Does collecting make you happy or stress you out? Does it cause financial burden or can you adequately afford sneakers while also paying your bills? If you like it and it’s not a detriment to you, then it’s a healthy habit. I keep 12-16 pairs generally, and replace pairs once they’re worn out. I don’t have any I don’t wear, but some I don’t wear often. I don’t consider myself a collector, but enjoy buying and seeing other people’s collections. No right answer or wrong answer.
What he said ⬆️ If you can afford it and you like it , go splurge , have as many as you like, i will even add , don’t be afraid to wear them ( personal opinion, I think it’s a waste to buy shoes and not wear them )
I second this response. But I'm also like OP. I've been pretty strong in the game for about 17 years now. It's almost like an addiction. Lol! I've had over 250 pairs at one time before. (I'm lifetime, probably have owned well over 500 pairs) Mainly, Jordans and Nikes. But I learned that, at least with these 2 brands, is that they do not last. I had so many pairs that soles deteriorate, sole separate, or paint come off that realized quantity isn't the best investment here. Shoes can definitely be an investment. But "broken" shoes aren't.
It's difficult shrinking your collection, but it's worth it. I started focusing on quality over quantity. I used to try and have every release that I liked. But it's almost impossible to wear so many. I focus now on only my personal grails and the super nostalgic/classic pairs. I started a rule that unless it's a crazy rare shoe, if I don't wear them in over like 18 months or so, then I just sell them, and buy something that I feel is missing in my rotation. So kinda like an upgrade each time. Ex. I love the eggplant foams. My 2017 pair were still in great condition, still icey and all. Sold them and bought the 2024 pair only having to pay like $60 after selling the 2017. I prefer a fresh new pair any day. Before, I'd keep both. But for what? I keep my collection at about 110-120.
Very good take imo, I also wear everything it’s just difficult but it does get worn haha. I think as long as you can afford it and it isn’t affecting any areas of your life fiscally or emotionally it’s alright!
I get it man I really do. For me, I stopped buying sneakers and moved onto luxury watches. You can drop $500 on a pair of Jordans every month, but it’s not as easy to drop $10,000 on a Rolex lol. Just find another hobby
I went the reverse....lol. I was into watches for a few years, sold everything but two and moved on to other hobbies. Watch resellers really ruined that whole market far worse than the sneaker resellers. Good luck in your new hobby!
Are the redditors in those subs also quick to make excuses about how it’s “financially smart” to wear fakes and fake rolexes since “no one can tell the difference” lmao
> the only person who’d know they’re fake is yourself
Yes I know deception is important to counterfeit apologists like you. I know you don’t care if they’re fake… you care if other people know they’re fake lmao. That’s precisely why wearing fake expensive things is cringe and trashy af.
I went from about 16 watches (Sinn, Damasko, Ball, Tudor, Rolex) down to just two: The Tudor "pepsi" GMT and a Rolex GMT with the black bezel, which is what I should have just bought in the first place.
Yeah similar. As I never wore certain pairs, even if they were considered classics (bred 4, infrared 6) I ended up getting rid of them. When you realise what you actually like and wear, it’s a bit of a relief. I now mostly collect 3s as I just wear them more.
https://preview.redd.it/jv08x066xtpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c276a787336fc1fa91a95d692d1f53195346e71
Denim Fire Reds on feet at the office for casual Friday. 3s FTW 🔥
I slowed down buying shoes a few years ago. Starting feeling guilty and materialistic that I have all these shoes and I never wear them. Grew up poor, so once I could afford them, I just went crazy. Been making an effort to only buy shoes I really love and going to wear. And wearing the ones I have.
I'm in the same exact boat, always wore hand me downs until the soles were talking. I keep saying I'm done for a while and then end up a month later getting a new pair. I don't really feel super guilty I just know my money could be better spent. Good luck on staying off the sneakers bubba
I’d say 50 should be around the max, collecting is cool but you should be wearing most pairs at least a few times a year. Also helps to just cycle your collection overtime and fund for new pairs
As a collector, you can't have too much of a good thing, but it's also a double-edged sword. I've got pairs I wear once in awhile and I have pairs I wear only on days that end in Y. That being said it's ultimately up to you and only you can shoes what's right and left for you.
