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They say the first step to facing addiction of any kind is admitting you have a problem. This should be relatively easy — and readily apparent. Understanding that you are powerless over said addiction is important, too. And whether it's sneakers or heroin, the symptoms (of the addiction, mind you) are more or less the same. Sure, a sneaker addiction won't kill you unless your collection falls on you — or if your significant other opens the credit card bill before you can get to it — but many of the social ills sneaker addiction causes are exactly the same as any harder drug.
So the question remains: How do you kick it? Pun fully intended. There is no exact method, and you might even require professional help, but for now, here's 12 Steps to Ridding Yourself of Your Sneaker Addiction. Best of luck.
RELATED: 10 Signs Your Sneaker Habit Is Affecting Your Relationship
12. Look at your credit card statements.
Here's the thing about credit cards - the point is not to see how close you can come to hitting your limit every month, or how long you can maintain a maximum balance. Because carrying that balance means you're buying an extra pair of sneakers every month... for the credit-card company. If the temptation of using plastic is too much to handle, pay it all down and use cash.
11. Admit that you have a sneaker problem.
The first step to ridding your newly realized addiction is admitting that you have a problem. All this time in denial will be a challenge to overcome but admitting to yourself that you let a fun little hobby get completely out of hand, is a great start to returning to a happy life.
10. Tell a friend or family member about your problem.
What's the worst that can happen? Well, your mom might faint (or kick you out of the basement), but trust, it feels good just to tell someone else about your problem. Even if they can't help you, someone else will at least know. And if she takes your entire collection to RIF, hey, sometimes it's good to start fresh.
9. Ask your girlfriend to forgive you for making sneakers priority over her.
This is presuming that a) you still have a girlfriend, and b) you can find her amongst all the stacks of sneaker boxes. Don't try and be cute and give her Godiva chocolates in an Air Jordan box or something either, because she'll probably kill you.
8. Make a list of the sneakers you need to rid yourself of.
Do you even know what you have, or do you just cop, stack, and get right back in the game? When was the last time you even LOOKED in that box on the bottom? Whenever you have a problem, one of the earliest steps is doing a full assessment. Maybe actually writing out a list of all the sneakers you already have will make you think twice about acquiring more - and find new homes for some of the ones you already have.
7. Yes, get rid of all that matching clothing too.
It's highly likely that you have t-shirts (and hoodies, and hats, and hell, boxers probably) that you bought just because they matched a certain pair of sneakers. Which is all well and good, but once the shoes go, the gear should, too. There's nothing sadder than a "Grape Ice/New Emerald" Yankees hat that matches nothing you own.
6. Turn off notifications from your sneaker apps.
Not only will your phone battery life increase by 1000 percent, but you'll be able to stop making excuses about having to go to the bathroom 27 times during a single movie: "Oh man, I shouldn't have had those 12 Big Gulps today, huh? Be right back."
5. Make amends with people you've hurt because of your sneaker habit.
Even Kanye has to apologize sometimes. Now is your time.
4. Delete your sneaker bookmarks and clear your cache.
Yeah, we know how it works. It's easier to leave KicksDeals.com in your cache because it means you only need to type 3 letters and hit enter to get to today's latest deal. But that isn't going to help with your addiction. The point here is to revert back to being a "normal" person and have to type everything out and take extra time to get to sneaker sites. It's all part of the process, bro.
3. Give half your sneakers to your local Goodwill.
You can also try a local church, they usually take them and give them to those in need. Only giving away half will help you realize just how much you can live without and also slowly wean you off of sneakers. It may even help you appreciate all those kicks you have that you've been taking for granted for years.
2. Buy a pair of shoes that you don't care about, think Crocs.
Seriously, Crocs save sneakerhead lives. Not only are they comfortable, they have no relatable style to streetwear or sneakers. In essence, these alienate you from your sneakerhead friends instantly. If they are real friends, they'll tell you that they cannot be seen with you wearing them shits. That's what friends are for.
1. Say, eff it and go get yourself another pair of sneakers.
For real, go cop something so you can quit feeling bad.
