Paul Lee's sneaker obsession began at an early age. It was born at, of all places, a Buster Brown's shoe store in the Bronx, when his pops took him to get his first pair of Jordan IIIs. Years later, he now owns the same model in his adult size, along with 320 other pairs. Yes, you read that right: 320--so many that he has to store them in three separate locations.
Lee's footwear fascination is clearly what led him to become the buyer and brand manager for UBIQ in Philadelphia--though sneakers are far more than just a job for him. "People collect art," he says. "People collect cars, collect jewelry... I collect shoes." But his collecting is not about bulk or volume, it's about the uniqueness of each individual pair. "Each shoe has a story," he says. "I definitely have a connection with every single shoe that I have."
If only we were all so lucky to identify with our passions.
To get a glimpse at some of Paul's many, many, many pairs of kicks, be sure to check out Episode 5 of FILA's Rise of the Independents above.
