First up, could you please introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Mario I’m 44 years old and live in Berlin where I was born. I have actually always been a fan of sneakers, My first model was the Adidas Equipment 91 guidance which my mother bought me at 14, One must note that it was the cheapest model from the 3-pack and funny white today is the most coveted.

Over the years, I have had some Nike AM1s and also ZX 1000 - 9000s which of course I beat to death, unfortunately.

I can still remember the AM1 OG Red from 2002 which I loved very much followed by several Airstab's.

A friend then wore this Reebok Pump Graphlite that were great colorways apart from the shape.

How many pairs do you currently have in your collection?

I currently have about 120 pairs of ZX 1000 - 10000 among them, 8-10 pairs are duplicates or triplicates, so about 150 pairs in total. Besides that, I have 20 pairs of Nike’s, mainly Air Max 1. Oh, I also have 10 pairs of New Balance 990v2s and 580s

You seem to have a special interest in adidas, why is that?

As I said, my first pair was the Adidas Equipment Guidance in 1991 which I would still like to have today but the prices are astronomical. My love goes first and foremost to the 4-digit ZX models but I don't have to have them all as I have learned to leave a model on the left if it is too expensive. In second place is clearly the Air Max 1 which for me embodies Nike in terms of low sneaks.

Do you usually buy sneakers in physical stores or online?

I buy 95% of my sneakers online because I privately would not have the time, as I enjoy spending time taking photos and of course, spending time with my family after work. Nevertheless, I qued at OVERKILL Berlin for the ZX8000 A-ZX Atmos on the release day. The last pair I bought in person was the OVERKILL CSG 91s

Have you bought anything in 2023 so far?

I have bought too much this year already, so it is hard to keep track. But I actually bought more AM1s than anything else so far, including the Puerto Rico Glue Gale, several 86s, and then a pair of New Balance M990PY2

With Adidas, it doesn't look like there will be anything new ZX 4 figures right now, so I will keep an eye out for that.

What is your favourite pair of sneakers in your collection?

That’s a tough question for a collector like myself. My absolute favorite from the zx series is the zx9000 Crooked Tongues from 2008 as a model of the then highly acclaimed and still hyped series from Adidas

Make sure to follow Mario on Instagram: