First of all, could you please introduce yourself?

Hi my name is Rob, from South Yorkshire England.
I have been collecting sneakers for about 25 years on and off. My love of sneakers and collecting started way back in 1993 when I got my first pair of Nike Air Max 93, in the dusty cactus colourway.

Living in the South Yorkshire area, how do you think the local community is?
I think the community is great, obviously a lot smaller than London but I have met a few local collectors and genuinely found them to be really friendly. Sheffield has a few vintage stores that are great for picking up older pairs & not too far away in Leeds you have the Sneaker Annexe guys who deliver some great content and do a lot for the local sneaker community.

Do you purchase your sneakers at physical stores or online retailers?
A mixture of both really. Due to my location and lack of sneaker boutiques close by I do have to buy a lot of pairs online for big releases unless I happen to be visiting London at the time, although I have made the trip specifically to London a few times when I have won in-store raffles.
I do like to shop at my local size though, it’s good to have that in-store experience, to chat to the staff, and to try on the shoe before you buy. If I could I would prefer to buy all my sneakers this way.

How many sneakers do you have?
I would guess I have around 250 pairs roughly. Like any collector, I go through phases of wanting to downsize or get rid of pairs I no longer want but this always proves to be easier said than done! Haha

Is there any particular brand or model you prefer?
I’ve always been a big fan of retro runners as that’s what I grew up wearing. One pair/brand I would have to say I always seem to go to is Asics and particularly the Gel Lyte III. I love the shape, the split tongue design is so comfortable and ahead of its time, the gel cushioning is great for all-day comfort & the colourways on the GR’s alone are incredible not to mention the amazing collabs over the years.

What's the most you ever paid for a pair? Do you usually pay resell price or do you always cop for retail or below?
I’m not a big fan of paying resale but unfortunately, it’s necessary sometimes in order to get some of the more hyped-up pairs. I think the most I paid is about £250 for the Patta AM1 Noise Aqua. Not crazy over retail but I had to have this pair to complete the pack.

Is there anything in 2022 you're in particular interest in?
I’m interested to see what Nike is gonna do with the 30th anniversary of the Air Max 1. Hopefully some new collabs or maybe a pair like the Masters that has elements from some of the great pairs from over the years.

If you could only wear a single pair of sneakers for the remaining of 2022, which would it be and why?
You know I’m really into the Huarache at the moment. So many retros of great colourways from my childhood are available. The comfort is incredible and I have always loved the design. Just goes to show how incredible a designer Tinker Hatfield is.

Make sure to follow Rob on Instagram