Image via Complex Original
Being a sneakerhead isn't always easy. Let's just get that out there. The life we choose often sees us sleeping on sidewalks and politicing for sneakers—or worse. Just in the last two weeks we have heard some crazy stories about what people do for a chance to have the latest kicks, so we decided to reach out to a few friends that we know love sneakers and have them share some of the craziest stories when in came to copping a prized pair of sneakers. From random outlet finds to marathon campouts to thrift store come-ups, these are their stories. So sit back and enjoy as 36 Sneakerheads Discuss Their Craziest Sneaker Pickups.
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Air Jordan 11 "Concord"
Name: Anna Bediones
Twitter/Instagram: @atothebed
Sneaker: Air Jordan 11 "Concord"
Year: 2011
After relentless attempts at putting size 12 Jordan "Concords" in my cart at midnight, I admitted defeat to the bots and hopped in the whip. I drove through the Canadian snow at 1 a.m. to the nearest mall. I didn't know what to expect for my first campout, but my little brother really wanted Concords for his birthday. And yes, I dragged his 200-pound ass out with me. Mostly for protection.
I was one girl among at least 20 guys. I saw the people they told me to expect to see at a campout: the old head who thought he was most deserving, the new heads who barely looked old enough to know what they were lining up for, the hypebeasts looking for "white Space Jams," and the guys looking to make bank reselling.
We stood in the vestibule for hours, until finally, at 5 a.m., the security guard opened the doors. At this point there had to be hundreds of us crowded around the mall doors. The security guard told us not to run...
You know that scene in The Lion King where Simba gets stuck in a stampede? It felt like that. I thought I was going to get trampled. I made it to the door and found myself suffocating among several bodies. I didn't stand a chance.
So, I did what I had to do. I slipped out.
I walked slowly away from the crowd... Up the stairs... Around the corner... To Foot Locker. I sat there alone.
By 7:30 a.m., a new crowd had formed and more people tried to bully me out of my spot. An angry woman yelled at everyone in line about how she absolutely needed a pair for her boyfriend. The old head from earlier came to me at the front of the line, panic in his eyes. He also needed a size 12. Too bad, bruh.
Apparently everyone who lined up at Champs had gotten kicked out for setting off the alarms and damaging the gate. Twitter reported people getting shot and riots breaking out at other stores. My heart raced as I feared for my life.
The store manager opened the door and began letting employees in. First priority, obviously. More people walked in and out with black boxes. Finally, it was my turn. My brother waited outside with worried eyes as I trudged towards the cash register.
Flashbacks of 2009's Space Jam release flooded my brain. They lost the pair I preordered, and after days of nonstop phone calls and complaints, my sneakers were recovered. They offered me a refund but I refused to lose out on that release. I refused to lose out on this release as well.
$240 later, I had the Jordans in my hand. I caught some guys following us and had to take the scenic route to the parking lot to avoid getting jumped. I could have been acting paranoid, but then again it's not like we haven't seen people die over Js.
I took my happy brother home, and a few hours later, went back for my size 5—one of the few occasions my little feet came in handy.
Nike Air Trainer 1 "Safari"
Name: John Gotty
Twitter/Instagram: @johngotty
Sneaker: Nike Air Trainer 1 "Safari"
Year: 2012
My story isn't crazy as much as it's abnormal. Abnormal because much of what we doing with sneakers revolves around getting and receiving, not giving to others.
When the Trainer 1 'Safari' released, I was traveling and mostly disconnected from the 'net because I was covering Nike's World Basketball Festival in Washington D.C.. Figuring no one really cares about Trainers, I assumed I could pick them up whenever. When I got back home, days turned to weeks and I lost track on picking up the Safaris while in pursuit of whatever else was releasing around that time.
Then, I decided I wanted them but for weeks and, when I want something, I really want it yesterday. My wanting and wishing weren't enough to make my size 13 drop down for the heavens, so I took to my social networks to put the word out that I needed a pair. No response. Maybe three or so weeks later, I threw up another social media S.O.S. and this guy, who I'd never spoken to before, hit me and said he could get my size. Whammy!
We swap info and when I ask him how much, he tells me not to worry about it.
"Excuse me?"
That just doesn't happen. Not in today's climate where everyone's a reseller who's trying to turn a $20 profit every chance they get. Figuring it was too good to be true (one of the number one rules of online transactions, right?) I hurry to work out shipping arrangements before he changes his mind (or comes to his senses). As it turns out, he lives near one of my close friends. A few more emails, a phone call and 30 minutes later, they've met, the guy hands the kicks over to my boy and, just like that, I have that Safaris that I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to find at a fair price.
Still, accepting a free gift from a stranger didn't feel right. I ask him what can I pay him. "Don't worry about it," he replies. Now, unless this cat was the shoe fairy, he didn't get those kicks for free so I have to do something. I keep nudging him to tell me how I can pay him back. Tired of me asking, he says just to pay it forward.
So I did.
Earlier that week, I was helping a friend track down a shoe that he missed out on. A new LeBron colorway, which one I can't remember. I had a pair but...what if I give him mine? Is this the karma that the mystery guy was suggesting?
I didn't think about it. I boxed them up, shipped them out and emailed my homie the tracking number, telling him nothing more than what was told to me: "pay it forward."
The game hasn't been "the game" to me in a long while. I've had almost every sneaker I ever wanted. Collected, ran through, hooped in and partied hard with every model imaginable. I've picked up Jordans in all the Romans numerals at least three times and purchased my grail long ago. Shoes are just shoes. We've bought all the ones we've wanted and still keep buying more.
Part of what makes each pickup special is the story behind how it was acquired. The hoops we jumped through, the frustration, the people we came across who became part of our network of friends.
As it turns out, I had crossed paths with this mystery guy before. In fact, I shook hands with him in D.C. when he was meeting a mutual friend to say hello. Since the Safaris, we speak regularly, share news about our families, our pasts, our travels and more. And, of course, we talk footwear.
And, to this day, I've never been able to truly repay him in any special way because the guy has almost every shoe imaginable. He's like me in that he wears everything he buys and, as much as he loves shoes, family and people rank higher on his list of priorities.
He also reminded me one character trait that's taken on greater importance - selflessness.
I've always been willing to give to others. My time and energy are often spent working with and encouraging others. But, in this religion tied together by laces, mystery guy's giving made me realize I could give even more.
I wear the hell out of the Safaris. The materials are top notch as is the quality. They're a very nice shoe that turns heads and all of that. But even greater, when someone asks "where did you get those?" the shoes have a great story behind them that I share and tell them how the former mystery guy inspired me to go the extra mile for others, to help them out, etc. And maybe it will inspire the people who hear the story to do the same.
Nike Air Foamposite Pro "Pearl"
Name: Jared Williams
Twitter/Instagram: @LoveLiveUptown
Sneaker: Nike Air Foamposite Pro "Pearl"
Year: 2010
I went to a well-respected sneaker spot in ATL, that shall remain nameless, with my girlfriend to go see what new stuff the store had since we had both been away from school. As we were leaving the store, I tripped on a rack and saw that they had the Pearl Foams in stock a week early. So of course I went ahead and copped them. Once I got home, I was in for a pleasant surprise as the right shoe I had tried on was a size 8 while the other was a size 9. Since the store that shall remain nameless couldn't help me out, I decided to take matters into my hands. I brought my brother and cousin with me to go to another well-known sneaker retailer and swapped out the size 9 for a size 8 left shoe. Huge shoutout to the trainee on her first day of work that day that assisted us, she left the kicks unattended to help another customer and I was able to rectify my uncanny situation.
Nike Air Jordan 1
Name: Russ Bengtson
Twitter/Instagram: @russbengtson
Sneaker: Nike Air Jordan 1
Year: 1991
I attended the University of Delaware, and one of the things I brought with me were my two-year-old pair of Air Jordan IIs, complete with crumbling polyurethane soles. I had really wanted the Air Jordan 1s when they first released, but as a 14-year old (sure, do the math), I was still on mom's budget. No dice. Fast-forward six years, when Air Jordans are up to VI, and all of the original 1s were either stashed or skated into the ground. It so happened that one of the things I discovered while at Delaware, along with the joys of instant ramen, were the wide variety of thrift stores around Newark (Del.). And one day, I happened to find a pair of red, white and black Air Jordan 1s. They were beat up, they were a size 11.5 (I wore a 9.5), and I couldn't have been happier. I wore them anyway, and to this day they hang from SLAM magazine's drop ceiling.
Air Jordan I "Banned"
Name: Oscar Castillo
Twitter/Instagram: @Oscar_Castillo
Sneaker: Air Jordan I "Banned"
Year: 2011
My craziest sneaker experience has to be the Air jordan 1 Banned release. I remember scrolling up and down twitter and coming across a photo of a box in a bag. The box read "Imagine If?..." with Nike Outlet price tags placed all over the front. I knew this had to be something epic but it didn't make sense..why? Because there was no photo of the shoes yet and it was an outlet release. I mean how crazy do people go over outlet releases?!! A few minutes later, it was confirmed to be the Air Jordan 1 Banned and the number for an outlet in Portland was given. I immediately called and copped two pairs but it wasn't over yet. Little did I know that this release would make it to every major outlet in the U.S and as soon as detailed photos came out, It made sneaker headlines for weeks! I didn't get my pairs from the phone orders I placed yet and even though I was cleared, my adrenaline kept going so I still wanted to know more about the AJ 1 that had everyone going crazy. Later that week, the Chicago south side outlet was confirmed to have them. I sped all the way from the northside to the south and was lucky enough to pick up about 10 pairs.
Nike Considered Humara
Name: Ric Salazar
Twitter/Instagram: @erth1
Sneaker: Nike Considered Humara
Year: 2009
As a sneakerhead, I sometimes pop my head in random spots that carry shoes. Back in 2009 it was no different. On a sunny afternoon I decided to pop my head in to a Ross retail store in Culver City, CA. Nothing unusual, did my same route... straight to the footwear section. I start in men's size 10 since that's my size but will also look in the size 9s as well hoping that someone misplaced or mislabeled a pair. Nothing was looking good in size 10s so I continue looking into the size 9s and to my surprise there are a pair of orange/blue Considered Humara's sitting on the shelf. I immediately grab them and throw them in my cart. After further inspection I noticed that they are labeled size 9 but in the shoe its listed as a size 10. I try them on and they fit like a size 9.5. I'll take them. I look at the price tag and it was kind of blurry but it looked like it said $50. Not a bad price for Considereds, so I make my way to the register. I hand over the pair for purchase and the lady behind the register makes a loud laugh and starts to yell for her co-workers to come check out the shoes. Little did I know, the price tag actually said $0.50. YES, 50 cents! All of the Ross employees have now gathered around us and she then tells me I am the lucky customer who picked up a pair of Nikes for 50 cents. It was on the shelf for the past week and they were wondering who would get them but because the size was mislabeled it was overlooked by most customers... until me. So my craziest pair I have ever picked up is the Nike Considered Humaras which I purchased back in 2009 for 50 cents!
adidas KB8 II
Name: Shake
Twitter/Instagram: @shakejmj
Sneaker: adidas KB8 II
Year: 1997
The craziest pick up has to be the adidasKB8 2's!!! I had the black and the white ones but the Laker purple ones were the sickest!!! I waited for them to get sent to my house but they got sent to the wrong address, so I was basically outta luck. Then Jam Master Jay told me he could make the Kobes happen for me but I had to beat him in Madden to get them. He played as the Giants and I played as the Cowboys and while he won the game he still gave me the shoes 'cause luckily me and DMC WORE THE SAME SIZE!!! I had another pair on my radar, the Kobe III's!!! They never came out but if they do—wherever, whenever—I'm there!!!
Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam"
Name: Miles Coltrane
Twitter/Instagram: @xmilescoltranex
Sneaker: Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam"
Year: 2009
My craziest story would have to be for the release for the retro Jordan 11 Space Jams. I always knew my dad wanted a pair for many years but the price for a first-edition pair went for crazy cash and it would be rare to find him a pair in his size. I found out they would be releasing at this small Foot Locker in Santa Monica. I decided to take a shot and do one last campout for my dad's Christmas gift. That evening I had horrible sushi and went to camp out on the open streets of Santa Monica in December. If you are not very familiar you wouldn't know that's walking distance to the beach. I had horrible stomach cramps and what's worse is that my stomach tends to hurt in cold temperatures. I had to stay awake for 9 hours out in the cold with a severe fever and allergic reaction to sushi and cringing stomach cramps alone. What's horrible is that I couldn't leave the line to go to the restroom let alone get medical attention because all locations were closed. I hung in like a trooper and almost died. After I got to grab my dad's pair of kicks I had to rush to the hospital to take my swollen throat and face to get checked out. The doctor said I was insane because I was severely ill. Needless to say my dad got his sneaker grail as a gift—as I opened my gifts in bed because I was bedridden.
Air Jordan I "Banned"
Name: Kurtis Asberry
Twitter/Instagram: @dopethreat
Sneaker: Air Jordan I "Banned"
Year: 2011
I drove two hours and stayed overnight for the Banned Jordan 1s. I missed out on the original release, but found out about a restock from Sneaker News. That night a Finals game between Miami and Dallas was on and I had no guarantee I would get the shoes. I made that move and I was top 25 in which grew to be a line of about 250 people. I double copped the next morning and drove back late for work. I ended up trading for my Bin23 Vs at this campout too, so it was a very successful trip.
Nike SB Dunk Low "Supreme"
Name: Tyree Dillihay
Twitter/Instagram: @sneadsbyree
Sneaker: Nike SB Dunk Low "Supreme"
Year: 2012
So, I'm in line for the red Supremes in LA. I get there around 1:00 a.m.. Straight CAMPIN' hardbody for a few hours until about maybe 5:30 a.m... then I said, "fuck it... I'm too old for this shit" and I BOUNCE. I call the homies later only to learn I was smart about leaving because NO size 13s left the store to anybody that was outside. Later that day, I go check everybody's favorite connect, "eBay," and vultures who bought the shoes online and don't even have them in hand are selling size 13s for a minimum of $700 and the ones in hand were going for $1,500. I'm shaking my head and almost ready to press the BIN button but I refused to give my money to these clowns...ESPECIALLY when you don't have the shoe in hand. About a month passes by and I'm talking to my man that shall remain nameless. A few weeks earlier I had ended up getting a smooth hook-up on a pair of ugly, but worth some money Galaxy Rookies aka TRADE BAIT and I had a DS pair of some limited AF-1s that I got connected with. Basically, the value of those two kicks was good enough for my man to trade me the red Supremes and I UNDSed those bitches E-ME-GIOT-LEE!
Kobe Bryant/Aston Martin Pack
Name: Rob Santini
Twitter/Instagram: @robsantini
Sneaker: Kobe Bryant/Aston Martin Pack
Year: 2010
I'd have to go back to May 2010 when the Kobe Bryant/Aston Martin Pack was released. Like most high profile sneaker releases, there was a raffle to have a chance to win the opportunity to purchase the double pack. After waiting for an hour for NikeTown in Beverly Hills to call out all of the winners. I unfortunately did not have my number called but lucky for me, there was a Nike Store employee from Las Vegas who had entered the raffle. We happened to strike up a convesation while the raffle was going on and he realized how big of a Laker/Kobe fan I was. We also were the same size (11), and he ended up winning the raffle for that size and gave me his winning ticket so I could purchase the pack. It was needless to say the coolest gesture I have ever experienced and I was so happy to have gotten my hands on the pack.
Nike Air Force 1 All Star 08 QK
Name: KixRUs
Twitter/Instagram: @kixRrus
Sneaker: Nike Air Force 1 All-Star 08 QK
Year: 2008
I was on a nine-month deployment and we got word that we were going to make a brief port visit in Barcelona, Spain. Me being a sneaker nerd I immediately jumped on SneakerFreaker's site and found a store nearby (not really) called Limited Editions. Running on a tight schedule I took my chances and hopped in a cab to the shop. I bought the Nike AF-1 All-Star 08 QK It wasn't released in the states yet so I was pretty excited about it, but at the same time I was in deep shit because the ship was leaving in 30 minutes. Long story short I gave the cabbie X amount of euros to get me back to my ship the fastest way he knew how before my Navy career would go to waste just for a pair of sneakers.
Air Jordan XI/VI "Defining Moments Pack"
Name: Nick Engvall
Twitter/Instagram: @NickEngvall
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI/VI "Defining Moments Pack"
Year: 2006
There are two sneaker releases that come to mind when I think about the craziest or most memorable ones. The first is the adidas Campus 80s x House of Pain joints that I've written about a few times. The second is the story of how I got my Defining Moments Pack. In 2006, I had decided that the DMP pack would be the shoes I would wear if I ever got married. So, with my two best friends and my brother with me, we decided that Eastbay would be the move. The only thing that sucks is that Eastbay wouldn't allow multiple orders. We knew that it would be difficult to get the DMPs. It was really the beginning of all the hyped stuff and things selling out. Eastbay was still taking phone orders back then so we decided to try that route. My friend called about 25 minutes before the shoes are supposed to release and thankfully gets a female customer service representative. He casually builds some rapport by asking about all sorts of random things. None of which he had intention to buy. The girl catches on and by then he has her laughing so it's all good. When the time finally comes, she pulls up the Defining Moments Pack and let's him order. But it gets even better, rather than make us all call back, she allows each of us to get on the phone and order our packs.
Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Diamond"
Name: PKBallr
Twitter/Instagram: @pkballr
Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Diamond"
Year: 2005
Shoe campouts defined the times back before a little bird could carry you to the front of a hashtagged queue. Before the days of waiting till some established standard time tells you to repeatedly press a button for a pair of kicks on six different websites, it was only all the rage to be able and wait long hours for shoes. Commitment was key as long nights and even some days awaited the most adamant sneakerholic from fulfilling his addiction to kicks. I always thought myself as above all this line business. Camping out was for chumps who didn't have connects. Or so I told my "well-connected" self in high school. But of course, there's always that one elusive pair that no sneakerhead could turn down. For me, it had to have been the Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Diamonds" or whatever other nicknames people could think of for them. Alligator skin, a cool teal set on a rugged black backdrop, simple color palettes with a cool collaboration? This was hype that can create websites. With the most popular silhouette of the time, fresh colors, and an underground clothing brand, it was pretty obvious these would be a hit. Of course, I had to have them, no matter the cost.
The fateful evening before the release, I remembered debating and trying to name off the different stores that planned to have them. Living in Sacramento afforded me of possible drops from oddly named skate wear stores with no assurance of actual release or appropriate stock. While on the fence, a friend who I had no idea was even into shoes, asked if I wanted to camp out with him. The hype train was full steam ahead. It seemed appropriate I guess. My "connects" were running short and no where in the capital seemed to have or know if they would be getting them. We set our sights to the Bay. San Francisco is the hot bed for sneaker releases and all your favorite boutiques seem to find a way to establish themselves there. The hour and change drive down a couple of hours before midnight was my determination to be a part of that crowd of cool kids looking for cool kicks.
While crossing the Bay Bridge, we narrowed our waiting spots down to Huf and Huf. It was the only place we knew to have them and they fortunately had two locations. After meeting with another friend, we were off. Now, back in 2005 when these released, something like a GPS or smart phone was a fairly foreign concept to most as they weren't common attachments to the pocket. Relying on my Windows Mobile phone, we hunted down Huf from guessing and a "I remember this shop being close by" thrown in somewhere. We arrived at the original Huf location off of Sutter Street a little before the next day with a crowd of 25 deep. With camp chairs lined across and rumor mills circulating, we were all but defeated.
Campouts are a fun thing of course, where the guessing game comes into play. Do we take this rumor at face value or is it just another way of getting one less person out of line? Two full size runs and us three not falling within that range meant no shoes for us. But of course, we "overheard" Huf on Hayes only had so-and-so amount of people in line. It was a gamble we had to take. Off we went, not knowing where to go. San Francisco can be a tumultuous drive if you don't know where you're going. There are too many one ways and convoluted street names that just seem to not make sense when delirium sets in early morning. After a 45 minute drive to a location that couldn't be more than 10 minutes away, we finally arrived. To our fortunes, we were number 10-12 in line. Our numbers were in, the horoscopes said the right something, and maybe the stars were starting to align. Huf wouldn't be open till 11 p.m.. So we wait.
Sacramento's weather likes to tippy-toe around the 100 degree mark but San Francisco has the ocean to it's credit for its chilly weather. The young kid in me said shorts and a short sleeve shirt would be fine, as it was still summer in my mind. I guess I also liked freezing and bouts of frostbite as well. Campouts were ironically, all about heat. So I heard you like to wait for hot sneakers? Well, I wore hot sneakers, while waiting in line with my friend who is into hot sneakers, while camping out for hot sneakers. Xzibit would be proud. Or pimped. Whatever. Going down the line, you see the "heat" come out and who has what. Now, wearing down jackets with sweatpants and hundreds of dollars of shoes seemed silly but its what you do when you need to shine. Busting out my favorite pair of size 9.5 SBs (Nike Dunk Low Pro "Supreme") was just part of the culture.
As we waited and counted the hours down till the sun hit our pale white faces, the endgame of new shoes was all in hand. The numbers made sense and we would "get ours". Of course, 11:00 rolled around after hardly a slumber and possibly moving my car twice due to weird parking laws with no shop keepers in sight. It has to be a mind game. Let's get one over on these kids who camped. 11:15. still not a sign of a Huf employee and the line starts to turn into a crowd. With what seemed like a hundred people there for only 20 pairs of shoes, our line spot was out the window when the mob started to form. 11:30 finally arrives and a guy finally pulls in with his bike in order to open up the shop. Freedom, am I right? Well, lines become crowds, which leads to mobs and getting your face pressed on the window. I feel bad for Huf for leaving my cheek implanted on the side but this was war.
My spot slowly slipped two or three as friends of friends of friends made their way ahead of us. Too tired to argue, we just accepted it as fate of the campouts and let it go. The sizes were called out. Size 10 was gone. 9 was just sold out. I crossed my fingers for that 9.5, knowing all too well how this was going to go down. It does hurt a little bit when you see that 4'11 girlfriend of the guy who she let go in front of you end up picking up a pair of shoes six sizes too big for her. Or maybe her humongous feet were justification for waiting so long. I was out of luck and 12 hours wasted meant me stuck with shoes that weren't my size. I ran down the list of people who I'd thought would want these. Fortunate for my friend, size 13 was still available. I could't possibly justify spending $200 for shoes so big on me, but maybe my friend would. So I bought them for him and sold it to him at the price I paid, because sometimes karma is worth the effort. In turn, this experience had turned me off of shoes for quite some time as the experience was draining. Half a day gone for shoes that wouldn't even be mine. But in the end, it was my craziest pickup because who loses sleep over shoes they can't wear? I guess that's just the life of a sneakerhead.
