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NikeTalk wasn't the first sneaker community to arise online, but in the decade-plus of its existence it's easily become the most well-known — and the most important. Over the years its membership has gone forth to create much of what we identify as sneaker culture. They've founded shops, designed shoes, started blogs. And all the while the original site soldiers on, serving as introduction, proving ground, and just a source of entertainment. So without further ado (and with much-welcome input from some of the OGs), we present The 30 Most Influential NikeTalk Members of All Time. *stone face*
30. Ellaesco
Join Date: 12/2002
Last Post: 9/14/2011
Ellaesco was one of the few females on NikeTalk, she was respected in the community for her shoe collection but she didn't only collect female only and GS colorways, she also had exclusives in her size like black Supreme lows and Pigeon SBs. She was the only female member of Team 909 and is said to be the only female collector to have a Custom Methamphibian AF1. You can find her on Twitter @ellaesco
29. S0lerebel aka Siriny
Join Date: N/A
Last Post: N/A
Allon Iny is regarded as a legendary sneaker collector and was a broker of high-end limited kicks. His life was cut short when he was gunned down outside of Premises Boutique in Las Vegas on Oct. 24, 2005 after receiving $3,600 for selling sneakers. Ben Baller commissioned sneaker customizer Methamphibian to create a 1 of 1 AF1 in Allon's memory and raise money for his family — it sold on eBay for $33,100. He was loved by the NikeTalk community and is still remembered today. RIP ALLON
Kingcrux31
Join Date: 2/2002
Last Post: 10/23/2012
Self-proclaimed as "your favorite NT mod," Kingcrux31 is a sneaker enthusiast and graffiti head who's been on the NikeTalk forum for over a decade. He reps for the Philippines hard and has been moderating on the forum for years. He still regularly posts on the forum, and he can be found on Twitter @kingcrux31 or on his blog http://www.kingcrux31.com/
27. ILoveHipHop43 aka Wale
Join Date: 12/2006
Last Post: 8/14/2011
A big sneakerhead, Wale was a regular on NikeTalk before his career took off. As his career was beginning, he would always try to update the NT community on what was going on with his life whenever he got the chance. Wale has also been known to get into flame wars with other members on NT who dedicate threads to him. In his early days on NT, he was like any other member of the community and it's crazy to see how far he's come. These days Wale doesn't need to worry about release dates because he gets everything before it even comes out, you can find him on tour with the rest of MMG or on Twitter @wale.
26. SLAM Ed
Join Date: 11/2000
Last Post: 8/7/2009
Our sneaker editor Russ Bengtson is no stranger to sneakers. He's been involved with sneakers since of most us were still in grade school. Russ was a regular on NT back in the early 2000s and was always involved in the Air Jordan and basketball discussions. He was well respected in the community because he would always provide his opinion on the latest sneakers before they hit the Kicks section of SLAM. He's regarded by many as one of the few people on the "inside" that contributed exclusive info to the site alongside Ekin702 in NikeTalk's early years.
25. BubbaEla1 aka corgishoe
Join Date: 10/2006
Last Post: 1/20/2012
When it comes to sneakers, not too many can rival the immense knowledge that corgishoe possesses. His two greatest loves are arguably sneakers and dogs, hence the name corgishoe. He's never conformed to a standard and has never fallen victim to the hype. He's well known on NikeTalk for his passion for dogs and for what some call the world's largest private collection of sneakers. Corgishoe has been been selling off his sneaker collection piece by piece since 2008 and four years later he's still at it. These days you can find corgishoe dropping sneaker knowledge on Twitter @corgishoe.
24. Airmag15
Join Date: 7/2001
Last Post: 2/1/2012
Airmag15 was the first Buy/Sell moderator on NikeTalk and founder of the crew Team 909. He says that the core message behind Team 909 was to "Remind people why they even collected in the first place and to share their resources as opposed to taxing their own people." He credits our sneaker editor Russ Bengtson with putting him on to NikeTalk. You can find Airmag15 on Twitter @AirMagKnows.
23. AirEwayz
Join Date: N/A
Last Post: N/A
At age 16 Eric Eways was featured in the Wall Street Journal for a story based on sneaker reselling. He, alongside business partner Joe Guerrero, ran the now-defunct online store www.sneakerpimp.com, where they would resell sneakers. They were the Flight Club of their time and put the sneaker community in the limelight. You can find him on Twitter @EricEways
22. johngotty
Join Date: 3/2001
Last Post: 10/25/2012
Considered by many as an OG NTer johngotty still regularly posts on the site. A big fan of Nike Trainers and Air Maxes johngotty's contributions to the music forum are endless. He went on to start The Smoking Section, which he still runs to this day. You can find on Twitter @JohnGotty.
21. Thesneakerpimp
Join Date: 11/06/01
Last Post: 07/28/10
Thesneakerpimp aka Ray from Seattle is one of those guys who knows everything about sneakers. Ray was one of those people that shopped at The New Store in Seattle in the mid '90s, which is widely considered one of the first stores to bring Japanese releases to the United States, as well as the first to sell vintage sneakers.
