why are you a sneakerhead? (real sneakerheads only)

Here's a question for some of yall; what's wrong with the term "sneakerhead"?? Is it because you associate it with the hypebeasts? I mean I just don't get it. For me, I know what it means to me when I say I'm a sneakerhead. I'll say it like this, it DOESN'T mean I buy any and everything that has hype, excitement around it's release. It DOESN'T mean that I walk around like this aficionado that is so above everybody else cuz of what's on my feet. It DOESN'T mean that I consider anything that isn't Jordan/Nike or under $150 to be trash. It simply means that I am serious about my shoe game. For me it's on the same level (or slightly above) my passion for gaming.

But seriously, why do some of you get so bent over the term 'sneakerhead'?
 
Originally Posted by JwalkinSOB


But seriously, why do some of you get so bent over the term 'sneakerhead'?

Because to me being o.g. and maybe perhaps other o.g. old folks who been into shoes (game) for a looooong time..we never considered ourselves "sneakerheads"...that term alone was not around during the 80's-90's so we never associate ourselves to it. We basically just had mad love for shoes and thats it. There was no label on it. To me Sneakerheads all look alike, skinny tight jeans (hard dark denim), alife, supreme, crooks and castles, etc, g-shock watches, fitted new era baseball cap thats crooked  on the head. And theres the hypebeast... what can i say about them?..lol It's just a fad or trend to these people. Im not knocking or hating thats just their style...but not mine..to me it's all about the shoes plain and simple.
 
Originally Posted by 23SOLE

Originally Posted by JwalkinSOB


But seriously, why do some of you get so bent over the term 'sneakerhead'?

Because to me being o.g. and maybe perhaps other o.g. old folks who been into shoes (game) for a looooong time..we never considered ourselves "sneakerheads"...that term alone was not around during the 80's-90's so we never associate ourselves to it. We basically just had mad love for shoes and thats it. There was no label on it. To me Sneakerheads all look alike, skinny tight jeans (hard dark denim), alife, supreme, crooks and castles, etc, g-shock watches, fitted new era baseball cap thats crooked  on the head. And theres the hypebeast... what can i say about them?..lol It's just a fad or trend to these people. Im not knocking or hating thats just their style...but not mine..to me it's all about the shoes plain and simple.

I think then that's where maybe I disagree.  I was a lover of MJ from about '90 on (about the age where I could comprehend to some extent what I was watching).  I couldn't afford the kicks then, but I wanted them every time they came out.  I don't rock skinny jeans, couldn't tell you what crooks and castles even are, and don't (and NEVER will) own a g-shock watch; but I consider(ed) myself a sneakerhead for the reasons I mentioned.  I get what you mean now though.  I'm curious to know how old you are so I can see where I am as far as the gap between the now clearly defined "O.G. vs Sneakerhead" generations. 

I still don't look at it as either one have more right than the other to knock off kicks...but I will say that if you can actually remember watching those MJ moments as they happened (1991 against Lakers and forward for me), then you have more appreciation for the legacy of the shoes themselves, and therefore hate to see them butchered by way of some of the fusions, spizikes, etc.  But hey..to each his own.    
 
When I was growing up my parents didn't believe in spending a bunch of money on Shoes. I was always a fan of athletic shoes and stuff like that so when I started earning my own money I was enabled to buy what I wanted. At first I was into Nikes because of the Vis Air, then eventually to Air Maxes, then pretty much Jordans after that. Probably doesn't hurt that Ijapino is my best friend. He was my only resource back then on what was releasing. LOL Actually to this day we still talk kicks and other BS when we have a chance. So I guess that was the beginning of this addiction.
 
Originally Posted by JwalkinSOB

Originally Posted by 23SOLE

Originally Posted by JwalkinSOB


But seriously, why do some of you get so bent over the term 'sneakerhead'?

