A Review of Sneaker Collecting

People who enjoy collecting can be called by many names. Collectors of some specific areas have their own particular name. For instance, a coin collector is called a numismatist and a book collector is known as a bibiophile. Whether you collect a particular set of items as simply a hobbyist who enjoys it, or as a connoisseur, becoming an expert in the field, collecting is an interesting pastime. 

Did you know that ‘Sneaker Collecting’ is now a THING? 

Athletic shoes are called by a variety of names, depending on where you live. Growing up in New York State, our name for these running shoes, gym shoes, trainers, etc. was “sneakers”. Then I went to college in the Midwest and everyone there called them “tennis shoes”. 

The name ‘sneakers’ was first used by the Boston Journal in 1887 to describe the rubber soled tennis shoes that allowed wearers to ‘sneak’ around quietly. 

Wikipedia helps define Sneaker Collecting as the hobby of acquiring and trading sneakers, particularly those made for certain sports, such as basketball.  The name for people who collect sneakers is Sneakerhead!

Sneaker Collecting Beginnings…

Image Source: Wikipedia

We can find the collecting, trading and reselling of sneakers dating back to the 1970s. But Sneaker collecting really became a subculture ‘thing’ in the 1980s, particularly with the release in 1985 of the Air Jordan line of shoes by the popular basketball player Michael Jordan.

Believe it or not, the Hip Hop movement contributed to Sneaker Collecting popularity by giving sneakers their street credibility as a status symbol. So, in addition to shoes designed for particular sports and popularized by well-known sports stars, the sneakerhead culture now overlaps with streetwear trends and styles. Today, the sneaker resale market is worth over $10 billion dollars. 

Patrick Mahomes is a Sneakerhead

I currently live in the Kansas City area, so naturally our favorite sports figure is Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback. Since much is often written about Mahomes, especially in our local area news, we learned about his interest in collecting sneakers. 

Patrick Mahomes began his sneaker collection in 2017, the same year he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. Today, Patrick has over 180 pairs of sneakers and keeps them in a custom-designed sneaker closet in his home. His collection is also related to his sponsorship deal with Adidas, which allows him to collaborate on product design and marketing.

*Click here to see images of Mahomes' sneaker closet and collection.

In recent years, I have begun to notice that many MLB baseball players like to wear specially designed sneakers while playing. Some, I’m sure, relate to sponsorship deals with specific manufacturers of sneakers. Some players just like to relate them to certain dates, such as pink sneakers for Mother’s Day games with maybe flowers and/or ‘mom’s’ name on them. 

The sneaker ‘trend’ when I was a teenage girl was to wear Keds canvas white sneakers to school and to meet up early before school began to use white shoe polish to make sure our ‘keds’ were completely white and new-looking for the school day! That was our “thing”. LOL. 

Summary

Sneaker collectors buy online, but they also attend sneaker events such as swapmeets sneaker parties and exhibitions like Sneakercons. If you like sneakers, consider becoming a Sneakerhead! Happy Collecting! 

You can find some online Sneakers to Collect on: 

• Amazon
• eBay

*Sneaker Collecting written by Wednesday Elf 

Items related to Sneaker Collecting

Sneaker Freaker. World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors

Sneakerhead - Sneaker Collector Log Book: Organize Kicks: Brand, Editions, Price, Style, Colors, Notes

Pinkpum XXL Larger Shoe Storage Boxes Fit Size 14, Clear Plastic Stackable Shoe Organizer 12 Pack Sneaker Storage for Sneakerheads Shoe Containers

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Reviewing Beginner Rock Tumbling Supplies

I have always loved interesting stones and fossils. I always thought polished rocks are gorgeous. But I have never tried polishing (or tumbling) rocks at home, until now. My first batch of tumbled rocks have gone through the cycles and while they aren't as shiny and smooth as the polished rocks found at souvenir shops, they are very pretty. And it was a fun adventure. Had I known that it was this easy, I would have begun long ago.

I had recently begun fossil and rock hunting again because my grandson was sending me photos of interesting rocks. Geodes were my favorite to find as a child in the Midwest. But it doesn't seem that geodes occur naturally where I live now in West Virginia. In my research about local rocks, I was seeing gorgeous photos of polished rocks that people in the rock hounding groups were sharing. I decided to purchase a rock tumbler.

Coincidentally, I learned that a child at work also has a great interest in rocks. I told him that we could learn how to polish rocks together. He is delighted with finding rocks, giving them to me, then having them returned clean and shiny. 

I've done this first two batches of polished rocks with a tumbler and with a set of polishing grit. Of course, there are many more products that could be purchased. But I had fun results with just this small amount of items. We are learning that some rocks polish and some do not. Some stay approximately the same size and become shiny and others quickly wear away to nothing or crumble apart. Beginning to identify rocks is becoming a part of this process.

Rock Tumbler

I chose the Central Machine rock tumbler from Harbor Freight Tools. I knew NOTHING about rock tumblers when I went shopping that day. But it turns out that I'm very pleased with my purchase. 

Central Machine tumbler from Harbor Freight:

• dual drum, 6 lb capacity
• low speed and quiet
• barrels are rubberized to reduce noise
• fan-cooled, V-belt driven
• can be used with all types of polish media (ceramic, glass, resins, and nut shells)

You can find rock tumblers on Amazon. There are unknown brands and brands from companies such as National Geographic rock tumblers and kits for children. There are also rock polishers that work by using vibration. I would recommend the National Geographic tumbler and kit for kids, even thought it is a smaller, single tumbler because it comes with everything needed to try tumbling once; including some rough stones. Great for a one-time adventure in a classroom or with a person who isn't sure they are very interested in tumbling rocks. You can find that National Geographic kit here. 

One of the reasons that I'm happy about my Central Machine purchase is the dual drums. Tumbling rocks takes a long time; weeks or more. With dual drums I am able to run two sets of rocks at different stages of polishing at the same time. 

If you do not have a Harbor Freight store near you, there are many rock tumblers available on Amazon.

Polishing Grit

I chose the grit set because I saw the labels on one of the rock polishing channels that was most helpful to me on youtube. 

Polly Plastics rock tumbling kit was the brand she was using so it was the brand I ordered from Amazon. The kit came with 5 separate containers. They included:

• Step 1 Coarse grit
• Step 2 Medium grit
• Step 3 Pre-polish fine grit
• Step 4 Final Polish (Aluminum Oxide)
• container of 1 1/2 lbs of Ceramic Media (used to cushion and protect the rocks during tumbling at different stages).

While I had watched a variety of tutorials on rock tumbling, and everyone seems to have slightly different preferences, the Polly Plastics kit also comes with step-by-step instructions for their set. 

If you have ever wondered about tumbling rocks I hope you give it a try. I wish I would have started my rock tumbling adventures years ago. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: