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When a holiday or someone’s birthday comes around, it can be tough to figure out what to get that special someone besides an expensive pair of kicks! Here’s 5 gifts to get sneakerheads that are sure to be appreciated!

For the following sneakerhead gift guide, I tried to pick things that currently are eligible for Amazon Prime, so that hopefully you can get these in time for the holiday. You can get any of these as birthday gifts, father’s or mother’s day gifts, gifts for the holidays, etc. Sneaker collectors will accept these on any occasion!

So… What Gifts To Get Sneakerheads?

For sneaker gifts that aren’t sneakers, try:

• New laces
• Shoe widener
• Sneaker storage racks and/or containers
• Shoe trees
• Sneaker cleaning products
• Shoe Bags

I find I prefer if the non-collectors in my life leave the collecting to me. I’ll buy my own expensive sneakers, thanks! However, there are often accessories and incidental items that are needed by sneaker addicts. These items make great gifts as they are not always things a sneakerhead looks forward to buying for themselves.

New Laces

Many sneaker collectors like to swap out the included laces on a sneaker to something different or unique. Grabbing them some new laces can make a for a great and inexpensive gift.

Estimated cost: $5-10

There are so many laces available to purchase online that even narrowing it down to the selection on Amazon is overwhelming (check out all their lace options here). For the purposes of this guide, I’m going to zone in on some replacement “SB” style laces for your favorite Dunk and SB Dunk fans.

A well-known brand that does specialty laces including SB laces is Fully Laced. These guys have been around since I started collecting over a decade ago! They have a wide variety of the “fat oval” style lace in addition to a bunch of other cool custom lace options. You can shop their selection on Amazon here.

Keep in mind the shape of these laces is not an exact 1:1 of most included SB laces. Fully Laced laces actually feel a bit fatter to me than the standard SB lace directly from Nike. Still, if you know a sneaker collector that is into Nike SB’s (or even regular dunks) and likes this style lace, you have plenty of low cost options available as gifts. Better yet, Fully Laced is a vendor on Amazon, so you can rest assured you are getting them straight from the source.

Shoe Stretcher

A shoe widener or shoe stretcher is a great gift for a sneaker collector struggling with breaking in their sneakers.

Estimated cost: $20-50

While this may not be the sexiest gift out there, it is plenty functional. As collectors, we’re often trying out new models where we aren’t quite sure of the size. Additionally, some models are just naturally stiff right out of the box and require lots of break in. In either case, a shoe stretcher can help.

Some versions of this tool come in dustbags or look fancier than others, which is something to keep in mind when choosing a gift. You can actually get shoe wideners that are packaged in a bit more presentable fashion or you can get something more bare bones. Either one will be appreciated by the sneaker fanatic in your life. Check out the shoe stretchers on Amazon here.

Shoe Storage

Sneaker collectors with larger collections need organization for their pairs. Storage racks and drop front boxes both make great options as gifts for sneakerheads.

Estimated cost: $40-200

I’ve used metal storage racks for a very long time with my collection. It definitely keeps things together and helps me with organization. Piles of sneakers with no racks is going to equate to crushed boxes and the sneaker room looking like an episode of Hoarders! You can grab the exact racks I use on Amazon here, or shop all the available racks on Amazon here.

If a rack seems like too big of an item, or your collector friend already has racks for their kicks, you can look at other storage gifts such as drop front boxes. For a while, these shoe boxes were all the rage as they help to display sneakers as well as keep them nice and stacked. They still make for a cool present today! There are many options for these on Amazon, and they make for a smaller sized gift (and less of a commitment) for your favorite sneakerhead for the holidays or any other occasion.

Shoe Trees

For the sneaker collector that wants to maintain the shape of their sneakers, particularly runners, shoe trees can make for a great gift.

Estimated cost: $10-20

While I use the plain shoe trees, there are much fancier options available as gifts. Some are made out of wood and leave sneakers dry, smelling good and holding their shape. Some come with dustbags and other fancy packaging. Check out some of the shoe trees available on Amazon.

If one fancy pair of shoe trees seems like too little, or you are shopping for someone with a large collection, consider getting a bundle of the less expensive trees instead. Some of the spring-loaded plastic pairs come in packs of 6 or more!

Be aware that shoe trees can alter the shape of sneakers over the long run and can damage pairs if left in too long. You may want to get these for the sneaker collector that actually wears all their kicks, i.e. someone less likely to leave the trees in for long enough to damage any one pair.

Sneaker Cleaner

Most sneaker collectors keep some cleaning tools and solutions on hand, but these are finite resources. Sneakerheads can always use more!

Estimated cost: $10-20

Most sneaker collectors like to keep their pairs as clean as possible. Thus, many often buy cleaners, protectants and kits for cleaning their shoes. While I don’t use cleaners often, I do like to keep a suede brush and eraser handy for touching up my suede sneakers before and after wearing them.

Certain brands like Jason Markk sell nice looking kits (here’s one on Amazon) that might make for a fancier gift than just the standard white brush and eraser combo. Either way though, a sneakerhead is going to know how to put them to use. Even if they have something like this on hand already, the brushes get grimy and the erasers get used up, so they can always use more. Some of the sets are relatively inexpensive too; check out what’s available on Amazon here.

Shoe Bags

Dustbags and sneaker duffel bags make great gifts for the sneaker collector on the go! Even for those that don’t collect, a sneaker bag has many uses for travelers and/or storage.

Estimated cost: $10-60

Sneaker / Shoe Bags can be great for the sneaker collector that either travels frequently, or just needs a place to put kicks that they don’t have a box for. There are a couple of types of shoe bags. For more details on both, check out my full article on sneaker bags.

Dustbags are a little smaller and make great combination gifts. For example, a shoe dustbag with a cleaning kit is a great combo for keeping sneakers dust-free and clean. Check out some sneaker dustbags on Amazon.

Sneaker duffel bags are more impressive, with a variety of sizes and colors. There are many sneaker duffel bags available on Amazon.  If you want one big, stunning gift, consider a shoe duffel bag. Even if the person doesn’t travel with sneakers often, a nice, padded, multichambered bag will still have its uses for either travel or storage. It is likely whoever you are buying a gift for will not be expecting a big, impressive travel bag for their kicks!

Silica Packets

Silica Packets might seem like an unimpressive stand alone gift, but are a good add-on gift to help pad out other presents. Some sneakerheads need help keeping pairs dry but might not take the extra step to buy a desiccant on their own.

Estimated cost: $10

If I opened up a present and it was silica packets inside… I would be appreciative. They are incredibly useful and for someone like me with issues keeping areas of my collection 100% dry, they would get use. Check out some of the silica packets available on Amazon.

Still, they might seem a bit small and unattractive as a present, so I recommend packing in a package of these useful items with another gift from this list. That way there’s an inexpensive bonus present that helps pad out whatever else you got them already. Keep in mind these are more useful for someone with issues with dampness in the area they keep their sneaker collection. Be sure to let your favorite sneakerhead know not to overdo it with these as shoes can become overly dried out over time if not careful.

Choosing the right sneaker for a gift can be a daunting task, especially for someone else. Take some of the pressure off and gift your favorite sneaker collector a needed non-sneaker item instead!