Because to me being o.g. and maybe perhaps other o.g. old folks who been into shoes (game) for a looooong time..we never considered ourselves "sneakerheads"...that term alone was not around during the 80's-90's so we never associate ourselves to it. We basically just had mad love for shoes and thats it. There was no label on it. To me Sneakerheads all look alike, skinny tight jeans (hard dark denim), alife, supreme, crooks and castles, etc, g-shock watches, fitted new era baseball cap thats crooked  on the head. And theres the hypebeast... what can i say about them?..lol It's just a fad or trend to these people. Im not knocking or hating thats just their style...but not mine..to me it's all about the shoes plain and simple.

I think then that's where maybe I disagree.  I was a lover of MJ from about '90 on (about the age where I could comprehend to some extent what I was watching).  I couldn't afford the kicks then, but I wanted them every time they came out.  I don't rock skinny jeans, couldn't tell you what crooks and castles even are, and don't (and NEVER will) own a g-shock watch; but I consider(ed) myself a sneakerhead for the reasons I mentioned.  I get what you mean now though.  I'm curious to know how old you are so I can see where I am as far as the gap between the now clearly defined "O.G. vs Sneakerhead" generations. 

I still don't look at it as either one have more right than the other to knock off kicks...but I will say that if you can actually remember watching those MJ moments as they happened (1991 against Lakers and forward for me), then you have more appreciation for the legacy of the shoes themselves, and therefore hate to see them butchered by way of some of the fusions, spizikes, etc.  But hey..to each his own.    

Right to each is their own and im not knocking you at all...but depending on where you are from but the majority of "sneakerheads" where im from have this certain look. Yea it seems a lot of our responses on this board are the same (started w/mj, couldnt have em as a kid etc) but also with me when they debut the visible air bubble i was like wooow "does that make you jump higher?" I was in pure awe. Yea of course MJ started it with the blk/red 1's but what kick started for me was the og aj  3's , air revoulutions, air max (87),air trainers, etc not even just nike's but british knights (utras), troop, lottos, avias, reebok pump, i could go on and on. Im 32 and it all started at footlocker 1988 and went on from there... It's fine if you consider yourself a sneakerhead, i just have a different perspective on that term...I just love shoes with no label on it...I don't collect..I obsess and endulge because certain shoes are that dope to me..it's no hobby...its no game..its just pure love for shoes..but i guess i'd say im a sneaker enthusiast or better yet a NIKEHEAD if we putting labels on things...lol
 
Yeah for me it isn't about the label either. I was just trippin off how some people were so dead set against the term. I don't care what anybody calls it. If it has to do with being passionate about certain shoes, then I'm in...all that extra stuff those cats can keep.
 
I'm from da hood so having nice kicks was a status symbol & growing up watching MJ killing da league on those very same kicks didn't help either. I love sneakers to me its like artwork I can wear , they have meaning to me that's why I only cop retro jordans &nikes. There like a piece a my childhood that I could always hold on to.
 
i just love to track down the shoes u lookin for and buy them.  i am a collector  mostly... i wear certain pair
 
Originally Posted by Cadwallader

Two words: Michael Jordan.





"Quality basketball products inspired by THE GREATEST PLAYER EVER."


I was one of those kids that just wanted to be like Mike. If it wasn't for Michael, I could care less about a basketball sneaker.


That's it. Started for me when I asked for my first pair in 1989.  Didn't actually get them until they were on sale in 1990 though. Gotta love moms hahahaa...
 
For me.....MJ and never owning a pair of Jordans. Now that I have funds, holding the III's, IV's, V's and VI's satisfies my soul and increases my appreciation that one player could start a sneaker craze from his game and image. I don't think there is a right answer. Cheers to everyone that appreciates holding and wearing a **quality** Jordan sneaker.
 
For me, it gets at the heart of being a lil kid and wanting nothin more than those OG White/Red V's that dropped in '90 and seeing that one kid on the bus that had them and knowing that I wouldn't be able to get them.  Tellin' myself as a 12 year old kid that one day I would grow up, get a job, and make money and buy those shoes (which I did
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) and I have retros of many V's to rock. 

