I am a sneakerhead episode 179 - @Sneakerrob
First of all, could you please introduce yourself?
Hey there,
I’m Robert and I’m living in Berlin. In my free time, I love to collect Sneakers and stroll around in my city to take some photos of them.
I started serious collecting in 2013 but have been into Sneakers since 1995 when I first saw a pair of Air Max 95 Neon on a fellow student’s feet.
Do you remember what your first pair of "proper" sneakers were?
I recently found that out. I’ve been visiting my family and we saw some old photos from 1998 where I wore my first pair of Air Max. As I wasn’t sure which model it was I asked some friends on Instagram and they told me it’s an Air Max Triax. It’s been all-white leather with some nice red accents.
Fun fact: I don’t own one single pair of that silhouette right now.
You seem to have a great variety of sneakers on your Instagram account - Are there any particular models/brands that you prefer?
I love to have a big variety of pairs. I’m not mainly aiming for specific brands or models. I just buy what hits my eye and has that special something.
Looking at my collection I have a lot of pairs of ASICS Gel Lyte V, Nike Air Max 1, and Air Max 90. But I also like a good pair of New Balance or Adidas.
Living in Berlin, do you usually buy your sneakers at physical stores or online? If physical, how would you see the atmosphere and community around Berlin is?
In 2013 I’ve been buying at Solebox and Overkill mainly. It’s been possible to queue up for a pair and get it back then. You saw the same people in front mainly and it’s been a fun atmosphere. Today especially for hyped releases that’s almost impossible. So I changed to buy online most of the time.
None of my good friends are into Sneakers as much as me and because of that, I’m not too much in the actual scene. That changed a bit with the start of my Instagram account and I’m happy to meet some of the guys I got to know at upcoming events.
What is your latest pickup? And what was the reason you bought them?
My latest pickup is the blue Patta Air Max 1 Wave that I was able to buy online. It’s obviously because I’m into Air Max 1 and Patta has a name with Air Max 1 collaborations. And as I also got the Monarch I already knew that the quality of the pair is awesome and the concept works great on that pair.
What is your opinion on the releases this year so far? Anything, in particular, you like and dislike?
First of all, there are so many releases this year. I guess the amount of them tops all the years before. I like the fact that this ends in better availability of pairs that have been a hard cop before like the Sacai Waffles for example. On the other hand, I’ve got the impression that many good releases are forgotten quite fast. But it’s still sad that there are so many raffles for almost everything. The Patta Wave was an exception. No raffle, just being quick like it used to be. I liked that.
Do you have any all-time grails?
I’d say my actual all-time grail is the Air Max 1 Elephant. I’d still love to own a pair but didn’t find one for a decent price yet. Same with the Air Max 1 Parra. I just missed the time to buy when prices were still reasonable.
What do you plan on buying next?
Considering my storage space that isn’t there anymore I should rather sell some pairs. But I’m having an eye on the upcoming Next Nature Air Force 1 and Dunk High. The quilted upper and their nice colorways are looking damn good and might make me buy a pair.
Thanks for having me.
Make sure to follow Robert on Instagram