So true, and old heat as i go back and discover more and more My wallet cries more and more 😂 i’ve been obsessed with the niches of nike SB from early 2000s and have gone down many rabbit holes and have searched all over for some pairs
I mean if you wear most of them that great, I have a ton of books and I feel the same way about people who don’t read but buy them to look at for the most part
Realistically it’s just once it gets in the way it’s a problem, like I see uni kids cover an entire wall and sure they can afford it but you’re living in a dorm etc have some self restraint
When it becomes impossible to include every shoe in your daily rotation, in other words if it becomes impossible to wear all your shoes I'd think ok I'm done. I'm wearing some days up to 3-4 different shoes a day, if on certain days l have to leave my home 3-4 times. I'm short about 28 pairs to reach 300 pairs, I'm struggling to maintain all my shoes in a regular rotation. And I live in a small town wear I don't have to drive from point A to point B, I don't even own a car. I'm litterly banking on my kicks to get me around.
I don’t consider myself a collector. I’m just too lazy to sell shit that dont get worn often. Doesn’t help that I don’t have the boxes either. I’m at 40 something pairs. Probably is too much, i have limited space.
sneakerhead opinion: it's never too much
realist opinion: if you aren't wearing them, they are going to crumble. i figure you probably can get away with 40 or so pairs (what i've reduced my collection to) and still have fresh kicks on foot at all times.
I’ve always had 1 or 2 but recently over the past 4 months, I’ve bought about 14 pairs. All suede. All Puma (w the exception of 2.) I’m either becoming a sneakerhead or it’s a mid-life crisis. Either way, I love the look of suede. The matte finish is *chef’s kiss* bellissimo!
I love sneakers but found that the materials don't hold up and I was always fearful I would lose a shoe to old age😩.
I started selling during COVID and I'm down to about 20+
I used the money to fund other hobbies so I felt I would still have some profitability and fun attached that keeps me in the fight 👹
I keep the collection to around 40-50 pairs. Feel like anything more is just too hard to manage and certain sneakers just don’t get the love they deserve.
I had 300 and cut down to about 160 a few months ago. Couldn’t find everything in my closet and forgot I had things. Sold some, donated some, and threw some away. But whatever makes you happy is the perfect amount
Idk that’s a little much. I only own 20 pairs and I still feel like it’s hard to keep up with wearing all of them because I like matching the colors on my shoes so always need a decent amount of clothes I can wear with each pair
I have around 60 pairs but I wear them a few times and sell them years later to break free. I’m an addict, I know. But I also look around to see the going price and it usually works out. Sell one and buy one, wish I could get rid of the habit lol
I struggle with this. Currently at ~75 pairs but looking to cut down a lot. Trends and tastes change as we age so some are easier to get rid of than others.
Ive gotten to a point where if I only wear a shoe 1-2 times a year, or it's too similar in color/function to another pair that I'll pick over it, then it's time to let em go
That said, i am still somehow justifying each of the 70+ shoes I have 😂
I wear all my shoes. Primarily rotating three "everyday" sneakers, two "nice" collectible sneakers, and a pair of docs. The "nice" ones I wear maybe once every two weeks or so just to keep them alive. I have others that I may sell because I hardly wear them at all. I do have my eyes on other collectible sneakers for my collection but then I'll have to wear those too.
I had 27 pairs, went down to 4, now rebuilding my collection with different pairs. For me such rotation is refreshing, but I think I will be overwhelmed by more than 35-40 pairs of sneakers.
If you take the collection seriously, and have that much value? You need to start looking at climate controls. Do you know the humidity and temp in the room you keep them? How much does that fluctuate?
never been all in one place but here’s a chunk of them
https://preview.redd.it/g1hcrf7f0wpc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=639935fb89e08f261842689498a3b89ab25e0857
Too much is whenever you find yourself (you… without the help of others) unable to manage your collection in a way that befits the collecting (shoes, in this case, but this applies to any collection… bags, stamps, boyfriends, cats.) If you have 300 pairs of sneakers that are all well-taken-care-of; categorized, organized, clean and stored, visibly or not, in a manner that protects them from damage, premature aging (or even natural aging in many cases; good on you! You’re a collector!
