I love sneakers. If you know me, you’ve experienced my shoe fetish first hand. I admit I’ve spent hours camped out in line & hundreds of dollars out of impulse because of sneakers. Well over 40 pairs in (I post some on my Instagram every now & again), I’ve slowed down because of responsibilities, but the love is still there.
Georgia’s sneaker scene is a mixed bag to say the least. It’s trendy, yet unique, growing yet overlooked. So I decided to interview/showcase some of the BEST sole collectors Georgia has to offer. Before you ask, they are not ranked in any particular order and the list does NOT include celebrities (Sorry Greg Street & Trinidad). Just the top sneakerheads in GA, their opinions of Georgia’s sneaker scene, their favorite sneakers & pure HEAT. If you would like to see more of their collections, just click their names (I suggest you do):
Favorite Sneaker: “Tie between Air Jordan VI Black/Infrared and High Top Air Force One Black/Gum Bottom”
Thoughts On Georgia’s Sneaker Scene: ” The sneaker scene in GA is somewhat like every other sneaker scene thru-out the country; Wild, unpredictable and funny. Actually, ill take 20% of that comment back, Atlanta’s sneaker scene is nowhere near as WILD as a New York or LA. But Atlanta is on it’s way.”.
How Would You Classify Yourself As A Sneaker Collector: “I hate answering this question. I’d classify myself as a “footwear collector”. I buy ALL brands/makes/models. If I like a shoe or per say “footwear”, i’m buying it. I try to stress to up-and-coming sneaker collectors that, “NO PERSON SHOULD HAVE A SAY-SO ON WHAT YOU LIKE OR BUY!”. So deem me as K.O. the Footwear Collector.”.
Favorite Sneaker: “I would have to say the red white air max 1s, love the shape, the design and the color blocking, it is versatile and can really be worn with anything from jeans to shorts to some khakis. The Air Jordan XX3 (23) “Titanium” and “Blk/Red”, I would say, are my grails, they were limited to 1028 and 529 pairs each, respectively, and I’m fortunate enough to own a pair.”.
Thoughts On Georgia’s Sneaker Scene: “A little behind everyone else in Chicago and NYC, Jordans still dominate the market; but it is good to see a lot of people repping Atlanta in the sneaker world, think we have a lot to go in terms of educating and let people have the access to the right culture.”.
How Would You Classify Yourself As A Sneaker Collector: “Not a collector, just a lover who likes to wear different shoes and shoes that I personally enjoy to live day to day on this wonderful planet.”.
Favorite Sneaker: “My Favorite Sneaker of All Time is the Nike SB De La Soul Dunk Hi.. You just dont come across sneakers that Crazy.”.
Thoughts On Georgia’s Sneaker Scene: “I feel like the Sneaker Scene in ATL/GA has grown a lot since I started collecting sneakers and just being around heads in the city. I remember being in campouts getting laughed at by people and being called stupid. Now people walk past a campout and know the deal.”
How Would You Classify Yourself As A Sneaker Collector: “I would classify myself as a connoisseur of sneakers.. I feel like a sneakerhead is someone who doesn’t really wear their sneakers and double up on most of there kicks. I try to wear most of my sneakers as many times as possible and I just cop one pair. I try not get too involved into the hype. I just appreciate a good sneaker.”.
Favorite Sneaker: “the Jordan Bred 4. It’s the perfect shoe, I’ve probably owned 10+ pairs of this particular model. It looks good brand new, or beat to hell.”.
Thoughts On Georgia’s Sneaker Scene: “Honestly the Georgia “sneaker scene” is pretty horrible.. After traveling & attending sneaker shows in other major cities it really makes Atlanta look bad. I miss the days when it wasn’t cool to be a “Sneakerhead” and you could walk in a store and get a release the next day with no problems.”.
How Would You Classify Yourself As A Sneaker Collector: “Hard question, I don’t call myself a “Sneakerhead”. I just say I like shoes, Jordan’s to be more specific. I grew up watching the bulls in the 90s with my uncle. My family bought me Jordan’s when they could afford it. If it didn’t have to do with basketball/Michael Jordan or ninja turtles I didn’t want anything to do with it lol.”.
Favorite Sneaker: “Black or white cement 3 is absolute perfection! I was in the 3rd grade when they came out. I had those along with a Bart Simpson shirt that read “I’m Bart, who the hell are you?”, very vulgar in 1988 by the way, lol! (My mom did not buy the shoes or shirt. I had to beg my sister, & I think I’m still in her debt for them…)”.
Thoughts On Georgia’s Sneaker Scene: “It’s a mesh of a lot of different places just like the city is, but overall it’s a lot of knowledgeable and good sneaker people here. The hype and foolishness seems to get more attention than us true sneaker dudes.”.
How Would You Classify Yourself As A Sneaker Collector: “I’m a shoe lover. When I hear collector I think of someone that might wear them or might not. There is no might more like a when. I love the feeling of seeing a shoe I like/want, finding info on it, planning an attack, and coming home with the shoe. However my biggest and best feeling is wearing them, and that is the lost factor of the game. Now it’s buy them, take an IG, NT or eBay picture for fame points or likes, then sell or trade them. Then the cycle repeats itself. It’s no longer a selfish I rock what I like kinda game. It’s more of a what’s hot and will get me the most attention or IG likes. Number one question used to be do I like these shoes. Now it’s how much are they worth, how many pair were made, and what can I resale them for.
“Hype is neither created nor destroyed, just transferred”.
As you can see, the upper echelon of Georgia sneaker collectors can hold their own in ANY city. Below I’ve listed even more sneakerheads in the honorable mentions section. This DOES NOT mean they are any less important than those listed above. It just means I couldn’t reach them for an interview. Peace.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Silver Swag
Manolo Prado
OG Sneaker Boy
Jet Set Kicks
Mad Lion
ATL Jerseys
ATL Sole Survivor
ATL Junkie
Leo Got Kicks
NY Staten Island
