Lorrie Reyes / Special to the Roundup
Athletic shoe collectors, also known as sneakerheads, can be found throughout Pierce College.
If you don’t believe it, just look down the Mall while strolling to class. Aficionados of new or limited-edition Nikes, Jordans, Adidas and Converse keep their footgear in pristine condition. It may seem like an unusual hobby to some, but some sneakerheads will pay as much as $280 and upward for a pair, which was the price tag for the recently released collaboration between Nike and Kanye West, the “Air Yeezy’s.”
It’s a hobby that’s growing. In 1998, Nike reported $9.3 million in revenues. Last year, the company reported $18.6 billion in returns, according to Nikebiz.com.
Nike’s success, along with other major manufacturers, has inspired the opening of boutique shoe stores, including Encino’s Primitive, which caters to sneakerheads.
“We have a lot of high school kids, college students and adults in their 30s and 40s that have been collecting sneakers forever [coming in],” said former Pierce student Jubal Jones, a co-partner of Primitive.
Shoeheads will do whatever is necessary to find a limited pair of shoes.
“If I have to drive an hour, I’ll drive an hour,” said part-time student Adrian Herrera, 22, who was lured to the hobby in 2001 by the Jordan XI’s.
Genaro Miranda, a 31-year-old Pierce Bookstore employee, started collecting 11 years ago after being inspired by various designs and colors.
Miranda has even flown to Japan for shoes that would never be available in the U.S.
Both Miranda and Herrera have waited in line overnight, one for 13 hours, just to get a limited style on the shoe’s release day.
But nearby Primitive should be an easier drive for collectors. Owned by professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez and partners Jones, Andy Netkin and Jay Partow, Primitive rapidly became the local store to find rare gems including the “Air Yeezy” and other hard-to-find brands like Nike SB, ALIFE and The Hundreds.
“We wanted to do something for the Balley specifically because we all grew up here,” Jubal said.
And if Jubal gets his wish, the sneakerhead brigade at Pierce will keep growing.
