4 Types Of Sneaker Heads... Which Shoe Guy Are You?

Why you gotta be like that?

Because the shoe game is the life I chose and I have to play my role in it!

It's not just as easy as being a sneaker head anymore.... there are levels to this now. The shoe game has blown up so much from the market growing, to endorsed personalities, and different collaborations giving everyone a chance to jump in on the action. Jumping into the game or already jumped into the game I am willing to bet you fall into one of these four categories. I don't promote stereotyping but hey, it be like that sometimes.

Here are the 4 types of sneaker heads fueling an already growing market.

Wearer (The Flexer)

This is the guy who knows exactly what sneaker he is going after and already has the outfit ready for his new pair of shoes. This person doesn't mind sitting in line all morning/ afternoon waiting for this pair of sneakers because they know all this time is going to pay off when they spend several days and nights flexin downtown or on the gram.

A lot of times this person has a favorite style they are loyal too and there can be several reasons behind this passion. Comfort can be a huge selling factor. Just remember when Crocs came out and those with no fear started wearing them claiming "they are comfortable as hell and I don't care how they look!" Well it didn't take long for Adidas to come through and say "You want comfort? Well we are going to put you mo' f*****rs on foam... oh yeah and have you looking good while doing it!"....Not an exact quote but I figure the meeting went somewhat close to that. Ultraboosts, NMDs, and Yeezys were all able to be both good looking and super comfortable to wear. IMHO

Of course Hype Beasts fall mostly into this category as well. If you slap a Supreme logo somewhere on the sneaker this guy is buying it with next weeks paycheck. Slightly kidding.

Honestly it feels good wearing nice shoes and even though most people around have no idea what kind of hype you slid your socks into this morning, you still walk with pride and make sure your story starts or ends with your feet making a cameo.

If you buy shoes to actually wear them then this is you and it doesn't matter if it's Sketchers or Balenciaga, you're flexin!

Collector (Decorator)

You may have a friend that you go visit and you have to hear his wife constantly throwing shade at him because of the stack of boxes in the corner of the room. These boxes are full of retro Jordans and she needs to back the hell off, because this is a lifestyle. You don't buy a Bentley and park it under a tree do you?...Hell No... and he is not going to put his retros in a dusty closet open to smells and pests.

The collector, or in my friends case...the decorator, has so many shoes that he either runs out of room or ends up building his own shelves just to stay organized. It happens quick, you wake up for one drop and get that first pair you looked forward too, now all of a sudden you can't pass up the new ones or the newer ones or the newest ones. The boxes stack up quick and as mentioned earlier if you take them out of the box or wear them they lose their value.

The big difference between the wearer and the collector is that the collector doesn't end up wearing half the sneakers he owns. It's more about the comfort of knowing that pair is sitting in his possession for either the right day, outfit, or spot to decorate.

Reseller (The Hustler)

Alright man, today is the day, you have done your research and set your strategy up... lets go make this bread. With hype there is usually limited supply and with limited supply comes a demand. This is both ridiculous and lucrative which is exactly what makes the hustler happy.

**I am going to be completely honest here, I didn’t give a dam about shoes until I started seeing the resell value on some of these Jordans. I can wake up on a Saturday morning and enter a Nike raffle or sit in a line on my phone and hope I basically make $100-800 by clicking “check out.” Eventually I caught feelings and started keeping pairs and it’s been Kevin is in a relationship with shoes and it’s complicated ever since.

The Hustler can be both hated and admired at the same time. This guy steals pairs from the Flexers and Collectors then sells them for a higher demand price after they sell out. You can appreciate the quick cash operation but on the other side of things the people who legitimately want the new limited drop have to compete against bot programs that cut your chances down so much it’s almost impossible to win.

The shoe game has developed a legit stock market (don’t believe me? Open your app store and download StockX) and that is because the resell game is lucrative! My StockX portfolio shocks most people then they quickly realize that I’m not as stupid as I sound! So hate it or love it, the Hustler is apart of the game and he will find the money as all Hustlers do.

The Artist

It used to be said that Artist work has no worth until they are dead, well in a billion dollar industry connected to fashion... you CAN thrive!

We are in a time where custom shoes are becoming very popular. Everyone likes to be unique and wants to stand out right? Well if you are wearing hand painted sneakers that no one else has then you are trend setting and that is what the world is all about now.

Not only do you have ball players with sneaker lines (Jordan,Kyrie,Lebron,etc.) or Kanye who basically puts foam underneath socks and s*** blows up, but you also have athletes becoming known for wearing custom one of a kind shoes/ cleats on game day. Odell Beckham Jr. has new custom painted cleats almost every game and it doesn't stop there Boxers, NBA players, Celebrities, etc. The list goes on and on and it is all thanks to... The Artist type of sneaker head.

The sky is the limit to this guy. He can restore old beat up shoes, paint custom artwork on the silhouette of your choice, or even build a pair from scratch one piece of fabric at a time. It is amazing what can be done and I keep watching the bar reset higher and higher with no sign of slowing down. You no longer need to have a Hollywood name or a bunch of money to start up a shoe line and make your money. This guy puts creativity on his side and creates something that no one else in the world has for a living!

Why You Gotta Be Like That?

Maybe you are going for comfort or wearing just for social status like the flexer.

Or maybe you are just feeding your obsession so much that you have to turn your stacked shoe box corner into a giant decoration to make it look like your collection is on purpose.

Sometimes it's all about the Benjamins and the excitement of the hustle, shoes are cool and all but you are focused on the resale.

If you like shoes but only as a canvas, you could take the commissioned artist route and show the world what really goes on in your mind.

If you are on this page I'm guessing that you like shoes enough to fall into one of these categories, so comment below and let me know which sneaker head you feel like you are.

Don't see where you belong??? Let me know what personality I missed!