author bio. But in the end, it's all worth it for the brand that ships out the free kicks. The editor might really dig whatever they send them, and then shoot a link of the sneakers to one of their writers. Now everyone else wants the sneakers the editor got for free.

The weed carrier in the crew. What does he really do? No one knows, but his presence is essential. Whether it's A$AP Lou or a legend like Turtle from Entourage, the role of the weed carrier has not changed: He's the average dude who has famous friends and reaps the benefits of their success. In this case, we're talking about sneakers.

These are the dudes who always have the newest Jordans, but have no legitimate source of income. So how are they scoring their pairs? Their homies break them off for doing whatever the hell they do.

If you're a sneakerhead and your girl appreciates your passion, you know she's expecting to get a pair, too. Seriously, if this woman brought your child into the world, do you think she's planning to pay for her Jordan IVs? Nope.

And if you have your own signature sneaker, a la Kanye West, you better believe your girl is going to want a pair. While we don't recommend you wearing the sneakers at the same time, knowing that she has them in her closet is something you can brag to all of your friends about.

Let's be frank, working in retail sucks. It's the entry-level of all sneaker-related jobs, but if you work your way up to manager, you're in for some perks. Often when new sneakers come out brands know they're going to have a hard time selling them. So what do they do? They send all the full-time employees at your local chain sneaker store—and sometimes even the part-time workers, too—free sneakers to wear on the sales floor and push the product. These sneakers even come with incentives. An employee might receive an additional five dollars commission for every pair they sell.

Although these are far from the hottest kicks they'll have in their closet, it never hurts to have a pair of beaters on deck at all times.

As long as there have been fresh sneakers, there have been people willing to rob, steal, or do whatever it takes to obtain them. These people, known as stick-up kids, play a pivotal yet controversial role in sneaker history, and don't think they came to life with the creation of Air Jordans, either.

People such as Bobbito Garcia recall not wanting to wear their best ball sneakers when visiting certain neighborhoods in New York City, they were too afraid they'd be walking home barefoot. Unfortunately, this progressed to people getting killed over Air Jordans, and was even seen at the release of the Nike Pigeon Dunk, where thugs with baseball bats lined the streets.

So, if you hear a question like, "What size are those?" run quick. Before you give an answer, the stick-up kid will respond, "My size," and your coveted pair will get got.

Have you ever known someone so #influential that they made you want to buy the clothes and sneakers they're wearing? No, we're not talking about rappers, movie stars, or people who generally do cool shit—we're referring to the people who have deemed themselves relevant via social media, have around 10,000 followers, and don't produce any non-PR-driven content.

Still, sneaker companies rush to send these guys free sneakers in the hopes that they'll post it on Instagram. They might even say, "Thanks, @(insert brand name), love my new kicks," in the picture's text—and then proceed to never wear them again. Hey, that's what you can do when you're paying free 99 for everything.

There's nothing more influential when it comes to sneakers and streetwear than a co-sign by a hot rapper. Every time Kanye West leaves his house in a different pair of sneakers, they soon become the must-have item for every single one of his fans.

But amazing rappers aren't the only ones who are given free sneakers, struggle rappers get them, too. Often it just takes a scroll through Instagram to see a handful of artists with Jordans that have yet to release. Whether they were seeded the pair or not, they didn't pay a dime, and only make the release date of said Jordans loom even larger.

If you're the President of the United States, you're bound to get free things. What's better than saying, "Barack Obama wears my brand."

Before he was elected for his second term, President Obama received a custom pair of New Balance 993s. But he's not the only President to get free sneakers, either. George H.W. Bush also was gifted these custom Air Max 90s from Nike during his run as President in the late '80s/early '90s.

You see them everywhere. Sneaker contests have become a huge thing on the Internet, and none larger than the "Hunt for the Red Octobers," Kanye West's latest sneaker with Nike. But if you follow your favorite sneaker personalities online, they're sure to post up things such as: "First person who wears a size 10.5 and can tell me (insert trivia question), wins a pair of the latest Air Jordans or Foamposites."

Why wouldn't you want to be one of these people? Literally, anyone can be a person who gets free sneakers. And that's the beauty of it.