Until recently, I was never much of a shoe person. I prided myself on a fine DVD collection, yes, good taste in wine, women and culture…but not shoes. ‘Chumpy’ is a word that comes to mind when describing the shoes of my youth. I spent most of my University years watching close friends obsessing over and building up collections of trainers well beyond what could be considered for practical use. One such friend today has over 80 pairs, the only thing that he is insured for. [See above for the aforementioned individual]

Then suddenly, towards the end of last year, the bug hit me. A friend and work colleague bought me a Christmas present in the form of a gift certificate to ‘Sportie LA,’ a unique sneaker shop on Melrose Boulevard, with a wide selection of the most original vintage footwear. With my old pair of Nike Court Force fast falling apart, I decided it was time to make a new purchase. From the moment I set my eyes on the classic Nike Cortez design with a dark blue suede finish, I knew that there had been something missing from my life. ‘Are they good for running in?’ I asked the shop assistant naively. ‘For running from the po-lice,’ she replied with a smirk and a wink. I felt like such a nonce. Casual trainers weren’t for practical use, they were for style. I had a lot to learn. In the past year, I have purchased 4 more pairs of sneakers, a personal shoe-buying record. The majority of these are Nike. Another pair of Cortez, (these the classic 1972 White Nylons, my favourites) Red Hi-Top Blazers, White Leather Tennis Classics, and a pair of Adidas Sambas in the Brazil colours. I know exactly the next two pairs I want: a pair of vintage Nike Waffle Running shoes, and the Nike Elites. Or maybe the Nike Challengers. Or why not both?

My new-found obsession has had me scouring the internet for the best classic vintage trainers, and learning something about the Nike company in the process. Founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, two athletes from the University of Oregon, the company was original called ‘Blue Ribbon Sports.’ It took the name ‘Nike’ from the winged goddess of victory in Greek mythology, and the famous ’swoosh’ represents the Greek goddess’ wings. In 1963, Blue Ribbon Sports took its first delivery of 200 shoes from the Japanese Onitsuka-Tiger Company, and in 1972, it introduced its first line of Nike shoes. But the most innovative breakthrough was in 1974. Bowerman had been experimenting with different outsoles to grip the track more effectively, and one Sunday morning, instead of preparing himself breakfast, he poured liquid urethane into his wife’s waffle iron, thus developping the now-iconic Waffle trainer. By 1980, the company reached 50% of the United States shoe market, and the term ‘Just Do It’ became one of the top advertisement slogans of the 20th century. And there’s your history lesson.

I don’t know if it’s a result of simply needing more comfortable footwear for my day job, the influence of my style-obsessed friends, a juvenile step back from adulthood, or just a passing fad, but I now look at my trainer collection with the same pride I have for my DVDs. There is nothing quite like choosing a fresh white pair of kicks for the day, hearing the crisp squeak of rubber on a clean floor, or getting a whiff of that new shoe smell. Paolo Nutini’s song ‘New shoes’ seems to echo my sentiments well: ‘I put some new shoes on, and suddenly everything is alright…’

Attached are some of my favourite online shoe websites. You may laugh or you may be enticed.

http://www.cloggs.co.uk/

http://www.rmkstore.com/index.jsp

http://www.sneakerhead.com/

http://www.a2zshoes.com/