I am a sneakerhead episode 155 - @Thesneakerbalcony
My name is Nicolas. I am from Brussels, Belgium, but I have lived in Antwerp for the past 7 years with my wife and 2 little monsters. Fun fact about me, I can speak 4 languages, French (mother tongue) Dutch, English and Spanish.
I started to collect exactly 4 years ago. For the first time there was a sneaker that I just NEEDED to have it was the SF Air Force 1 “Desert Camo” on the Nike website. I stayed up until 12:01 pm and got my very first salty L.
I was so pissed that day, that even my wife was complaining about it! I didn’t want to accept defeat an started looking on Google if I couldn’t find a pair after all… That’s how I discovered there was a whole resell game on sneakers… Lucky for me, the shop Titolo still had my size, I got the green light from the misses and that was my very first pair of “collector shoes” that I owned.
Do you have any favorite brands?
To be completely honest, I started collecting Yeezy’s and Hype like most of the kids nowadays do. It took some time for me to discover that I was actually an Air Max 1 Addict. Everything about Airmax 1 is fascinating for me. The history, the hunt, the feeling you get when you finally find a grail, the wait when a shoe is shipped, opening the box for the first time, meeting new collectors all over the world, the shoes, in my opinion, it is the best shoe in the world, you can wear Nike Air Max 1 at any time in your life as a teenager, young adult, even as a grandpa!
I always had a thing for “exclusivity” but I am not a show-off… I love the fact that I can wear an AM1 at my work that is worth a lot without other people knowing it! It’s a bit like a nice watch, some people have a 20.000€ watch on their wrist but nobody knows about it unless you are into watches too!
At this point, I fell deep into the Airmax 1 addiction. My philosophy right now is: Airmax 1 is like Pokemon’s. Gotta catch ‘em all! To all the new Airmax 1 collectors out there I have to say this: Don’t start, it’s a trap because you have 30 years of history behind you that you will want to catch up. The moment you start collecting Airmax 1 it is so addictive that you are doomed before you start.
What are your top three sneakers you own at the moment?
3. Air max 1 Bespokes from Vijz
2. Air max 1 Parra Friends and Family
1. Air max 1 Patta Purple Denim
What do you plan on buying next?
Air max 1 Amsterdam OG
All of your three favourite sneakers are, as well as your next planned purchase have a relation to the Netherlands - is that just a coincidence or do you have any special relation to the country, as you also speak the language?
We in Belgium have 3 national languages FR, NL and DE, it's critical to speak at least 2 (FR and NL) to be able to find a job here! It's rather a bit of a coincidence but it is true that I am completely in love with the Patta/Parra collection! The Netherlands is just a 25min drive from Antwerp, but most importantly, the love of my life, Melissa (my wife) is from Rotterdam... I've visited a few Dutch cities now and I must say that the vibe there is amazing! I love the Dutch mentality and they embraced me!
What are your expectations of the sneaker industry for the remainder of 2020?
My year is done for 2020 I got all the ones on my list!
If you could change one thing in the sneaker community, what would it be and why?
Bring it back old-school! No bots, nothing online, just go to the shop and buy your pair!
Make sure to follow Nicolas on Instagram: