5 tips for building a sneaker collection

[Photo: Anna Bediones]

A lot of people ask me how and why I have so many pairs of sneakers. First of all, never question a woman’s appetite for footwear (how dare you). Second of all, don’t let anybody tell you how to live your life.

There is no right and wrong way to wear sneakers. Everybody has their own personal style and at the end of the day if you are happy with how you look, that’s all that matters.

Whether you wear sneakers exclusively in the gym or they’re a part of your day to day ensemble, there are definitely some tips you can apply to maximize your sneaker wearing (and collecting) experience.

Use insoles

Love a pair of shoes but can’t find a perfect fit? Never underestimate the power of an insole. Just as not all shoes are made equal, neither are our feet. It’s common knowledge that adding an insole is a solution to a sneaker that is too big or not comfortable enough for your foot. But have you tried swapping insoles from sneakers you already have and love? It’s tough to find the right insoles if you don’t already have orthotics. I like to put my Nike insoles in my Common Projects to resolve the size and comfort issue. Just don’t forget about the missing insoles when you reach for the old pair again or you could be in for quite the surprise.

Maintenance

As with every other aspect of life, maintenance is key. Cleaning sneakers gets more difficult the longer you let dirt sit so if you can regularly wipe your sneakers down it saves you from vigorous cleaning or having to toss out a pair you could otherwise keep. Having to deviate from a planned outfit to accommodate a dirty sneaker swap is also less than ideal. A sneaker repellent like Jason Markk Repel makes a difference in protection and the cleaning products from his line are tried and true favourites for many. He even sells sneaker wipes for on-the-go spot cleaning.

Plan your outdoor usage

Some materials are easier to clean than others and some sneakers are tougher to replace than others, so take your local climate and the amount of outdoor wear time into consideration before deciding on footwear. Avoid suede in wet weather and instead opt for a leather material that can be cleaned fairly easily. Canvas will get dirty easily but canvas sneakers are typically more affordable to replace (for example. Chuck Taylors) so I opt for those for days when I anticipate that I may get dirty and then just throw them in the laundry.

Know your size

Knowing your shoe size is important for obvious reasons. The wrong shoes size can really mess up your wearing experience and leave you with painful blisters, but knowing your shoe size becomes all the more important when buying shoes online (especially limited releases) where it becomes difficult or perhaps impossible to make a swap for a different size. Knowing your shoe size should be automatic. After all, shoes are something you wear every day!

Don’t limit yourself to the women’s section

You’d be surprised at the gems I’ve found in the men’s and kids sections. In fact, I tend to gravitate towards men’s sneakers. Just because it’s on a different wall doesn’t mean you can’t wear it! Just be aware of size conversions. As per above, as long as you know your size you can work from there. To convert a women’s size to a youth or men’s size (they are the same) simply subtract 1.5 from your women’s size. For example, if you wear a size 7.5 women’s, you would be a 6 youth.

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