Since I was in primary school, I always loved sneakers. Back then, all that mattered was what was cool for the playground and basketball court. Although shoes were important, they were strictly for wear & tear. This was until I came across Jeff Staple’s blog “To Darren Hudson”. The blog began as a listing of his sneaker inventory, complete with photos and personal anecdotes.

Through his blog, I was introduced to the crazy world of sneaker collecting; stockpiling multiple pairs of the same shoe, taking photos of each pair, spending obscene amounts on “limited editions”, identifying fakes, hunting for rare treasures and lining up for several nights for a chance to get a new release.

Although Staple’s blog originated as a place to document and sell his collection, Staple also had a pretty significant role in sneaker history. In 2005, Staple’s design team created a version of the Nike Dunk Low paying homage to NYC called the pigeon. The release was extremely limited which resulted in riots on the release date. Since the release, your gonna need about $2000 to get a pair, if you can find one at all.

Through his blog, I started keeping up with this sub culture and kept up with the newest releases and trends. I even started stockpiling my own mini collection (nothing serious, just some of the classic releases from my childhood). On a side note, if you’re interested in seeing more about this world, check out the documentary “Just For Kicks”. Not a new film, but highly recommended.

In August 2009, another New Balance Pigeon was to be released and although it was a bit of overkill on the Pigeon theme, I still thought it would be nice to get hold of a pair. Not willing to pay the crazy reseller prices, I figured I’d probably watch this release pass by like the rest. However, the distribution list had an allocation to Toronto’s own Goodfoot (RIP)! How could I miss this rare opportunity where something was released locally? I began stalking Goodfoot for any info. to secure a pair. They didn’t know when they would get them, how many and what size so I figured I’d be out of luck again. I harassed them so much I also had to send my wife in (no shame) for info. At the same time, Staple’s store (Reed Space) had an allocation for phone orders which never happens. I spent about two hours on the phone and was able to order a pair! Success at last!!!

Not sure if it’s the whole lure of the Pigeon, the design, the escalating prices of the previous releases, or the fact that this is one sneaker release that was actually accessible to me in Toronto, I thought I should try and get another pair to have “on ice”. After a week of phone calls to Goodfoot, I finally got hold of the release date. Unfortunately there were only 12-14 pairs of varying sizes so my chances were slim to none. Again, I’m not a die-hard collector and wasn’t about to camp out for these, but figured I’d get up at a decent time to drive by and see what kind of crowd was assembling. The shoes were going to release on a Saturday morning at 11.  I woke up at 7am and headed down. Drove by and it wasn’t too bad at all. There were only five guys and one guy’s girl friend. I figured I’d pull up a seat and go for the wait. The next three and a half hours seemed like an eternity but in retrospect, what a great experience! It wasn’t a full camp-out, but having followed sneaker collecting for so long, it was an experience I had to try out (in a rather mild manner). I’m in my early thirties and felt like a grandfather out there. Most of the group seemed to be in their twenties and knew each other through their previous queuing experiences. To give some perspective of how crazy sneaker hunting can be, the following discussion between a few of the dudes ahead of me best describes their dedication and passion for sneakers (even for this not so rare release):
Me: How long have you been here man?
5th Guy in Line: I came at 4am?
4th Guy in Line: I came at about 2am? What time do you think they’ll get here to open up and will we see them come in to open up?
3rd Guy in Line: They open at 11. They’ll probably come through the back, I think there’s an employee entrance there.
1st Guy in Line: I think they’ll come in through the front.
3rd Guy in Line: How’d you know?
1st Guy in Line: Cause that’s where they left from last night at 5pm!

5FUCKING PM! That’s like 21 hours sitting on a pretty shady piece of curb in Toronto through a turential rainstorm. Nuts! Anyways, everyone was really friendly, shared their previous camping experiences (this one was nothing for them) and discussing everyone’s size and what they were going to grab. I always thought I knew my shit when it came to sneakers and street wear, but these guys were next level. They were using terms and abbreviations I’ve never heard of. After an hour, I was obviously out of my league and didn’t know shit. Anyways, after 3.5 hours, the store opened up. By the time it got to me, there were only size 11’s and 12s lefts. Being a size 9 and having already secured a pair online, you’d figure I ‘d walk out. But that’s what’s so absurd of this sneaker game. Having obsessed about it for weeks and actually lining up for hours, there’s no way I was going home empty handed. I said fuck it, and bought the 11’s. My wife was reading at a nearby Starbucks when I walked in with a smile ear to ear. When I told her about the 11’s she almost Rodney Kinged me with her biscotti. Somehow I tried to justify the purchase, even saying they would fit me at one point. I put them on and I swear I looked like a clown but was telling myself it was cool. Anyways, I kept them and the 9.5’s I ordered on the phone arrived and I was happy. That was a great experience and although painful and mind numbing, I was glad to do it; but no thanks for me next time.