Sophomore takes shoe collecting hobby to the extreme

September 23, 2016 — by Aaron Choi and Neil Rao

Freshman Nick Burry talks about passion for his expensive shoe collection.

Sophomore Nick Burry is a self-described “sneaker head,” someone who has a vast collection of shoes and related apparel.

Among his favorite pairs are his Yeezy 750s, a $1,000 shoe made in collaboration with Adidas and Kanye West, which he won for $5 at a keymaster arcade machine at Fix Kicks in Santa Clara.

Burry is hardly alone in his passion for the hobby. What began with Michael Jordan’s illustrious basketball career has now turned into a billion-dollar industry of shoes that varies from performance basketball to lifestyle sneakers.

For Burry, sneakers allow him to mix up his outfits on a daily basis. Over the years, he has managed to accumulate what seems to be one of the biggest sneaker collections in the nation. Among his unique collection are multiple pairs of Yeezys, Jeremy Scott X Adidas sneakers and rare Jordan models.

“To me sneakers have value in style and looks,” Burry said. “I like collecting shoes of any type or color, ranging from rainbows to stuffed animal [shoe designs].”

Like many shoe enthusiasts, Burry said he simply “stumbled into the game.” While searching around online, he was attracted to many videos and articles relating to the rising popularity of streetwear and soon grew addicted to the culture.

In the streetwear industry, hype is generated from and revolves around celebrity brands for shoes and clothing. Burry considers himself a “hypebeast” for buying exclusive brands like Supreme and Bape, which near $600 for a simple hoodie due to their high demand and low manufacture rate.

Burry is looking forward to sharing his shoes with with, his younger brother Michael, currently an eighth grader at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School. He is just waiting for his brother’s feet to be big enough to fit his collection.

Burry appreciates having the ability to have such a collection and thanks his family for supporting his love of shoe-collecting.

“I appreciate everything that I have and I am so lucky that I am able to express myself through shoes,” Burry said.

 
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