When I get a fresh new pair of kicks (retro or OG Jordans especially) it brings back that pure joy I had when I was a kid and I got my first pair of Jordans (Infrared VI's) and all the ones I was able to get on my feet from there on out (OG IX's, X's, XI's, XIII's and then retros from '99 to '03).  I don't really get bent on anyone noticing my kicks or anything like that.  Basically, it's my joy to just have them on my feet and have that experience of knowing they are safe and secure in my closet and I can pull them out and admire them whenever I choose.

And gettin' a new fresh pair of Jordans is just love fam.  Plain as that. 
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cuz now that im starting to make my own money i can finally afford to get the shoes i always wanted growing up in the 90s
 
I at this point have only been collecting shoes for maybe 2 years. Yet, I think my first pair of Js i rocked had to be the XVI when i was in the 8th grade which i tore apart from just rockin em to school, then the bred XIs as a christmas gift from my parents which I wore casually until I started playing basketball until they were history and keeping em together with super glue! Then later got the XII and XVII which I started taking more interest in the value of the shoe than just the trend.

It wasnt until about 2008 when I got a decent job, a steady paycheck, where I fully became interested in all the shoes I loved growing up but my parents couldn't afford yet alone I couldnt, it wasnt until then where I was introduced to the sneaker game!

My point being a true sneaker head are those who have been collecting Jays, Dunks, Nikes etc because of the style, the inspiration, the significance of the shoe to them, for years and years and have stories and adventures of the shoe they own; not the decency of quality or hype attractions.

I consider myself a sneaker enthusiast. My 2 years into the game I feel isnt something I can brag about, I definitely cant and wouldnt brag about having all the money in the world and buying a pair of jays every week to impress the sneaker forums! In 2 years I have brought up my collection to 40-something pairs where I know I have a story to tell about all of them whether its fighting in lines for my pair, working an extra late night shift to buy that pair I loved growing up that I can finally have...

....you cant be a legend your first few years in professional sports but you can learn as the years go by from experiences to become one, in this case, a sneaker head...
 
I grew up to My Brother wearing J's, he was never a big "sneakerhead" especially when he grew up realizing how much he was making my parents spend all the time haha, But I could care less, Im only 18 so I wasnt old enough to be around for all the OG's, but I still have my fair share of knowledge on them. To be honest, I really don't know what brought me to love Jordans. I like what I like. Yes, I try and cop the "hype" and limited Js but im not going to completely go out of my way if im not feelin em. But I also love scimming through the lounge and picking up a couple of my favorites for some good prices to wear around everyday. I'm not a collector, I probably have around 20 pairs and I know they arent all hype, but it's whatever I like them, im going to wear them
 
Because I was inspired by my dad wearing OG's Jordans when he use to ball and had the freshest kickz on the court! Props to my Daddy!
 
I don't see myself as a sneakerhead, I love MJ and his shoes always have always will. I don't wear anything other then J's I-XX3 I'm just a guy that likes Air Jordan's so I have a lot of them. If anything I'm a Air Jordan head.
 
I am a pre Air jordan Collector. First pair was the Nike Sky Force.  I've had Etonic, Fila, Puma, Pro ked, New balance, kangaroo,  Brooks, Reebok, Adidas, Tiger( pre-acsics)and so many others. Air Jordan did it hard before it was cool. The right man and company at the right time. It will never be replicated.  However, there is nothing like a new pair before everyone else even sees the shoe. The smell, the lacing are nostalgic. I have moved on to bigger and better. Collectors collect. Some collect watches, cars, etc. Everyone has a vice. "Sneakerhead" is a culture. The game  has changed as all things do. 
 
i buy what i like. dont care about hype jus as long as i get the shoe i want! i only basicly buy js and in og color ways cuz thats what it like. and shoes are just one of my passions i dont consider myself jus a shoehead but all around apparel head. hats, shirts, pants, jewelry, boxers, shoes, socks. its all got to be on point!! 
 
"gettin a fresh new pair of js is jus pure LOVE. plain as that.".......


Damn right man. I dig.. I get my pairs because I love it. Not like... its great to hve xclusve js sittin in ur closet jus for u to look at from time to time.. lol
 
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