Sneaker Seekers

Drew Raine, Ryan Melinn and Shawn Day meet weekly at Premier Skateboarding in downtown Grand Rapids to share the latest gossip and world news in what is their obsession and vice: sneakers elevated to the level of art.

They are sneakerheads - the serious collectors. These devotees feel fresh wearing a pair of rare turquoise and black Nike “Tiffany” Dunks. They go out in confidence when their $250 patent leather Bapestas match their jacket. Sneakerheads live for the next release day, poring over magazines like Sneaker Freaker and websites like Hypebeast.  They need two closets: one for shoes and one for everything else.

And for these three devotees, the Avenue for the Arts is the local mecca for fashion-forward, sneaker-loving Grand Rapidians.  The four-block stretch of Division is home to three sneaker and street wear shops: Premier, Reynolds & Sons, and All City Kicks. Together they display scores of brightly colored and boldly patterned sneakers.  It’s a wonderland for those wanting a shoe to set them apart.

Rare Kicks
“A lot of people out here think a lot of this stuff is weird," says Melinn, a 29-year-old machinist. "The bright colors, the patterns, the materials. I don’t know how else to explain it, other than I say a lot people in Grand Rapids are squares.”

Being in this exclusive minority, it’s a good thing Melinn, Day and Raine found each other.   Release dates, the newest colorways (what sneakerheads call color variations), hot designers and unforgettable classics are all on the table for weekly discussion at Premier.  For their non-stop banter, the store's co-owner Josh Higginson has labeled them “The Barbershop,” and he is happy to host them. Together they possess deep knowledge and towering stacks of rare kicks.

And Premier is a fitting church for their devotion: one wall is lit brightly and covered virtually floor to ceiling in the newest Nikes, Vans, Supras, Adidas and Converse cleanly displayed in profile.  Bold street wear shirts and hoodies adorn the racks and designer vinyl toys fill the cases. 

On a recent Saturday, Melinn and Raine brought the cream of their collections to Premier, where Raine works as assistant manager.  Hundreds of hours of research, thousands of dollars and years of dedication were arranged on the concrete floor: Ice Creams, Bapestas, New Balance, Adidas, Vans, and Nike in colors and styles sought after by those in the know.

A sneakerhead himself, Premier co-owner Josh Higginson is impressed at the array of sneakers on his floor.  “Damn, I didn’t know you had this much heat!” he tells the group.

Acquired Tastes
Raine, a 19-year-old junior at Grand Valley State University, is partial to Japanese designer Nigo, who runs the Bape brand of Bapesta shoes that often feature bold candy-colored patent leather and are highly prized by collectors. Sold by a mere handful of shops in the U.S., Bape shoes are so difficult to come by that many sneakers bearing the brand are actually fakes. Melinn avoided that problem: his Bapestas came straight from Japan.

He holds up a pair of limited Air Force Ones designed by Ed Banger Records owner and Daft Punk manager Busy P.  The sides of the sole are covered in vibrant rainbow fabric and the black leather looks like it was drawn and written on in white pen.  They are shoes seldom seen on Grand Rapids streets. 

When the conversation turns to collecting in Grand Rapids, Day chimes in that afficiandos have free reign “‘cause everyone’s sleeping on stuff.” It is not always true, however.  Melinn explains that “there have been a couple of times like the Dooms (MF Doom Dunks) and the Free Rods (Paul Rodriguez skate shoe hybridized with a running sole) where there was a line out the door at Premier.” 

What turns a simple sneaker fan into an all-consumed sneakerhead?  Often one shoe hooked him or her and never lets go.  For 34-year-old Day, it was the first Air Jordan.  “I was 11 years old. They weren’t released  'til Saturday but I got ‘em on Friday ‘cause I was buggin’ the sales people.  We were 11 and 9 year old boys coming up always asking about the Jordan 1’s, holding up the magazine and asking: ‘When are these coming in?”

That same Air Jordan began the current sneaker craze: lines out the door, eager anticipation, $100 plus price tags.  Things are even crazier 25 years later. There are crowds for hundreds of limited releases every year, but now you would be lucky to get that hot pair for $100.

The undisputed king of the limited edition sneaker world is Nike, and its most collected shoe is the Dunk and the Dunk SB (or Skateboarding) variation.  In many ways, those shoes outline the path to collectors' hearts and wallets.  It is a well-designed, classic shoe invigorated with hundreds of unique colorways.  Nike teams up with designers, streetwear artists, well-respected athletes and musicians for exciting limited editions.  Their strategy has created a blockbuster product and many imitators.

Raine was born years after the original Dunk disappeared, but reissues put the collecting bug in him. “The LA Laker Dunks -- man, they came out in 2000," he says. "It was the first shoe I had that I bought with my own money. And I was the first kid in my school flexin’ Dunks. I still have those shoes today, pristine condition.”  These are not his most valuable pair by a long shot, but he considers them among his favorites.  With $80 down on some purple and yellow Nikes, he was hooked for life.

In the Hunt
Getting started as a collector is not cheap, especially if you miss a shoe the first time around.  Suggested retail for most brand new sneakers range from about $49 to $250, but shops will mark up in demand releases as much as an additional $200. Those marked up shoes can fetch hundreds more the same day on the auction site eBay. 

In the past few years, this has meant tense moments in long lines where not everyone walks home happy. “The Bred 23 (black and red colorway Jordan) at House Hoops (in Chicago) was like that, where people were fighting a little bit," Day says. "Shoving matches and stuff like that.” Melinn breaks down the numbers. “That shoe went for easy $1,200 to $1,300 on eBay.  That’s a $200 shoe -- so how can you not turn a profit?  I mean that’s unheard of.” 

Even if certain releases seem futile, the hunt is a big part of the allure for Day, Melinn and Raine.  They follow new releases like Hawks and travel at a moment’s notice to Detroit or Chicago the day a hot new shoe drops.

And they scout online shops hoping their mouse clicks are fast enough to strike gold.  It’s a tough game that has as much disappointment as success.  Hoping to score a pair of super limited Air Jordans designed by 16-year-old Tony “Mr. Boober” Taylor, Melinn came up empty. “I was online at 4 in the morning before work and my computer locked up or something.” That hiccup was all it took; the shoes sold out in minutes.

Sneakerheads devote much cash, time and closet space to shoes, so what is the draw?  Having sought after pair in their possession is big, but ultimately it’s style. There is nothing like the feeling of being put together, looking good.

And no matter the cost, these three wear their sneakers. “Stuff that’s impossible to get, why wouldn’t you wear it?” Day says.  Melinn is quick to add: “What are they for? What are we gonna do with them?  Put a bouquet in ‘em?” It is a philosophy shared by “The Barbershop,” but not by the heads they have run into who throw shocked looks their way for wearing ultra-rare sneakers. 

Day can see their point, but he wants to enjoy his collection.  “If I had massive amounts of money, maybe I would think more like that. We’re regular Joes though.”

For those with more disposable income, the philosophy is altogether different. Day lays out the mantra of some old school collectors: “Buy two if you like ‘em, three if you love ‘em. That’s what those New York cats say.”  That unfortunately is not realistic for the students and machinists of the world.  Melinn agrees: “We have to plan out our conquests.”