The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Foot notes
To most of us, they are comfy, sporty footwear. To trainers collector Alan Stewart they are walking works of art.
When a limited edition pair of £90 Adidas Gazelle Milan GTX shoes were released at Dundee’s Size? store in February, there was only ever going to be one man at the head of the queue.
Alan Stewart drove from his home in Perth, arriving at the shop at 5am, three hours before it was due to open – and was among 50 other trainer collectors desperate to secure a pair.
It was the second time he’d gone to (some might say) extraordinary lengths to be first in line at Size?, having driven though a snow storm in January when the Adidas Amsterdam shoes came out.
The footwear fanatic frequently gets up at the crack of dawn to ensure he gets his hands on rare Adidas trainers and has been obsessed with the brand since he was at school.
Engineer Alan, 46, started off with Adidas Bambas before moving on to a pair of Sambas. He now has 51 pairs of Adidas trainers – all still in their original boxes, and the majority with tags on.
“My wife thinks I’m mad, as do people in work, but I just love Adidas trainers,” he beams.
“They’re a timeless style icon and they go up and up in value, although I’m not in it to make a profit.
“Some pairs change hands for £400 and I’ve got a pair of blue and white 1974 Adidas Gazelles made in Yugoslavia which are worth £900.”
Is it not tempting just to pull off the tags and run around in them?
“I’ve got a pair of Milans I desperately want to wear but I know the value will drop if I do that,” laughs Alan. “They’re like vintage bottles of whisky.”
The father-of-two takes time off work to make pilgrimages across the country for trainer release days, and even just to scope out certain shops.
“I’m off down to Liverpool to treat myself soon,” he reveals. “There’s a shop called Transalpino which is famous for very rare ‘deadstock’ trainers.”
He’s also booked a trip to New York which will be almost entirely dedicated to trainer shopping.
Alan is so obsessed with trainers that he’s set up his very own Youtube channel, which features videos of him unboxing trainers and showing off the shoes.
“I had more than 1,000 views in less than 24 hours when it launched so it’s not just me who’s crazy,” he insists. “And that was just one video.
“It’s a bit like collecting football cards – middle aged men reliving their youth.”
While a lot of time is spent online, on forums, on eBay and on Facebook pages like Casual Clobber, Adidas Originals Trainers and Adilads, Alan has found the trainer scene to be surprisingly social.
“You get to know people and see the same guys’ faces showing up in the queues, so it’s a good crack,” he says.
“There are trainer fairs in England which are great fun, and if you’re really keen, you go to the USA and fork out thousands on celebrity-endorsed trainers.”
Alan’s the first to admit some of the prices being asked for rare trainers are “ridiculous” – not that it stops him.
“You could buy Stockholms for £65 when they first came out but now you’ll see them going for up to £500,” he says.
“There are different series of trainers like the City series and the aim is to collect the set.
“There’s also Spezials, which are very retro, and Jeans, which are from Slovakia and extremely rare.
“I’ve got two pairs of Stan Smiths, two pairs of brand new Hamburgs and all the City series,” he adds, clearly on a roll.
“You can’t get Manchester MRNs for love or money but sometimes gems do pop up, and that’s when you have to make a move, fast.”
Alan recommends signing up to the Size? newsletter and Dropdate, which gives details of shoes due for release.
“Use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and get friendly with people and scope out what they have and try to trade,” he says.
Other than that, would-be collectors might want to buy an alarm clock and be prepared to queue.
My wife thinks I’m mad, as do people in work, but I just love Adidas trainers