Nike Air Mag
Name: MarsBars1911
Twitter/Instagram: @marsbars1911
Sneaker: Nike Air Mag
Year: 2012
After months of rumors these were going to release they finally did in 2011. They were only available on eBay as a charity auction for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. 10 days of 150 pairs getting auctioned off a day, meant only 1,500 pairs were available. I had to have these shoes and finally convinced my wife how important they were to me. She ultimately agreed, but set a cap on the price I could bid. The price we agreed on, significantly high for a shoe, wasn't enough for these on the auctions and I ultimately did not win a pair. Months went by and I continued to look on eBay, which listed these for double what people bought them for in auction. I also constantly looked on craigslist in cities like Chicago, Miami, New York, and L.A.. I finally saw what seemed like a legit post with a decent price on Craigslist. I contacted the guy from L.A. and we went back and forth on a price for about 5 days. He told me he won them on eBay and showed me proof of it so I knew they were legit. He then told me he just filmed an episode of Pawn Stars on the History Channel, where he tried to sell these. They actually named the episode after the shoe. He said the episode was coming out in a week, so I waited and watched the show to be absolutely sure he was legit and I wasn't getting ripped off. After agreeing on a very generous price drop (way lower than the show), he got paid and I got my Mags.
Air Jordan 11/12 "Countdown Package"
Name: Bruce Goodwin
Twitter/Instagram: @Brucegood
Sneaker: Air Jordan 11/12 "Countdown Package"
Year: 2008
My craziest pickup was back in 2008. A few days before Christmas the 11/12 collezione package was finally coming out. It was all I asked for, for Christmas. I was 15 at the time and it was my first major release. I called around to Foot Lockers, Footactions, and Modells all over Queens for the week leading up to the release. A lot of stores didn't get the release, but the Foot Locker in Bay Terrace did. I remember telling my dad about the sneakers and he was willing to drive me to the place and sit outside because he knew how bad I wanted them. So the Saturday before Christmas my father and I woke up around 2 a.m. and headed over to the store. I was 3rd in line and we all wanted size 10.5's, and luckily the store carried just three 10.5's. It was my first campout so I didn't think to bring a chair, so I stood in the cold for nearly six hours until the store opened. I couldn't feel my feet after the first two hours and even wondered if I had frostbite. The guy who worked at Foot Locker let us in one at a time and locked the door behind each person. When I saw the huge box I had seen countless times on theshoegame.com over the last few months, I was ecstatic. I didn't even open the box, just paid and woke my dad up, and went home, after a long night. I swear I couldn't feel my toes for the next two days.
Air Jordan VI "White/Varsity Red"
Name: Brandon Edler
Twitter/Instagram: @MrBrando3 @MrBrando3
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI "White/Varsity Red"
Year: 2009
Who needs cell phone insurance when you can get a pair of legit Js for your broken iPhone? One night a few cognacs led to some bad decisions and I ended up with a phone that had some issues and put it up on Craigslist to see if I could get any kind of offer for it. The first message I got wasn't for a Siberian gang-bang, it was actually someone willing to trade up their brand-new Jordan VIs to use the phone for parts. I met homie in a well-lit Popeyes parking lot and the rest is history. I keep the Jordans in my trunk when I want to stunt on the playground since my crossover isn't exactly breaking ankles anymore.
Nike Air Yeezy "Black/Pink"
Name: Kevin Miles
Twitter/Instagram: @AirMaxMiles
Sneaker: Nike Air Yeezy "Black/Pink"
Year: 2009
The Yeezys dropped in 2009 and I missed out on all three releases for retail. The prices were double after the first couple of months and then jumped up over $1,000 after six months. I never thought I had a chance for them at a "reasonable" price (less than $1,000). Over a year went by and the Yeezys ended up being out of sight, out of mind for me. My job at the time was an overnight management position, so I would pass time by surfing the net. One Sunday night while sitting on the throne, I was going through my usual cycle of my favorite sneaker sites. I happened to get on RIF.LA and lo and behold, they had a pair of Blink (Black/Pink) Yeezys for $750, when at the time they were going for $1,200-plus easy on eBay/Flight Club. I've never sweated through a situation so bad. I've been too late on pairs on FC and got the rejection email a day or so later. I expected the same thing here being that I paid for them at midnight on Sunday. Sure enough, on Tuesday, I got the confirmation that they were being sent and by the weekend, I became an owner of a pair of the Yeezy 1s.
Air Jordan VII For the Love of the Game "Olympic"
Name: Thelonious Cassanova
Twitter/Instagram: @ydeysayimdaman4@ydeysayimdaman4
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII For the Love of the Game "Olympic"
Year: 2010
The wildest adventure i've ever had for a pair of sneakers dates back to 2010 when the "For the Love of the Game" Olympic VIIs came out. The Olympics was really the only VII colorway that I felt i needed in my life at the time and I was willing to go to no end to get those. I didnt care if I had to pay the extra bread, I just knew i wasnt going to be able to wait in line due to the fact that I had to work overnight that same night they dropped. I felt I got out of work early enough to grab a pair though—I don't know who i thought i was fooling. I had to go to at least 20 different stores all over Queens and Long Island. Everywhere was sold out in my size. My hunt ended at 3 o'clock that day. Anyone that knows sneakers knows that your chances of getting anything the day after a midnight release are slim to none. So I packed it in and basically gave up. Got home and as a last-ditch effort decided to check the official Nike website, and to my surprise it said that they only had my size in stock. I couldnt believe it. I added it to my cart and completed the transaction. They came a week later but I didn't care. Even after all that I went through though it was worth it because I got them for retail price at the end of the day.
