Like his father who is a collector of antiques, Guido Greiert, too, owns a collection of sneakers. His treasures are so precious, he says he’d love to be buried with them when the time comes. We speak to the die-hard sneakerhead.
By Kim Hana
Photos by Haq Anuar
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Currently about 150 pairs. At one point it used to be more than 200 pairs but I have downsized to make more space for new kicks.
How long have you been in “The Sneaker Game”, i.e., collecting?
15 years.
At what point did you realize you might have more than an “average affection” for sneakers?
When I started to run out of space under my bed to keep my kicks.
What was the very first pair of sneakers you bought?
Air Jordan 6 Infrared OG (1991).
The Nike Zoom LeBron IV “China” that earned him his title as champion of the “100 days 100 sneakers 100 posts” campaign organized by SG Sneakerhead x Hypethetic
Which is the most expensive pair in your collection?
Nike Air Yeezy “Blink” which cost me USD$800.
You’ve lived in a few different places. Where’s the best place to get sneakers?
From the countries I have lived in the best place to get kicks was in the US. Lived in Hawaii for a couple of years and I remember being spoilt for choices and colorways.
What are your thoughts on Singapore’s sneaker buying and/or collecting scene?
It’s grown quite a fair bit. Back in the days you could only get kicks from your mom and pop stores. Those that remember will know RNC Sport and Terminal 1 especially. They used to get all the dope kicks. Now we have LE and Leftfoot among many others which have VIP benefits. Singapore has grown into one of the sneaker country’s that offers exclusive kicks.
Where do you usually go to acquire your sneakers?
Limited Edt, Leftfoot and online sneaker stores.
Before the Internet boom, Guido relied heavily on Japanese sneaker magazines like “Sneaker Jack” for the latest in sneaker trends
How do you care for and store your collection?
Jason Markk for cleaning. As for storing, still doing it old school. Under the bed, in the kitchen cabinets and any place I can fit a sneaker box!
What are some fond memories you have from collecting?
The fondest memories I have was during the early years of collecting. I use to hang out at RNC Sports located in the basement of Peninsula [Plaza] with the guys and flip through the Japanese sneaker mag Sneaker Jack, drooling at the kicks page after page. There were no Internet websites those days and this was our source of what were the latest in kicks and street culture. I really miss those times.
Guido reckons crumbling sneakers is one of the most painful experience for a sneaker collector. One time he wore a pair of Atmos x Nike AM1 “Safari” on a trip to the zoo with his mother. They cracked along the way and all he wanted to do was go home, so Mom ended up going to the zoo alone
What shoes are you currently on the lookout for?
I wouldn’t say that I’m ever really on a hunt for any sneaker. If the opportunity comes by then I would go for it. Sometimes you come across something worth buying just randomly while shopping or browsing. But the one pair that I am always just checking up on are the Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Paris”.
What is one thing you would change about the sneaker scene?
Honestly nothing. It’s changed so much that I would not know what to change.
If he had to be buried with just one shoe out of his entire collection, Guido would choose to go six feet under with his Nike Dunk SB Supreme
When you’re 70, where do you think your collection would be?
Still on my feet! Where they belong!
What happens when you die?
Bury me with the sneakers!
But if you could only choose one?
It would have to be the Nike Dunk SB Supreme. I ate chicken rice every day for a month to get them.