According to a recent report, the total number of sneakerheads in the U.S. has increased by almost 20% in the last year. Sneakerheads are those people who are willing to pay at least $100 for sneakers, though they often spend a lot more money on them than that.
Are you someone who has always dreamed about becoming a sneakerhead? If so, you’re going to need to buy sneakers and start creating your own sneaker collection to do it.
But you can’t buy just any old sneakers and consider yourself a sneakerhead. You’ll need to purchase only the best sneakers and take your time while collecting sneakers in the years to come. You’ll also need to work some classic sneakers into the mix to prove your legitimacy.
Would you like to begin to buy shoes and put together a sick sneaker collection? Here are the steps you’ll need to take to do it.
Know Your History
Have you always loved sneakers and spent time doing your research on them? If you have, you might be able to skip this step. You’ll already know so much about the history of sneakers.
If, however, you aren’t someone who has loved sneakers for a long time, you might not know much at all about sneaker history. In this case, you’ll want to spend time reading up on it.
It should be simple enough to do it seeing as how there have been more than a few great books written about the history of sneakers. Pick at least one or two of them up today and get to reading them.
Fall in Love With the Classics
Throughout the course of history, there have been some classic sneakers that have left their mark on the sneaker industry. We’re talking about sneakers like the Nike Air Force 1, the Adidas Superstar, and, of course, Converse Chuck Taylors.
You don’t necessarily need to buy every pair of classic sneakers ever released. But you should pick out at least a few of them that you like and use them to build a foundation for your sneaker collection.
You’re going to look like a fake sneaker collector if every pair of sneakers you own was just released this year. You’ll be better off starting your collection with some of the classics.
Pick a Specific Lane
Unless you have an unlimited amount of money to spend every year, you won’t be able to purchase every new pair of sneakers that gets released. It’ll be impossible for you to do this.
So instead of even trying, you should keep an eye on the best sneakers set to come out and decide which ones you want. It’ll help you hone in on the sneakers you’d like to buy.
If, for example, you’re an Air Jordan person, you can keep tabs on every AJ sneaker that is released. If you love Kanye West’s Yeezys, you’ll be able to stay up on every Yeezy 350 for sale.
You’re more than welcome to veer out of your lane from time to time. But you should try to choose a lane so that you’re able to develop an identity as a sneaker collector.
Know Where to Find Deals
In theory, it should be easier than ever before for people to purchase sneakers these days. But this isn’t always the case.
Sneaker stores and even sneaker websites tend to sell out of new sneakers within minutes in many cases. It can make it challenging for you to find the sneakers you want to buy for a decent price.
You’ll need to know where to look around for the sneakers that you want to buy. You should be able to find at least a few under-the-radar websites that sell sneakers that you’re interested in adding to your sneaker collection.
Spend Your Money Wisely
Earlier, we mentioned that sneakerheads are often defined as those who spend more than $100 on their sneakers. But we should point out that $100 is actually a low price to pay for most modern-day sneakers.
It isn’t uncommon for some sneakerheads to spend more than $500 or even $1,000 for a single pair of sneakers. You’ll need to learn to budget your money accordingly.
Set aside a certain amount of money that you want to spend on sneakers each month and use it wisely. It’ll ensure you don’t ever run out of money and miss out on the opportunity to buy a sneaker that you’d really like to add to your sneaker collection.
Create a Storage System
Storing your sneakers properly will be of the utmost importance if you’re going to start a sneaker collection. You’ll need to devote a closet in your house or maybe even an entire spare bedroom to your collection.
You should keep all your sneakers in their original boxes and possibly even put them into plastic bins to protect them from moisture, humidity, and other things that could ruin them. You might want to label all your sneakers as well so that you know which sneakers are which and when you bought them.
Show Off Your Sneakers
When you start purchasing pricey sneakers, you may be tempted to keep them locked away in storage all the time. But what’s the fun in that?!
If you’re going to spend your hard-earned money on your sneaker collection, it would be silly for you to not wear any of your favorite kicks. Get yourself into the habit of wearing at least some of your sneakers on a regular basis.
Get Your Sneaker Collection Off the Ground
If you’re just starting a sneaker collection in 2023, you’re going to be way behind some of the people who have been doing it for years and even decades now. But you shouldn’t let that ruin your experience.
Collecting sneakers can be a lot of fun, and you’ll get to see this first-hand when you begin building the perfect sneaker collection. You’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner once you see how enjoyable it can be.
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