20. DonJuan513
Join Date: 8/1/2001
Last Post: 10/22/2012
DonJuan513 is better known as Tyjuan Mathis from Leaders1354 in Chicago. Ty has been heavy into sneakers for a long time and brings knowledge and an instinctive fashion sense to the NT community, as well as to the community of sneakers on a grander scale. You can find him at LDRS1354 or on Twitter @RegularOlTy
19. Dirtylicious
Join Date: 5/2001
Last Post: 10/10/2012
One of the longest-tenured moderators on NikeTalk, he is definitely one of the most involved in the community. Although a moderator, Dirtylicious was known to get into flame wars with other members whenever he was provoked, almost to the point of breaking NikeTalk's rules of conduct. While most moderators have stayed behind the scenes, Dirtylicious has always been on the forefront of NikeTalk.
18. DJ AM ONE
Join Date: 9/2002
Last Post: 3/9/2007
Not only was Adam a world famous DJ, he was also an avid sneaker collector who amassed quite a collection of sneakers. The world got its first peek at Adam's collection after an episode of MTV Cribs aired where Adam got to show off his crib and he showed off a portion of his insane collection. DJ AM was also part of the AMC Crew alongside his friends Ben Baller, Methamphibian, and DJ Homicide. RIP Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein.
17. KDAY1580
Join Date: 05/01/02
Last Post: 07/02/06
Duk-ki Yu AKA KDAY1580 brought lots of knowledge to the NikeTalk community back in the day, as well as a pretty intense sneaker collection. After working for New Era and EA Sports, among others, Duk-ki Yu opened Major in Washington DC and has been supplying 'heads in the DMV for the past 7 years. You can find him at Major and on Twitter @Dukki
16. SnugglesMcDuggal
Join Date: 12/1999
Last Post: 5/13/2008
What many people don't know is that the Snuggles account on NT was run by two different people, T who now posts under the alias "Mr T from the A" and by Will who still currently posts under the Snuggles moniker. They had a great Nike and Jordan Brand connect and shared most of the info they obtained with the NikeTalk community. They posted samples and provided info on shoes before they dropped. From what we gathered it seems like they are both involved with the clothing brand Strivers Row and with TI's record label Grand Hustle.
15. collie27
Join Date: 01/05/00
Last Post: 03/10/09
One the 'heads from the UK that broke off knowledge back in the day was NikeTalk user collie27. He was more than just a collector, though, as collie27 was always looking out for NTers that visited London in search of new kicks. Collie27 was so helpful in fact, his London sneaker search guide is still posted in the same place over 10 years later. You can find him on Twitter @dubtap
14. Hiro31
Join Date: N/A
Last Post: N/A
Hiro was known on the NT forums for his insane vintage collection and his broken English. For many 'heads who got started on NT towards the beginning, Hiro was the person who introduced Japanese collectors and Japanese exclusive sneakers. Hiro, with very minimal posts, remains a mysterious figure for newbies to NikeTalk, known only for his unbelievable collection.
13. Kahma
Join Date: 06/18/01
Last Post: 11/08/07
Steve Bryden AKA Kahma aka took his vast knowledge for sneakers and, after educating fellow NT members, shared his knowledge with the world as a contributing author to the book, Sneakers : The Complete Collector's Guide in 2005. He also became one of the creative minds behind the brand you know as Crooked Tongues. You can find him on Twitter @Steven_bee
12. K Town Hu$tler aka Ben Baller
Join Date: N/A
Last Post: N/A
Ben Baller was a professional DJ from 1993-2004 and a record executive with 20 Platinum album credits ranging from Dr. Dre to Jay-Z. But he rose to fame on the NikeTalk forum for his collection of sneakers (and buying out the Left Coast's initial stock of Dunk SBs). He was part of the Air Mack$ Crew which also consisted of DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray, Meth and DJ AM. They would battle other sneakerheads to see who had the best sneaker collections. He was also a huge part of spreading the LRG gospel. A few years ago he got into the jewelry business and he now makes custom jewelry for celebrities around the world. you can find him on Twitter @BenBaller.
11. Kicksology
Join Date: 2/2000
Last Post: 11/8/2007
One of the first to do sneaker reviews — from materials to design all the way down to performance, Professor K would break down the pros and cons of each shoe and grade them. He also took the best photos of shoes you've ever seen — in his bathroom. He went on to create www.kicksology.net and ultimately signed on to work over at Sole Collector to do sneaker reviews exclusively for the site. He went on to co-found 37Signals, among other accomplishments and you can find him on Twitter @edotkim
10. Methamphibian NYC
Join Date: 5/2001
Last Post: 11/11/2007
Today sneaker customizers are a dime a dozen, but back in 2000 the top customizers in the game were SBTG and Methamphibian. Methamphibian rose to fame on the NikeTalk forums and caught the eye of many with his incredible custom work. He recently collaborated with The Hundreds on the "Hoya" sneaker and is still customizing shoes to this day. A pioneer in sneaker customizing, he paved the way for others and is arguably the one who brought sneaker customizing to the mainstream, hence his place on the 50 Most Influential People In Sneakers.