Air Jordan XII (Black/Red)
Name: DeVaughn Oree
Twitter/Instagram: @D_0r @D_0r
Sneaker: Air Jordan XII (Black/Red)
Year: 2003
The craziest sneaker pickup I had was in 2003 for the Bred 12s, my favorite colorway of pretty much every sneaker. I HAD to get them. It was a mission and a half. I had just moved from Queens to Long Island so I wasn't familiar with the public transportation to my house. I used this Saturday to kill two birds with one stone, get my kicks and find out how to get home from Queens. My parents were already tired of me buying kicks but that wasn't going to stop me. I ride into Queens with my mom, who works at at a hair salon, to get my hair braided. This was all part of the plan, I told her I'd find my way back home since I had nothing to do and I wasn't sitting in a hair salon all day. I got my hair braided and headed to The Ave where the bus terminal was so I could catch the bus to Long Island, and to make a quick stop at Moe's in the Coliseum Mall. Everything was going smooth, I got my kicks and was ready to go home. Little did I know, the bus that would've dropped me off right on the corner of my block doesn't run on weekends. So now I get on a bus that takes me in the direction of my house but I wasn't too sure when to get off. I ended up getting off way too early, thinking I was closer than I really was, and walking for another hour home. By this time my pops got home from work now I have to get the kicks in past him. Went to the backyard to the basement entrance and left the kicks there, came back to the front of the house and entered the normal way. Told my dad about my adventure, minus my purchase, and waited until the coast was clear to get my kicks from the basement to my room
Air Jordan XVI (Black/Red)
Name: Nick Restivo
Twitter/Instagram: @nrestivo/nrestivo6 @nrestivo6
Sneaker: Air Jordan XVI (Black/Red)
Year: 2001
As an eighth grader I never owned a pair of Jordans, nor did my mom ever think it was worth spending over $100 on sneakers. After the third month of playing basketball my shoes were falling apart and I needed a new pair. Instead of asking my mom to take me to FinishLine I obviously asked my dad who didn't mind spending a little more than $100. Needless to say we walked into the store and the XVIs were still on the shelf. I picked them up, tried them on and told my dad that's what I wanted—he looked at the price tag and nearly passed out. We ended up getting them (obviously walked out of the store with them on). When we got home my dad told my mom how much they were and I think he spent the next month on the couch and nearly caused a divorce. I still have those shoes to this day, and I'll never get rid of them even though they look like this.
Air Jordan V "Doernbecher"
Name: Will
Twitter/Instagram: @kingpoetic01
Sneaker: Air Jordan 5 DB
Year: 2013
I drove to Chula Vista, two and a half hours non-stop, to meet someone selling me the Jordan Doernbecher Vs for $700. Got the shoes and drove back two and a half hours to try to make it to work on time! That didn't happen! That was still a dope pick up though!
Converse All-Star Revolution
Name: Brandon Lostutter
Twitter/Instagram: @blostutter @blostutter
Sneaker: Converse All-Star Revolution
Year: 2007
My craziest sneaker pickup is something that never reached the public and is something I luckily stumbled upon. It is my pair of sample Converse All Star Revolution Wade.
I had landed a design internship with Converse for the summer of 2007 and things were very exciting with the recent acquisition by Nike and the successful launch of the Wade 1. The Converse All Star Revolution was to be a modernization of the Chuck Taylor All Star, the "symbol of the righteousness of basketball." It was also to be Dwayne Wade's next signature shoe.
Rumor had it that Tinker Hatfield himself had a large part in the development and design of this shoe, and when Tinker has a hand in a signature shoe for one of the top players in the game, you pay attention. I never got a straight answer as to why the Revolution was scrapped, but the Wade 1.3 was favored instead, and the rest is history.
That summer, I had asked about the project for some time, until one of my coworkers caught wind of my interest of the Wade signature shoe that never saw the light of day. They just so happened to still have a sample pair, but not just any sample pair. This pair was a sample of the actual signature shoe with the Wade logo on the tongue. Other earlier samples had had just an "All Star" insignia in that place.
After my internship time was up, I acquired the sample pair as a going-away gift and still have them in storage today. They are still the most fascinating pair of shoes I own and I will probably never come across another pair like them with that kind of story.
Air Jordan IV "Fear"
Name: Jalal Enayah
Twitter/Instagram: @j_enayah
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "Fear"
Year: 2013
My craziest sneaker pickup happened recently with the release of the Jordan Fear IVs. I live in Michigan but at the time I was working in Seattle without a car. A close friend of mine named Skittles and I both had woken up early and decided to try buying the shoes on the Internet. After a couple hours with no luck we decided to try to find the shoes at our local malls. Since I was car-less I bussed around Seattle for a couple hours going to two malls and still hadn't found a pair. At this point I was late for work on a bus with nothing to show for it. As I sat there convincing myself that it's better that I save the money, my friend sends me a picture of the a pair of the IVs in his car. I asked him where he got a them from and then he sent me another picture with another pair of the shoes. He had found two last pairs at a small sneaker boutique, one my size and one in his size. By the time I found out that I owned a pair I was walking into to work. I had such a big smile on my face that my coworkers were convinced I had "gotten lucky" the night before, I told them it happened that morning....
Nike Air Max 90/360 One Time Only
Name: Jason Markk
Twitter/Instagram: @jason_markk
Sneaker: Nike Air Max 90/360 One Time Only
Year: 2006
Part of the birth of the Jason Markk brand started in a sneaker line. It was 2006, a friend and I were in line at Blends L.A. to cop the Nike Air Max 360 Footpatrol. I already had been thinking about creating a sneaker cleaner, but it was super early on. I started choppin' it up with other people in line about what they use to clean their kicks. The feedback I got from dudes in line that day really assured me that I was making the right decision in starting JM...not to mention, I got mine that day!
Alife x Reebok Court Victory Pump
Name: Barbara Torasso
Twitter/Instagram: @BT_barby
Sneaker: Alife x Reebok Court Victory Pump
Year: 2008
In 2008 I was traveling from Italy (where I was Reebok Marketing Manager) to NYC with Danilo Gallinari (who was just drafted by the Knicks) and I HAD to stop at Alife on Rivington to buy a pair of the Reebok Pump collab, Alife X Reebok Court Victory Pump black/neon. It was impossible to find it in Europe even for a marketing manager of Reebok!
I bought mine for $250 and that's how I met one of my best friends in NYC, Chris Vidal, at the time store manager at Alife, who was shocked that I was from Reebok and buying Reeboks from him. Sounds so naïf but it's a very true story! Long story short: also people in the industry spend money for sneakers. Sometimes.
Nike Dunk High SB "De La Soul"
Name: Anthony Cao
Twitter/Instagram: @thefoodgees
Sneaker: Nike Dunk High SB "De La Soul"
Year: 2005
Being the nice guy that I am, I let a girl standing behind me in line take the sneakers I was waiting for. I settled for a different shoe that wasn't even my size. No name, number or contact was ever exchanged during the line up. I have no game whatsoever :( I thought I was never going to see the girl again.
Little did I know, we had mutual friends and met during a fire drill at Cal State Fullerton in a sea of 20,000 people. Yes, they do have fire drills in college. This time however; name, number and contact was exchanged at this time. Took her out for Valentines Day that February and am still with her nearly eight years later.
adidas The Kobe Two
Name: Quintin Williams
Twitter/Instagram: @Q_Designs
Sneaker: adidas The Kobe Two
Year: 2001
I was in middle school, 7th grade and at the time Kobe Bryant was my favorite player...I even had the afro to match! Being a Michael Jordan fan since childhood, Kobe Bryant to me was the closest modern day player to MJ. So of course I wanted to play and be like him.
I always loved his first signature shoe he had with adidas, so once the Kobe Two dropped I had to have it! If you can remember, people either really loved and hated those shoes. I remember some of my classmates calling them "moon boots," "space-booties," or straight up "ugly." Personally I loved them because design-wise they were so sleek and futuristic, which I respected because they pushed the envelope and got people talking!
So once they dropped, I begged my mom to buy them for me which she said she would. I was excited to run back to tell everybody that I'm coping the new Kobes and I'll have them on my feet by the end of the week! One week went by. Two weeks went by. And then three weeks went by. And people started to call my bluff like I was telling a story...but I kept saying, "Just wait! I'll have 'em soon!".
One day after school, my mom calls me and tells me she's in Foot Locker to buy the Kobes. She asks me what color I wanted (I wanted the all-black versions, but they only had the white/grey). I was SUPER excited! FINALLY I'd be rocking those shoes to school and proving everyone wrong!
She gets home and I'm asking her where are the shoes??! She didn't buy them! She said they were too ugly!! I was so heated! I couldn't believe she didn't buy them and was literally holding them in her hands! Long story short...about a week later I convinced her enough that she went back and bought them for me.
Needless to say, I was one of the VERY few in my entire school to rock the Kobe Twos. Call them weird if you want, but at least you're talking about them!
Air Jordan XVII (White/Red)
Name: Joe La Puma
Twitter/Instagram: @JLaPuma
Sneaker: Air Jordan XVII (White/Red)
Year: 2002
I remember when these dropped I was working at the Finish Line at my local mall. I was in a jam because I owed my parents $700 from a crazy phone bill I ran up when I was long-distance texting a girl, and didn't have an unlimited text plan. My parents were super tight, and I promised to pay them back. I was giving them cash every two weeks, and was up to $400 in the stash when these dropped. I needed them on release day—at the time I was buying every Jordan that was coming out, and I knew I still owed them $300 to pay the phone bill in full. My mom was keeping the cash I was saving up in a cabinet in the kitchen, so when these released I took $200 from the stack to pay for these. She found out and went f'ing crazy, and said I better not come home with new sneakers. I stayed at a friend's house that night, and things blew over the next day. I eventually paid them back, and had the sneakers on release day. Win/win.
Air Zoom Generation
Name: Brett Golliff
Twitter/Instagram: @bgolliff @bgolliff
Sneaker: Air Zoom Generation
Year: 2006
In 2006, I was junior in college and hustling very hard on my various design projects. One afternoon I decided to take a lunch break with my core group of friends. When I say break I mean the whole afternoon as we decided to "treat" ourselves and go to the suburbs to Texas Roadhouse. There really weren't too many great affordable places in downtown Detroit at that point. So we went and ate and all that but there was a small franchise sporting goods store over there called Dunhams. I have no idea if this is a national chain because I have only seen them in Michigan. But regradless I always like checking places like that for the hope of coming up on something great. Often times these stores get great general releases and everyone forgets about them.
So I went in there and was looking at the release wall and didn't see anything so I made my way over to the my size, 10.5/11, in the clearence area. To my surprise I found what looked to be like a Zoom Generation. But I skipped past it. It is 2006, why would they have that shoe three years later? I keep looking and see another pair that looks similar. I am only seeing the toes of these shoes at this point because they are packed in there. So this time I pull them out and sure as hell they are the White/Black/Red Air Zoom Generation in a size 10.5. Dead-flipping-stock. So I go back to the other pair I thought I saw, same thing just a size 11. I was flipping out. There was no box but I could care less.
Best part of the whole thing? $35 apiece! I bought both! I have destroyed one pair and the other pair is still sitting unworn in my basement right now. The funny thing is that I could give a damn about LeBron. I just thought it was a great shoe, so I had to have it.
Flu Game 12
Name: Tim Meredith
Twitter/Instagram: @Mrthe_parmesan_don
Sneaker: Air Jordan 12 "Flu Game"
Year: 2012
I'd have to say the craziest sneaker pickup I've ever had is buying a pair of kid's size 10.5 Jordan XII Flu Games off eBay.
When I was younger I only had one pair of Jordans and they were Jordan XII Flu Games, I was in love, I played in a little YMCA rec basketball league and the shoes actually were stolen one day from my locker. I was heartbroken and never forgot it.
So I decided last summer that it was finally time to get those same sneakers again, but in the size I wear today. This thought was of course before I checked prices on eBay and Flight Club. I was not going to put down anything close to $250 on a pair of shoes. So I decided to do something even better and way less expensive. I bought a pair of kid's size 10.5 Jordan XII Flu Games off of eBay so that when I have a son way down the line I can give him the same shoes I had when I started off playing, crazy corny right? Now, whether or not if he's gonna like them is a whole different story.
Defining Moments Pack
Name: Andre Collins-Riddle
Twitter/Instagram: @Mr_SpotLite_10 @Mr_SpotLite_10
Sneaker: Air Jordan Defining Moments Pack
Year: 2006
On January 27, 2006, I got a call from a good of mine, insisting that I come with him to grab this Jordan package the next day. This may not be the craziest release, but the Defining Moments Package is definitely my most memorable. All my years collecting, I never camped out; I either got hooked up and never had to wait in line, or I found steals online.
We drove to Detroit from Lansing (about an hour), and got there about 3:30 a.m.. We parked and headed to the mass of people lined up around the doors. We spent about an hour talking with people, I listened to them share stories about other releases, things that made them buy Jordans, what their favorites were, etc. Security cleared the building, pulling people out who spent the night hiding in bathroom stalls, then made everyone go back to their cars. We all had to stay in cars until the doors opened up.
At 7 a.m., the doors opened up, and all hell broke loose. People took off running in every direction. I followed Sed (my friend) straight to Footaction, which didn't open until 8, where we secured the 2nd and 3rd spots in line. Every minute in that hour was filled with the anticipation of being closer to having that coveted golden box. When that gate opened up, and they called us in, I couldn't hold back my smile. Paying for them was a blur, but I can remember sitting outside the store, looking at a hundred people lined up still hoping, and pulling mine out of the box for the first time. A kid at Christmas is an understatement. As much as the shoes mean to me, that whole night and experience was/is just as valuable.
I have been offered as much as $1,500 for that gold box, but the money means nothing to me. It was my first campout. My first taste of success. My first REAL look into the life of a collector, and I've been hooked ever since. That, to me, is what the shoe game IS/and should be about.
Air Jordan V
Name: Drew Little
Twitter/Instagram: @drizzygotem
Sneaker: Air Jordan V
Year: 2006
My craziest sneaker pick-up can't be classified under the normal instances of waiting in line for hours and experiencing a near death situation to pick up a pair of LeBrons; mine was a little different. Back in high school, I would go thrifting after school at little spots near my house. I always check out the shoe section of the store just in case they may have some gems. I usually have no luck with the shoes just because it's a thrift store, the only shoes you're bound to find are the joints with the velcro straps for the old timers. However, on this particular day I found a pair of '06 Metallic Vs (lace locks equipped too) at my local Goodwill. I couldn't believe it when I saw them so I rushed over and grabbed them just in case any other sneakerheads happened to be in the vicinity. The shoes were well on their way to being beaters and they were a half-size too small for me but I copped anyway; plus they were only like $25 so it was a crazy steal. I also made sure to check the size tag to make sure they weren't fakes or else it would have been an obvious pass. I wore them for a couple of months before giving them to a friend of mine as sort of a going-away-to-college gift. Since then, I've picked up a pair in my size (OG everything) and they're always in my rotation.
Nike Air Force 1 "Booba"
Name: Afrokix
Twitter/Instagram: @afrokix
Sneaker: NIke Air Force 1 "Booba"
Year: 2008
I'm an AF-1 fanatic and when I saw Booba was making an AF-1 collabo with the Senegalese Flag on it ,I damn near lost it. Just like Booba, I'm half Senegalese, and I've been following Booba since the beginning of his career when he was part of a crew named Lunatic. Their first album changed the game in the French-speaking hip hop world (which is way bigger than you might think: France, Belgium, Canada, Haiti, The French Caribbean, The French Polynesian Islands, North, West and Central Africa...) As a buyer for a chain of four stores here in Los Angeles, I've got relationships with a few Nike employees, so I hit up the Nike West Managers of Sales at their corporate office here and told him I really needed a pair. He told me he'll try his best to make it happen... Months goes by, the shoe releases and I unfortunately was not able to put my hand on a pair. Another month or two pass by and I have a sales meeting at the Nike West corporate office, and the Manager of Sales surprised me with a pair of Booba AF-1 and told me the whole story of why it took so long. So the story behind the Boobas is: 250 pairs made, 176 pairs released at his store in Paris, 24 pairs in NY (that nobody saw by the way) then another 50 pairs given away to friends, family, celebrities, and influencers. So my friend had put in a request for me to get one of those promo pairs, but his friend overseas completely forgot and felt real bad about it. Felt so bad in fact, that he ran the machines one more time to make just one pair, so I ended up with #251/250
Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Slam City Skates"
Name: Aaron Nojima
Twitter/Instagram: @airon0828
Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Slam City Skates"
Year: 2005
Way back in 2005 we were walking around downtown Sacramento checking out shops and stuff. We happened to stop by a now-defunct skateshop called Flatpsot to see what they had. They didn't have a Nike SB account so it was a surprise to spot a pair of the euro-exclusive Slam City Dunk Lows. Excited we checked them out to make sure they were real and asked about them. The owner said they just had that one pair, a size 8.5. The reason they had it was that a friend of the shop gave it to them because he didn't want them. That friend happened to be then amateur skater Omar Salazar who got them in one of his Nike SB shipments. So luckily I fit size 9 and squeezed my foot in to make sure I could enjoy them and bought the shoes for retail. Still have them to this day, they are still a tad too small, but it's a pair I'll never sell.
Air Jordan 1 "Banned"
Name: Wells P.
Twitter/Instagram: @wells_p
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "Banned"
Year: 2012
Hands down the Air Jordan 1 "Banned." I was heading up to Portland for a wedding and was staying with a friend who worked at one of the factory stores in the area. I had to drop in to pick up the keys to her apartment. Right when I walk in she says, "We got these shoes outta nowhere, do you want a pair? I have no idea what they are." I had heard briefly about the Banned 1, and decided to pick them up. I bought four of them at $90 a pair and kept two and gave two away as gifts to friends. Talk about a come up! The rest is history on how crazy people went for that shoe.