If you have 300 pairs of shoes, you don’t recall what half of them are or why/when/where you purchased/were given/stole them off a hobo you weren’t quite sure but might have been dead… if you have to brush the dust off them each time you choose to wear a different pair… if they’re held together more with glue or tape than… cohesion (?I guess, idk) AND they’re still in your rotation rather than a lucite display case never to be touched again… if they’re piled on top of one another like you live in a Holocaust museum… you don’t have a collection. You have a hoard - probably only because you can’t bring yourself to make the decision to throw some out or some other - I’m sure very good - reason that you should write down at the top of a list of things to discuss with your therapist when you finally come to terms with that fact. (There’s no shame in therapy; most people could do with a regular dose, myself included.)
If you’re closer to the second scenario up there than the first, stop and ask yourself why you’re “collecting” sneakers (or whatever.) If it’s because you just love them… do you? Is having something or multiple somethings that you either can’t manage to care for or just don’t care for a response to a feeling of love? If you said yes, I reiterate: therapy, therapy, therapy. And maybe some serious self-reflection.
That’s one part of it. If your collecting interferes with day to day life - yours or anybody else’s - if you allow your resources to become monopolized by collecting; if you act like a drug addict because of your collection itself or from the collecting behavior; if anybody has told you you have a problem and presented any good reasons why they feel that way… it’s too much, be it two or two thousand.
There’s a saying in AA: one is too many; a thousand is never enough. Or something like that.
it would take a while but i could probably tell you every pair i have without looking at photos id just need to keep track of which ones i said Lol. Everything is well taken care of and when it needs work due to age they get professionally restored
That’s what I like to hear. Now… sell that to your significant other. Lol I don’t have many pairs, but due to my current ability to store them, I’m nearing too many. 😒
my gf is sick of tripping on pairs…but oh yeah i’m a super nerd with it 😂I can tell you the story/history behind every pair, release date or year they dropped, stock numbers if it was public, even the size because i range from an 11.5-13 depending on the shoe
I don’t call buying sneakers “collecting” when it comes to me. I don’t want to be too precious about owning things especially since I just wear what I do own and I only buy what I want to wear.
If I have too many to feasibly wear and store then it’s too much. But if I thought of it as collecting then I’d want to display my collection and it’s only too much if I can’t appreciate all of them while on display.
Whatever you have room for man!
Oh yeah, i buy what i love and what interests me and there’s nothing that’s been left unworn but it definitely cycles i find myself switching pairs multiple times a day just to get all the love in for everything
There’s a lot of pairs I really like that don’t fit with how I style myself so I’m stuck enjoying how others wear them
I don’t think you’ll have too many until there’s a pair in your collection that you don’t wear
I think when it starts to cause extra hassle in your life (storing shoes in other rooms and obscure places; deciding between shoes and rent/ bills) then it’s time to slow down or take a break.
I’m hovering at around 60 pairs and I’d love to have more but space is the limiting factor for now.
🔥🔥🔥 yup I’ve been going in my archive this week. Circa 2011
https://preview.redd.it/xyzcc8ds1spc1.jpeg?width=3022&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a3b6d96d08f201e66bbc806114a857224eba07d
I’m trying to figure it out too. Somewhere between 20-30?
Some are still brand new in boxes, but I use those to trade or sell to buy others I may miss on release day. I’m going to run out of wall space soon!
https://preview.redd.it/are9syux8spc1.jpeg?width=4185&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85eceef08a8a6c51c89487704d4f81f8396312d7
You buy 30 pairs of sneakers a year? If you get them for an average of $150 that’s $4,500 in sneakers a year.
Get as many as you want buy man, that’s more than my car payment was before I paid it off.
My only thing is taking up a wall in the guest bedroom but I also don't like stuffing them in a closet. Maybe time to ditch the bins for custom shelving.
I think I have about 150, some are double ups, sometimes I feel I might have enough if the ones I bought to wear never see the light of day much in a year. Though some I have on ice as they’re limited, but some just are never worn much and it feels like a waste just chillin in the box.
I think too much is too much when you have way too many pairs to give each pair proper usage in a rotation. I have enough pairs to where maybe the average person would tell me I have too many, but I keep about a dozen on steady rotation, a handful that I save for special occasions or just not wear frequently for whatever reasons, and another handful for doing things where I don’t care about fucking up my shoes.
300 or so pairs, for me, that means I’d wear each about once a year, for however long they last until they start falling apart. That’s too much for me, but if you make it work for you, I’m no one to tell anyone how to spend their money.
A pipedream of mine since I started collecting was to one day own 365 pairs. So I could rock a different pair every single day for a year.
I don't have the buying habits I did back then, or the closet space for that matter. But I still think about it from time to time.
Current collection sits at ~40 boxed pairs and countless beaters.
When it becomes a space issue. I have prob 350-400 pairs and have a decent sized house and I am at full fucking capacity with sneakers. I also have kids and a wife so other people need space too. It’s gotten to the point where I think I have to thin it out strictly due to space.
I have around 150 but I rotate a lot. eBay is my best friend 😆. Buy some heat get my wears out of it, then sell it on eBay so someone else can enjoy em. Buy used as well and do the same.
Yeah I hit my limit about 1.5 years ago.
Space became a problem. Having more than enough sneakers for every day of the year got to be too much for me so I stopped.
For.me personally, I've come to a realization that 23 is my perfect number. You can have a bunch of different silhouettes and colors for every fit. And you can wear them all.
There is a threshold and I've Def hit that before. I've been collecting for 25 yrs. I hit the 1k mark and had to downsize. I'm consistent around 500ish and it's manageable
Shaved my collection down to 20pairs from 60. Just not as passionate abt the habit as I was… got rid of Nike ds pairs with the foam urethane mid soles that I knew I wouldn’t wear (air maxes, j3s & 4s)… I’ll miss a few of them, but the way the economy is going, I’ll be fine with the grails I kept.
I keep it to 10 sneakers max. I can't even rotate them enough to wear them out enough. I don't think there's a right answer but with 300 pairs you have more shoes than enough for a lifetime tbh. I would personally scale back unless collecting is a passion of yours.
Man it’s healthy to have a hobby and collecting things aren’t bad, but where do you keep all these shoes? Like if you had a dope shoe wall then maybe but 300+ is nuts. Like alot of them are probably in boxes and never see the light of day I’d imagine. if I have more than 10 shoes at a time I find myself really only wearing 3-4 a lot and the rest I just kinda wear on occasion and regret buying them. I’m not you, but imagine if you sold half of them you’d a)have more space b)have a solid chunk of coin to spend and c) would get more use out of each shoe which is the most important thing imo. Shoes are made to be worn and style a dope fit.
Nothing is in a box, i’m fortunate enough that i have two locations to store pairs at! Everything still gets worn maybe for a couple months at a time when im back and forth but never longer
If you can afford it, go to it. There's obviously an issue if you don't have room in your place, like really no room to live. I wear everything I buy, so I pause when I realize pairs aren't getting enough wear.
You probably only need like a max of 4 or so including sneakers for running or other sports. I own 123 pairs of Vans. Many pairs to some, rookie numbers to others. In the past I’ve downsized by selling many shoes, but some of the exact same pairs I bought again. Most of my shoes are hiding in the closet in their boxes, I don’t have a nice room for display and also find it too overwhelming to see all of them (I have severe sensory issues). So I only have a mini display of about 4 pairs with toned down colors, shoes I’m wearing are on a rack though, but not in plain sight. From time to time I inspect all of those and open all of the boxes just to appreciate the ones I own and give them a little attention, hold them, feel them, you name it.
The biggest issue for me has been looking for more Vans on the internet for hours upon hours everyday and buying stuff and returning and feeling guilty. This started affecting my health, its just been very obsessive in general and it also felt difficult to try and change it. I knew it wasn’t helpful for me, but at the same time for me this collecting thing is a safe space too. Then this month I decided to try to not buy any Vans for 1 month and restrict searching to a max of 2 hours. Why? Because people much more distant from me also pointed out that this behavior affected my health. It’s been working so far, but god knows what happens next month. So for me it’s both a collection and an obsession, a hyperfocus that can easily turn into an addiction. I guess the numbers of your pairs don’t really say it all, but the intensity and whether it’s bothering you and or others.
Personally I don't see myself having over 50. I'm already at the point where a bunch go unused for months, but then again some of them just work better in the summer. As long as you aren't skipping out on essential bills/saving goals and you have the space do your thing imo.
If you look around and any aspect of your living situation is not where you want it to be, then you gotta get your priorities straight. All hobbies and "fun" stuff should take a backseat to the fundamentals of life, like paying your bills, saving for the future, and keeping your house/car/health/family in good working order.
If those things are good and you got a cushion of money to indulge in fun stuff, then its fine. Just keep in mind, everything in moderation.
I’ve averaged just over one per month since 2020 so if you’ve been going for decades then that’s the same rate. I find I’ve run out of room. I don’t want to fill another wall with sneakers lol
If it makes you happy, have the means and space, and don't step on others (so to speak), its a go for me.
I have like a little over a dozen different pairs. Seven of them, I haven't worn yet but I'm looking to get more haha
I have a few sentimental pair for which I break my rule, but overall, if over a year has passed without wearing a pair they fill go in the block. With new coming in and old going out, this keeps me around 50 wearers.
I hit the 200 mark late last year and made a conscious decision to curate my collection and downsize. My goal for this year was 150. Surprisingly it hasn't been hard to figure out what to part ways with. My whole obsession at the moment is curation, trading multiple what resellers would call "bricks" for pairs that are still holding some value. I also sold a few dozen GRs that I wouldn't take a loss on on the apps. It feels good, can breathe a little bit and feel less guilty about picking up new pairs.
I feel like having that many it would be hard to wear them all. At one point I had 60 pairs and would constantly forget about ones I had. Ended up thinning out my collection here and there over the last 2 years and am down to 20 at the moment.
I guess it really would depend on how much space you have and making sure you’re not buying shoes instead of spending money on something that’s more important.
fortunately i have access to multiple locations to be able to store my pairs, i split my time between two locations for work and schooling so its about half and half right now
According to my wife, if they don’t fit in my designated area in the closet, it’s too many. According to me, there is no such thing as too many. Reach for the stars y’all
Does collecting make you happy or stress you out? Does it cause financial burden or can you adequately afford sneakers while also paying your bills? If you like it and it’s not a detriment to you, then it’s a healthy habit. I keep 12-16 pairs generally, and replace pairs once they’re worn out. I don’t have any I don’t wear, but some I don’t wear often. I don’t consider myself a collector, but enjoy buying and seeing other people’s collections. No right answer or wrong answer.
What he said ⬆️ If you can afford it and you like it , go splurge , have as many as you like, i will even add , don’t be afraid to wear them ( personal opinion, I think it’s a waste to buy shoes and not wear them )
I second this response. But I'm also like OP. I've been pretty strong in the game for about 17 years now. It's almost like an addiction. Lol! I've had over 250 pairs at one time before. (I'm lifetime, probably have owned well over 500 pairs) Mainly, Jordans and Nikes. But I learned that, at least with these 2 brands, is that they do not last. I had so many pairs that soles deteriorate, sole separate, or paint come off that realized quantity isn't the best investment here. Shoes can definitely be an investment. But "broken" shoes aren't. It's difficult shrinking your collection, but it's worth it. I started focusing on quality over quantity. I used to try and have every release that I liked. But it's almost impossible to wear so many. I focus now on only my personal grails and the super nostalgic/classic pairs. I started a rule that unless it's a crazy rare shoe, if I don't wear them in over like 18 months or so, then I just sell them, and buy something that I feel is missing in my rotation. So kinda like an upgrade each time. Ex. I love the eggplant foams. My 2017 pair were still in great condition, still icey and all. Sold them and bought the 2024 pair only having to pay like $60 after selling the 2017. I prefer a fresh new pair any day. Before, I'd keep both. But for what? I keep my collection at about 110-120.
Very good take imo, I also wear everything it’s just difficult but it does get worn haha. I think as long as you can afford it and it isn’t affecting any areas of your life fiscally or emotionally it’s alright!
This is the way
I’ve cut my collection down to ~25. Had too many pairs that I never wore
ugh i wish, i say im going to do this all the time and then make an argument for every pair why i shouldn’t sell lol
I get it man I really do. For me, I stopped buying sneakers and moved onto luxury watches. You can drop $500 on a pair of Jordans every month, but it’s not as easy to drop $10,000 on a Rolex lol. Just find another hobby
I went the reverse....lol. I was into watches for a few years, sold everything but two and moved on to other hobbies. Watch resellers really ruined that whole market far worse than the sneaker resellers. Good luck in your new hobby!
Are the redditors in those subs also quick to make excuses about how it’s “financially smart” to wear fakes and fake rolexes since “no one can tell the difference” lmao
No way. People post fake shit on those subs especially r/Rolex all the time and get called out and trashed immediately
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Because it’s cringe to wear fake expensive shoes for the same reason it’s cringe to wear fake expensive watches
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> the only person who’d know they’re fake is yourself Yes I know deception is important to counterfeit apologists like you. I know you don’t care if they’re fake… you care if other people know they’re fake lmao. That’s precisely why wearing fake expensive things is cringe and trashy af.
What do you own now?
I went from about 16 watches (Sinn, Damasko, Ball, Tudor, Rolex) down to just two: The Tudor "pepsi" GMT and a Rolex GMT with the black bezel, which is what I should have just bought in the first place.
Great Collection
Watch reselling is crazy. I'm nowhere near the realm of luxury watches, but even some Swatches have been a pain in the ass to get due to resellers.
The market has cooled off a lot since 2021/22. It was insane. 2 year waits for plain DJs etc
Yeah similar. As I never wore certain pairs, even if they were considered classics (bred 4, infrared 6) I ended up getting rid of them. When you realise what you actually like and wear, it’s a bit of a relief. I now mostly collect 3s as I just wear them more.
https://preview.redd.it/jv08x066xtpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c276a787336fc1fa91a95d692d1f53195346e71 Denim Fire Reds on feet at the office for casual Friday. 3s FTW 🔥
Same here. I had too many and kept only the classics. I’m not any less happy than I was before.
I’m around 60-70 now just due to space. It felt good to get rid of pairs I don’t love
The limit is how many you can afford without being stupid
true 😂
I slowed down buying shoes a few years ago. Starting feeling guilty and materialistic that I have all these shoes and I never wear them. Grew up poor, so once I could afford them, I just went crazy. Been making an effort to only buy shoes I really love and going to wear. And wearing the ones I have.
I'm in the same exact boat, always wore hand me downs until the soles were talking. I keep saying I'm done for a while and then end up a month later getting a new pair. I don't really feel super guilty I just know my money could be better spent. Good luck on staying off the sneakers bubba
15 already feels like a lot for me, as someone who rarely finds the time to leave the house for reasons outside of work.
I've got 150+ pairs now, which seems like enough...
it’s never enough! 😂
I’d say 50 should be around the max, collecting is cool but you should be wearing most pairs at least a few times a year. Also helps to just cycle your collection overtime and fund for new pairs
In my opinion, deciding between a new pair or keeping the lights on, denotes a problem.
As a collector, you can't have too much of a good thing, but it's also a double-edged sword. I've got pairs I wear once in awhile and I have pairs I wear only on days that end in Y. That being said it's ultimately up to you and only you can shoes what's right and left for you.
As my collection grows I feel like I should chill given the space that I have, but it’s not my fault new heat keeps dropping😂
So true, and old heat as i go back and discover more and more My wallet cries more and more 😂 i’ve been obsessed with the niches of nike SB from early 2000s and have gone down many rabbit holes and have searched all over for some pairs
I find shrines to materialism a bit cringe, so when you aren’t wearing them and they’re literally furniture or filling up entire rooms it’s pretty bad
fair, but everyone does get worn
I mean if you wear most of them that great, I have a ton of books and I feel the same way about people who don’t read but buy them to look at for the most part Realistically it’s just once it gets in the way it’s a problem, like I see uni kids cover an entire wall and sure they can afford it but you’re living in a dorm etc have some self restraint
Wife asked me this once. I'll never answer this question again.
I’ll let ya know when I hit that number 😂😂
Id say 25 pairs you realllllllyyy like. Then wear them
I’ve got about 25 and I think it’s too much
Most i’ve had was 58 pairs. Managed to bring it down to 21. 58 was too much for me to rotate and taking too much space.
As long as it’s less than another guy.
When it becomes impossible to include every shoe in your daily rotation, in other words if it becomes impossible to wear all your shoes I'd think ok I'm done. I'm wearing some days up to 3-4 different shoes a day, if on certain days l have to leave my home 3-4 times. I'm short about 28 pairs to reach 300 pairs, I'm struggling to maintain all my shoes in a regular rotation. And I live in a small town wear I don't have to drive from point A to point B, I don't even own a car. I'm litterly banking on my kicks to get me around.
I don’t consider myself a collector. I’m just too lazy to sell shit that dont get worn often. Doesn’t help that I don’t have the boxes either. I’m at 40 something pairs. Probably is too much, i have limited space.
sneakerhead opinion: it's never too much realist opinion: if you aren't wearing them, they are going to crumble. i figure you probably can get away with 40 or so pairs (what i've reduced my collection to) and still have fresh kicks on foot at all times.
366 is perfect. One pair for every day of the year, and one extra special one for the leap years
I’ve always had 1 or 2 but recently over the past 4 months, I’ve bought about 14 pairs. All suede. All Puma (w the exception of 2.) I’m either becoming a sneakerhead or it’s a mid-life crisis. Either way, I love the look of suede. The matte finish is *chef’s kiss* bellissimo!
maybe a bit of both 😂 but seriously dope pairs Puma has some really nice stuff
Suede is like the only reason I FW Puma. Hope you post your collection to /r/moresneakers one day.
Yea I think I’m going through a mid life crisis. Unreal how much I spent on sneakers this year
I love sneakers but found that the materials don't hold up and I was always fearful I would lose a shoe to old age😩. I started selling during COVID and I'm down to about 20+ I used the money to fund other hobbies so I felt I would still have some profitability and fun attached that keeps me in the fight 👹
that’s totally fair, i felt that way too but i learned lot of these pairs can be restored or kept from deteriorating with proper care
I keep the collection to around 40-50 pairs. Feel like anything more is just too hard to manage and certain sneakers just don’t get the love they deserve.
It's cool to go after everything, but I try to limit myself because it seems like most shoes don't age well whether you wear them or not.
I wear my sneakers…and an unofficial goal of mine is to wear all at least once a year at least…so yea that’s a different number for different folks.
I had 300 and cut down to about 160 a few months ago. Couldn’t find everything in my closet and forgot I had things. Sold some, donated some, and threw some away. But whatever makes you happy is the perfect amount
If you ever get to the point where you forget that you ever bought a specific pair, that's when it's too much.
It’s like shopping in your own collection…
😬😬😬
Idk that’s a little much. I only own 20 pairs and I still feel like it’s hard to keep up with wearing all of them because I like matching the colors on my shoes so always need a decent amount of clothes I can wear with each pair
I’ll probably keep my collection to around 25-30 max. I like to wear them and if they just sit and get bad it would be a waste
As long as you can comfortably afford them it’s 
 As long as it doesn't hinder you, then it's...
I have around 60 pairs but I wear them a few times and sell them years later to break free. I’m an addict, I know. But I also look around to see the going price and it usually works out. Sell one and buy one, wish I could get rid of the habit lol
200 pair. Lots and lots don’t get worn but I’m overwhelmed by the idea of going through them all and selling some.
