Born and raised in the Bay Area, Nea was introduced to sneakers by her uncles at an early age. Her love for shoes grew once she got involved in organized sports. Since then, her collection and knowledge of sneakers have expanded.
How long have you been collecting sneakers?
Over 20 years now.
How many pairs do you currently have in your closet?
I’ve consolidated my collection and plan to size it even more. I’m probably down to less than 100 pairs.
How long have you been a member?
I joined at the beginning of the pandemic and my two-year anniversary of being a member is right around the corner.
What is the oldest sneaker in your collection?
I’ve gotten rid of so many old pairs, beat, and hanging on for dear life. I still have my Air Jordan 2 Low “Navy”, Air Jordan 15s, and “Cherrywood” 16s somewhere at home.
What’s the sneaker that got you hooked?
Air Max 95s and Air Jordan 13 “Bred”.
What’s your best steal or retail cop?
I was patient and kept my eyes peeled for quite some time and recently came up on a grail of mine for a really good price– Murakami x Vans Slip-Ons. My Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 827 comes in a close second.
What’s “the one that got away” for you?
Off-White sail 4s. I got access, but of course, the SNKRS app wanted to act out on me. It kept glitching saying there was a card error. The heartbreak!
What are five sneakers every person should have?
- Air Jordan 1 High
- New Balance 990s
- Nike x Tom Sachs General Purpose Shoe
- Nike Waffle One
- Black and White Old Skool Vans
What’s a sneaker in your collection that always gets looks/compliments when you wear them?
Recently it has to be Nike x Tom Sachs General Purpose Shoe, Salehe Crocs, Chlorophyll Dunks, and Nike x Travis Scott Air Max 1s.
What’s the most you’ve done for a pair of shoes?
Camped out overnight at a mall to secure a pair of Space Jam 11s. It’s one of my all-time favorite shoes, so it was worth it.
Best sneaker trade?
Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 993 for Off-White Zoom Fly.
What pairs do you have for sale or trade on COLLECT right now?
Currently, I have the Aleali May x Air Jordan 14’s, Nike x Sacai Blazers, and Nike x Kaws Blazers up there. I’m in the middle of uploading more pairs for sale and trade too!
What pairs are you currently watching / what will be your next pick-up?
Besides the Air Jordan 1 “Lost and Found”, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a lot of older shoes like Pine Green Waffles and older Nike SB Dunks.
How do you think the sneaker game has changed since you started collecting?
A lot has changed. The in-store shoe shopping experience for new releases is nonexistent, and the quality of shoes has taken a significant nosedive for certain brands and models. Lastly, buying shoes as a whole has become a whole different game.
What is your biggest frustration with sneakers as a whole right now?
Resellers. I get it, hard times, but to put in so much extra time and energy to use bots to purchase shoes to make a buck is such a joke. If you want to rock ‘em, buy ‘em. If not, just let people who wanna wear them purchase them. It’s that simple. We, consumers, have much more control over that than we think… Just don’t pay resale.
Brand rapid-fire – What are your favorite Nike, adidas, Jordan, and New Balance models?
Nike – Air Max 97 “Metallic Gold”
Adidas – Pro Model 2G
Jordan – 1, 3, 11
New Balance – JJJJound 990v3 “Olive”
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