The rule with sneakers is simple; there is no right number you can have at any point. It’s never too many or too few, it’s all about your mood at the moment. At least, that is the philosophy I maintain at home and so far, the family hasn’t questioned me, even when the courier vans keep dropping off crisp boxes of merch at our doorstep ever so often. 

But I am no more a sneakerhead. At one point, the part that worried me was less the price that I was paying to amass my collection and more the cost of the real estate being occupied by the collection in my South Delhi home; a sizeable area which would yield better returns even if rented to a basic paan shop.  

Considering this basic economic misadventure, I decided to get rid of most of my collection, holding back only those sneakers that were more precious than the space they occupied on my shelf. The benefit was two-fold. It ensured that I had plenty of space for new acquisitions, but more importantly, I was forced into being very selective about what I was buying. The shoe had to do a lot to qualify to be part of my exclusive new collection. To use a sneakerhead term, it had to be part of the ‘sneaker grail’. 

Also, now that I don’t consider myself a sneakerhead anymore, I treat my carefully curated sneakers as ‘beaters’, wearing them regularly till the creases become deeper than the brows on my forehead. Call it my existential crisis but I don’t want my inanimate possessions to outlive me, and this is my way of ensuring just that. In light of this new approach, which are the sneakers that I am coveting or lining up to buy. Well, here goes. 

Adidas X Gucci

Probably the most successful collab in the last couple of years, they have done a few runs and each one is as desirable. The Gazelles remain my pick from the collections – already a classic silhouette but more so now (at least in the case of the blue pair) with that subtle colour-on-colour Guccissima print, adding a posh touch to them. 

Diverge

Personalised sneakers are nothing new – Nike has done it for long with most of their popular styles with Nike by You – but Diverge from Portugal is slightly different in that they mostly aim for that quiet luxury look and feel. Premium leathers in classic styles, all with a detailed list of personalisation options, and reasonably priced. What’s novel is that you can buy an NFT (non-fungible token) of the shoe you create so that if others buy it, you stand to earn royalties from the sale of your designs, for life! 

Yeezys

While Adidas and Ye figure out whether to kiss and make up or not, the brand with the three stripes has rolled out a staggered Yeezy release programme and while the hype isn’t as much as it used to be, there are still some cool models to be copped at retail. I went for the 350 V2 CMPCT which is like the popular 350s but slightly slimmer and, well, compacted. Yeezys will be the comfiest sneaker you will ever wear; just remember to buy a size up. 

On Running

The Swiss brand which was a newbie on the scene till only a few years ago has made an impactful footprint in the industry with their iconic ‘cloud’ sole-styled shoes. They cover most activities and while, their street cred may not be as high yet, they make what I will term the slickest dad shoes seen on the market. ‘Cloudaway’ is the model I am referring to; a shoe that is great for everyday wear and yet performance-oriented enough to wear on a jog or a gentle run. 

TS X Nike AJ1 ‘Olive’

One of the most successful collabs for this decade, and we are still only in 2023. Anything Travis Scott touches turns gold for all the brands involved. I have the Fragment version of this series and am still tempted to go for the Olives. All in all, everyone needs one of these in their possession, even if means breaking the bank! Even the Nike X Tiffany is a far less worthy pair when compared to these.