I am a sneakerhead episode 218 - @7000turnschuach
First up, could you please introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Sebastian. I'm 39 years old, and I'm from Austria. I currently live in the beautiful city of Eisenstadt, about 60 kilometers southeast of Vienna. My nickname, 7000turnschuach, is an amalgam of the postal code for my hometown and the Austrian dialect term for sneakers.
How many pairs do you currently have in your collection?
When friends or colleagues ask me this question, I usually answer, 'I'm one pair short' or something along those lines. Honestly, I don’t know, since I haven’t counted them for years. Because if I don’t know how many pairs I have, I will never get the feeling that I have too many sneakers, right? But if I had to make an educated guess, I’d say it’s just past the 100 pairs mark. Some people might call me out on that and say I’m way past 200.
Do you remember what your first pair of sneakers that you really cared about was?
I guess I have always cared about sneakers, and my passion started at a young age. As a child, I didn’t really get the cool sneakers my peers got. Most of my sneakers were from no-name brands or some lower tier Adidas or Puma that my parents bought me on sale at a local sportswear store. One of my earliest recollections of 'cool sneakers' was the Air Jordan 8 (Playoffs Colorway) that my best friend from kindergarten and elementary school brought back from his vacation in Italy in 1993. I really admired the black cross straps with the stitched '23' across, and the Playoff 8s were my introduction into the world of Michael Jordan's footwear, so to speak. So, as you can imagine, the recently retro'd Playoff 8s were a huge get for me. As I write these lines, the shoes sit atop a stack of boxes across from me.
The first 'cool sneaker' I owned was a black and silver Adidas Campus that my parents got me when I was 12 or 13. I really wore them a lot and even started skateboarding in them when I got my first skateboard. You can guess that they didn’t hold up for long after I learned to ollie.
Are there any brands in particular that you enjoy, and why is that?
As mentioned above, Michael Jordan and his footwear were sort of my first love in the sneaker world. I grew up in a rather big basketball town; the team from my hometown, Mattersburg (even smaller than Eisenstadt), played in the highest national league. Consequently, a lot of my friends and peers I grew up with played basketball. MJ's sneakers were the ultimate aspiration for many of us. It took me several years to get my first pair because my parents always thought Jordans were too expensive back then (if only they knew how much I pay nowadays…). Especially since I would grow out of them in about a year. However, right around the time the Air Jordan 13 came out, I got my first pair: the Black Playoffs Colorway. Of course, I outgrew them after about a year, but I really loved them and rocked them in practice and on game day. All the shoes I missed in the previous years, I'm buying now. I try to cop nearly every OG Retro I can get my hands on.
Do you usually buy sneakers in physical stores or online?
Since I live in a rather small city (Eisenstadt has about 16,000 inhabitants), I have to get most of my sneakers from online stores. Many of them are German stores like Asphaltgold, BSTN, or 43einhalb. Even Vienna does not have that many true sneaker stores, besides the obvious ones like Snipes, Footlocker, JD Sports, and the occasional reseller store. Whenever I'm on vacation, I try to find stores and sometimes go out of my way to visit SNS in Paris, Overkill in Cologne, or Footpatrol in London and pick something up there.
Have you bought anything in 2023 so far?
I have made quite a few purchases this year. Alongside the OG Jordan Retros such as the Chicago 2s, Playoff 8s, and Playoff 13s, my most cherished pickups this year include the Asics x Awake NY Gel-NYC (green blue slate), the New Balance 990v6 'Grey Day Pack,' and the Sneep x WOMFT? Pro Thunder 'Silberpfeil.' Over the last 2-3 years, I have broadened my horizon and ventured into runners from Saucony, Asics, and New Balance, as well as terrace silhouettes from Adidas.
What is your favourite pair in your collection?
Wow, that’s a tough one. I genuinely love and wear all of my sneakers. There's only one pair I keep on ice, and that's the Air Jordan 11 Concord. I bought two pairs in 2018, but I only wear one of them. I consider the Air Jordan 11, especially the Concord colorway, to be the most beautiful sneaker ever created. So, yeah, I'd say that's my favorite pair, and I keep them in a special place in my heart. A close second would be the Kangaroos x Atelier Kamp Ultralite 'VIC.' Designed by the legendary Austrian Rapper Kamp One and handcrafted in Germany, this shoe opened up a whole new world for me upon its release. I highly value the craftsmanship and design work put into the shoe.
If you could only wear one pair for the rest of 2023, which would it be and why?
Another tough choice. Since I commute to work on foot every day, I need a shoe that can not only get me through the day but also withstand all weather conditions. Most people might opt for a runner, and don't get me wrong, I rely on my New Balance, Saucony, and Asics during the summer. However, on a rainy day in the fall, I have to go with either an Air Jordan 1 or an adidas Forum 84 High. If you make me pick just one, I'd choose my Air Jordan 1 High 84 Georgetown. On another day, I might go for the Forum 84 High Blue Thread. It's really that close.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself to your followers and the community. I'm excited to welcome new people to my page!
Make sure to follow Sebastian on Instagram: