Special thanks to Devolution for the Banner!
WTF is a Sneaker Head?
A sneakerhead is a person who is highly experienced visually even to the point of discernment in distinguishing between real and fake replicas and also owns multiple pairs of sneakers as a form of Hobby, collection, Trade and fashion. It is a hobby often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for sports, such as basketball and or other sports. The birth of sneakerhead culture in the United States came in the 1980s and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the Hip-Hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols. The sneakerhead culture has emerged in European nations such as the Czech Republic in the last decade.
Where to buy?
FootLocker.com
The basic sneaker store its in (Just about) every mall and has good selection no matter were you go and good price ranges. FootLocker is a great starting point and it has a wide variety.
FlightClubNY.com
FlightClubLA.com
These are where you find the dopest sneakers. The Jordans, The Foamposites, The Air Yeezys, etc. Sometimes they have a good sale or two but sometimes the mark up the prices because the sneakers start to get so hard to find. Still they have great selection for those sneakers that you missed out on.
NikeiD.com
Adidas.com
Reebok.com
Converse.com
These sites are great because you can take some of your favorite sneakers and make it your own. You can customize the color , material and all that good stuff.
Top Sites For Sneaker Heads.
NiceKicks.com
Niketalk.com
Modern-notoriety.com
Kicksonfire.com
SneakerNews.com
twitter.com/Jumpman23
twitter.com/footlocker
twitter.com/finishline
SoleCollector.com
23isback.com
How To Keep Your Kicks Clean
You can go old school and use a toothbrush and soap and it will get little scuffs out easily.
1. Create a mixture of water and a neutral cleaner. Dishwashing detergent or shampoo works well.
2. Remove the laces.
3. Grab a soft-tipped brush. Dip it into your cleaning mixture and scrub it over all parts of the shoes.
4. Remove any scuff marks with a nylon scrub pad. For alternatives, a toothbrush or sponge works well too.
5. Rinse the shoes inside and out once more. This way, you will be sure if you got all of the dirt and grime off.
6. Stuff the shoes with paper and allow them to dry overnight. This will help them to absorb excess water and keep their normal shape. Do not use newspaper or magazine pictures because the ink will run into the shoes.
7. Wash the laces in a load of laundry.
Suede Shoes
1. Brush out any dirt. Use a suede cleaning brush to gently brush everything off. Make sure to brush in the same direction and do not go back and forth. For stubborn dirt marks that won't go away with a brush, try using a pencil eraser.
2. Remove scuff marks. The suede brush can now be used in a back and forth motion to removed scuffed areas.
3. Remove water stains. To remove the water that can affect discolored suede, apply a light coat of water with a nail brush. Use a sponge or dry cloth to soak up excess water and then let the shoes dry overnight.
I want to contribute some other good sneaker cleaning methods. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are incredible for spot cleans and touch ups in between full cleans.
Then for a full clean I recommend this:
20$ with shipping and totally worth it. Works on all surfaces too, including suede(use a toothbrush instead of the firm brush they provide you)
Watch out for Fakes
If you live in a city or shop online its easy to come across fakes. You must watch out for fakes, because the market for fakes is at a all time high.
1. Always check the inner tag in shoe that shows the size. Many times the tag has the wrong production year and the font style is off from an authentic tag.
2. Always look at the tag on the box. On most FAKES the box tag will be too big or labeled in the wrong place.
3. Check the original box, most FAKES boxes will be very thin and have lots of damage.
You can find more here:http://theshoegame.com/How-to-tell-if-sneakers-are-fake-.html
What are your thoughts?
- favorite shoes/player lines?
- thoughts on the current direction of the shoe game?
- price rises vs declining material quality?
Even if you just casually buy sneakers or thinking about buying a pair stay and say whats up!
Sneaker GAF Buy/Sell/Trade
Special Thanks!
Black Flames
Rastafarian42
DominoKid
Devolution
Face it Tiger..
Dreams-Visions
Spring-Loaded
captmcblack
Jackben
