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After over a decade of sneaker collecting, I often ponder if I’m involved in a legitimate hobby or if I just have a spending problem. Here, I attempt to analyze this thought a bit further.
Sneaker Collecting As A Hobby
Yes, sneaker collecting is a legitimate hobby. Technically, a hobby is an activity done regularly for pleasure in one’s leisure time. This can include researching, buying and discussing one’s collection of sneakers.
The first sneaker I ever collected!
I’d say collecting kicks is indeed a real hobby. I’ve been participating for 10+ years!
While it’s true that sneaker collecting implies purchasing things, it doesn’t guarantee that someone that does this is a shopaholic. A collection is just a group of things or people. This could mean 2 or 200. You don’t need to buy dozens of sneakers to have a “collection”.
Unless you resell sneakers, you likely are buying and collecting sneakers for your own enjoyment. If you do this with some regularity, the timing of which can be defined any way you choose, you are technically engaging in a legitimate hobby.
It Is Okay To Collect Sneakers
It is definitely ok to collect sneakers. If you have the means, interest and time, and enjoy sneakers, you should have no problem collecting.
Many times as a collector, I question whether I just have a spending problem, or if all of the sneaker purchases actually mean something deeper. To an outsider, collectors may seem crazy or like they “have a problem”. After all, isn’t a collection just hoarding?
While the case could be made that hoarding sneakers is unhealthy, I believe the term “hoarding” has a negative stigma due to TV shows like “Hoarders”. When I think about hoarding, I imagine a chaotic, disorganized home full of piles of what most would consider trash. By contrast, sneaker collectors often stack, shelve, categorize and keep track of all their sneakers. A collection implies specificity and organization, which is the opposite of what is seen on shows like Hoarders.
My point here is that as long as your bills are paid and you can afford to survive, any “extra” money you may want to put towards your hobby is your prerogative. If you enjoy collecting, don’t let anyone (including yourself) make you feel like this is something abnormal.
Why People Like Collecting Sneakers
Sneaker collectors get into collecting for any number of reasons. Nostalgia, love of sneaker design, community, interest and even “clout” are all drivers behind the hobby.
People collect all sorts of things. Stamps, comic books and trading cards are some of the most well known, but sneakers isn’t far behind these days. Often times sneakerheads begin their journey either trying to “fit in” (i.e. for clout) or because of nostalgia (“I had these when they came out back in the day”). In my opinion, the things that pull us into collecting kicks are not always the same things that keep us in it. If you make learning and researching about kicks a habit, and you enjoy it, it tends to stick with you.
Sneaker lore is so deep that many find themselves getting sucked further and further into the hobby as they continue on. Whatever the initial reasons for collecting, I think the community and interest in the actual shoes themselves keeps the train moving along.
Nostalgia can still hit as old sneakers retro, but keeping on top of new releases adds freshness to the hobby. If you start researching sneakers, both current and previous releases, the amount of depth to the sneaker game can draw you in. There’s always something new coming out as well as something to learn about the kicks of the past.
Not only that, there are plenty of people out there online to talk to about kicks. If you are seeking to meet people or just bond with those that have similar interest, sneaker collecting is definitely a gateway to that. Many enjoy the camaraderie of those in a similar interest.
Collecting Sneakers – A Good Investment?
Sneakers can pay off as an investment. In the short term, hyped up releases often sell for much more than their retail price. In the long term, less hyped releases can appreciate in value as their rarity increases.
I bought these for retail and
now, they are definitely worth more!
Buy: eBay
Those that get into sneakers to turn a profit may fall into the reseller category. However, collectors that may not be into reselling many times find that pairs they bought are suddenly valuable in the aftermarket. Just like stamps, comics or trading cards, sneakers often go up in value over time. I’ve often stressed that just going after hype releases is not the only way to have a valuable collection.
As to whether sneakers are a “good investment”, this is subjective. It is true you can make money on a collection in both the long and short term. However, the tradeoff in time and effort to acquire and store the sneakers might put off some. Also, thinking about your collection in this way may make things too “money-centric” which can be a turn-off to some.
For the record, I am not a financial expert and the opinions on this site are my own. I think if you want to make good investments, there are many “normal” opportunities available. Index funds, retirement accounts, real estate and business investing are all standard places to grow your money long term.
Still, if one applies the “buy and hold” strategy to many sneakers, including those that resellers view as “bricks”, some of those pairs can appreciate in value. Of course, if you hit on a hype sneaker for retail and then resell it, you can make an immediate profit. However, investments in my head involve some sort of long term plan, and those of us with older collections may be surprised at what our stacks are valued at these days!
What Shoes Are Worth Collecting
The sneakers you enjoy owning and wearing are the best to add to your collection. From a value perspective, limited sneakers and collaborations add a degree of value, rarity and uniqueness to each collection.
(review)
Many don’t collect Saucony, but
they are worth it to me!
Buy: eBay
If we’re talking worth as in monetary value, then of course hyped and limited releases make good immediate purchases. Long term worth could be any sneaker that released that people desire more as availability dries up.
In my mind though, “worth” goes a bit deeper. The shoes that are worth collecting are the ones you truly like. This way, regardless of the value of the sneakers, you are happy with what is in your box stacks.
Certain categories of kicks do seem to be more “sneaker collector type” shoes. Some classics from Nike include Air Force 1s, Air Jordans, Nike Dunks, Air Max 1s, 90s and 95s. Other brands such as adidas, New Balance, Asics, Puma and Saucony all bring certain models to the table that tend to fare better with sneaker collectors.
So, not every shoe is necessarily a “sneakerhead” shoe. However, if you really like a sneaker, it is going to be worth it to collect it regardless if it gets props from other collectors. At the end of the day, this hobby is highly personalized, and as long as you are into the sneakers you are researching and buying, you can continue on this way for as long as you like!