This Is Why Collecting Sneakers May Be a Pointless Hobby

Jordan Geller, the owner of Shoezeum, explains why sneakerheads should wear their shoes before it's too late.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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They say, "You don't know what you got until it's gone," and this cliche doesn't ring more true than with vintage sneaker collectors who sit on their cherished items for so long that they've evaporated into mere dust, never to be worn again. In a recent interview with Wired, Shoezeum owner Jordan Geller knows this feeling all too well. 

"The air bubbles in the midsole deflate and become flat as a pancake," Geller says. "The glue gets crusty and becomes visible. Then the poly and all the white parts, the netting and mesh, turn yellow. Yellowing is a big problem. Finally, when the soles separate from the uppers, that’s it. Say goodbye to your expensive shoes." 

Geller, who was certified by Guinness World Records as having the world's biggest sneaker collection in 2012, says, “If your Nikes are ten years old or older, wear them at your own risk.”

This is why the world of retro sneakers has become such a huge industry. Good luck trying to wear an Air Max 1 from 1987, let alone the early 2000s. Sneakers, especially deadstock ones, just don't last, and Geller realizes this fact. But he recognizes why people still invest in these grails and the missing pieces to their collections.

In reference to buying sneakers that may potentially erode over time, Geller says, "That may seem irrational and borderline insane to most people, but that’s what this hobby is all about: irrational behavior and lots of insanity.”

That's what makes sneaker collecting a broader culture: We're all crazy enough to care about things that the rest of the world will never notice.

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[via Wired]