Aug 6, 2008 7:50 am US/Eastern
'Sneaker Heads' Get Their Fix In Center City
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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Shoe fanatics anxiously awaited the arrival of the "Air Questo" designed by The Roots' drummer "?uestlove."
CBS
Dozens of so-called "sneakerheads" camped outside a Center City store, some for days, for the newest "need-to-have" pair of sneakers.
Not just any sneakers, but a pair designed by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, drummer for the Grammy-winning hip-hop band, The Roots.
Thompson designed the $235 red, green and gold Air Force 1 sneakers as part of the shoe company's 1World collection, which will feature 18 designs over eight months.
The sneakers were released Tuesday at the Ubiq footwear store in downtown Philadelphia. By late Monday morning, 26 people had lined up in a makeshift sidewalk campsite.
The Nike sneakers, dubbed Air Questo, are the fifth pair to be released in the 1World collection. And while sneakerheads—as sneaker collectors call themselves—regularly camp out for new releases, Ubiq has never had this many people waiting in line, said store supervisor Kyle Dunn.
It's a bit of a misunderstood hobby, said Eddie Ortiz, who came with his 17-year-old son from the Poconos. The Ortiz duo got there Saturday morning and were first in line.
"People look at you like, 'A pair of sneakers?"' the elder Ortiz said. "But they don't understand, it's a culture."
They say it's like collecting baseball cards or comic books and it's a big deal, especially in Philadelphia and New York.
The limited edition 1World shoes have gone for up to $4,000 on eBay and the 300 or so pairs of Air Questos are expected to sell for big bucks. A couple dozen "hidden" pairs will have a gold toe (instead of red) and will likely be even more prized, Nike spokeswoman Demetria White said.
Thompson celebrated the shoe's release in New York on Friday, but returned to his hometown for the Philadelphia release on Tuesday.
"When sneakers are something that, when they are a topic of conversation, I feel that is a good sneaker," Thompson said. "I don't believe in a nice looking sneaker or an ugly sneaker, I believe in an effective conversation piece and I think this is a good entry into that world."
Keith Lewis traveled to Philadelphia from New York. He had thought about queuing up for the sneakers in New York on Friday, but the line was too long, he said.
"Collect as many as you can get your hands on," Lewis said of the sneakers.
But a lot of those in line say they'd rather wear them.
"A lot of people that buy them are resellers. I actually buy mine to wear them," Lewis said. "Because I actually love sneakers."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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