9. ALPHAPROJECT
Join Date: 1/2002
Last Post: 4/2/2012
ALPHAPROJECT, aka Sevenzro1, made his name on NikeTalk by sharing his creative sneaker designs, eventually catching the attention of Sole Collector and SLAM magazines, who featured his work. He wound up landing a design job with Fila and then eventually with Nike. You may know him better as Jason Petrie, designer of the LeBron signature line over the last few years. You can find him on Twitter @sevenzro1.
8. Lo71
Join Date: 1999
Last Post: 8/8/2002
By all accounts, Chris Hall AKA Lo71 was one of the most knowledgeable and nicest guys on NT. He was one of the early historians, a guy that would go digging for sneakers that most would never remember. From NT, Chris went on to write about sneakers for Mass Appeal, design sneakers for everyone from etnies to Timberland and was behind projects for Supreme, Nike and countless others. Appropriately, you can find Chris running an antiques business in D.C. now. And presumably he's still digging.
7. Croatianstyle
Join Date: 10/2000
Last Post: 12/30/2011
Croatianstyle gained notoriety for posting a pic of his 30 pairs of the Paris Dunk SB, among other things. He's been hooking up NT members for years, most notably when the Air Force 1 "Acorn" hit the outlets and people were reselling them for double and triple, he hooked everyone up at retail. He's still one of the most reputable sellers on the Internet and gives NTers access to the most exclusive product from Nike, Supreme and Neighborhood to name a few. Although he is not as active as he once was on Niketalk, you can find him either showcasing his collection of sneakers, running his eBay Store or on Twitter @Croatianstyle.
6. henz0
Join Date: 5/2002
Last Post: 9/23/2012
Henry AKA Henz0 is an OG NTer who essentially made the General forum go. *stone face* He's been active on the forums for a decade now with no signs of letting up. What separates henz0 from everyone else on this list is that he's known in every section of the community from Music, Sports & Training to the General and Lounge sections of the site. He's also into Sneakers too. You can find him on Twitter @henz0.
5. AirRev
Join Date: 12/1999
Last Post: 5/13/2008
Adam Leaventon AKA AirRev made his mark on NikeTalk with his vast knowledge of classic footwear. He was a moderator for a long time on the site and would regularly post about everything from Jordan to Diadora. He left his NikeTalk position after receiving an employment opportunity with PUMA, and later went on to be an exec over at DC Shoes. He recently worked on the 50 Greatest Tennis Sneakers of All Time list here at Complex and is considered one of the Most Influential People In Sneaker History. You can find Adam on Twitter @adamleaventon.
4. Ekin702/AIRMAX2k3
Join Date: 12/1999
Last Post: 6/1/2012
An NT legend, Ekin702 delivered crucial insider info on Nike shoe releases during the early years of Niketalk. Ekin702 had info that no one else had. Today the same info can be found on every sneaker blog like its nobody's business but back then, Ekin702 was the go-to guy for the Niketalk community. He is still employed by Nike and is currently serving our country in the US Navy. He still checks Niketalk from time to time. *BRB*
3. JumpmanSt
Join Date: 12/1999
Last Post: 9/19/2011
Alex Wang AKA JumpmanSt is considered an NT legend for his extensive knowledge and unique collection of rare sneakers. He was collecting kicks before it became cool to collect kicks. He later went on to work alongside Steve Mulholland at Sole Collector and is one of the key players behind its success. JumpmanSt left Sole Collector five years ago and is now currently working for a little sneaker company in Beaverton. You can find him on Twitter @retrokid23 or on his site http://www.retrokid.com/.
2. Method Man aka Methodical Management
Join Date: 12/1999
Last Post: 9/24/2012
Method Man is arguably the most important member of NikeTalk. Not only is he co-founder of NikeTalk alongside Nelson C, but he's been a regular on the site since Day One. He moderated and enforced the NikeTalk code of conduct and made sure that NikeTalk never strayed away from any of its original ideals, no matter how big its become. He's raised thousands of dollars through NT for a number of causes with one of the most recent being the earthquake in Japan.
1. Nelson C
Join Date: 10/1999
Last Post: 10/24/2012
Nelson C was the man who started NikeTalk. Alongside Method Man, Nelson Cabral basically created the first organized meet-up for sneakerheads online. While most of us may have lurked or landed in other parts of the forum staring at chicks in kicks way before it was all over the Internet, Nelson made it all possible. And like James Naismith, he's Canadian. You can find him still posting in the forums, on the list of 50 Most Influential People in Sneakers, and on Twitter @nelcab23.