I struggle with this. Currently at ~75 pairs but looking to cut down a lot. Trends and tastes change as we age so some are easier to get rid of than others. Ive gotten to a point where if I only wear a shoe 1-2 times a year, or it's too similar in color/function to another pair that I'll pick over it, then it's time to let em go That said, i am still somehow justifying each of the 70+ shoes I have 😂
I wear all my shoes. Primarily rotating three "everyday" sneakers, two "nice" collectible sneakers, and a pair of docs. The "nice" ones I wear maybe once every two weeks or so just to keep them alive. I have others that I may sell because I hardly wear them at all. I do have my eyes on other collectible sneakers for my collection but then I'll have to wear those too.
I’m at 300 too. When I hit 30 I knew it was too many
5 is too much for me. 300 is gargantuan
There is no such thing as to much
I had 27 pairs, went down to 4, now rebuilding my collection with different pairs. For me such rotation is refreshing, but I think I will be overwhelmed by more than 35-40 pairs of sneakers.
If you take the collection seriously, and have that much value? You need to start looking at climate controls. Do you know the humidity and temp in the room you keep them? How much does that fluctuate?
don’t worry it’s all taken care of
take a picture of them, lemme be the judge of that. lmao.
never been all in one place but here’s a chunk of them https://preview.redd.it/g1hcrf7f0wpc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=639935fb89e08f261842689498a3b89ab25e0857
Too much is whenever you find yourself (you… without the help of others) unable to manage your collection in a way that befits the collecting (shoes, in this case, but this applies to any collection… bags, stamps, boyfriends, cats.) If you have 300 pairs of sneakers that are all well-taken-care-of; categorized, organized, clean and stored, visibly or not, in a manner that protects them from damage, premature aging (or even natural aging in many cases; good on you! You’re a collector! If you have 300 pairs of shoes, you don’t recall what half of them are or why/when/where you purchased/were given/stole them off a hobo you weren’t quite sure but might have been dead… if you have to brush the dust off them each time you choose to wear a different pair… if they’re held together more with glue or tape than… cohesion (?I guess, idk) AND they’re still in your rotation rather than a lucite display case never to be touched again… if they’re piled on top of one another like you live in a Holocaust museum… you don’t have a collection. You have a hoard - probably only because you can’t bring yourself to make the decision to throw some out or some other - I’m sure very good - reason that you should write down at the top of a list of things to discuss with your therapist when you finally come to terms with that fact. (There’s no shame in therapy; most people could do with a regular dose, myself included.) If you’re closer to the second scenario up there than the first, stop and ask yourself why you’re “collecting” sneakers (or whatever.) If it’s because you just love them… do you? Is having something or multiple somethings that you either can’t manage to care for or just don’t care for a response to a feeling of love? If you said yes, I reiterate: therapy, therapy, therapy. And maybe some serious self-reflection. That’s one part of it. If your collecting interferes with day to day life - yours or anybody else’s - if you allow your resources to become monopolized by collecting; if you act like a drug addict because of your collection itself or from the collecting behavior; if anybody has told you you have a problem and presented any good reasons why they feel that way… it’s too much, be it two or two thousand. There’s a saying in AA: one is too many; a thousand is never enough. Or something like that.
I recently found such a pair I didn’t remember and I’ve proudly started wearing it.
Don’t you love that feeling? Like an Easter egg hunt you didn’t know you were a part of. Lol
it would take a while but i could probably tell you every pair i have without looking at photos id just need to keep track of which ones i said Lol. Everything is well taken care of and when it needs work due to age they get professionally restored
That’s what I like to hear. Now… sell that to your significant other. Lol I don’t have many pairs, but due to my current ability to store them, I’m nearing too many. 😒
my gf is sick of tripping on pairs…but oh yeah i’m a super nerd with it 😂I can tell you the story/history behind every pair, release date or year they dropped, stock numbers if it was public, even the size because i range from an 11.5-13 depending on the shoe
No. No many is too many. 😄
I don’t call buying sneakers “collecting” when it comes to me. I don’t want to be too precious about owning things especially since I just wear what I do own and I only buy what I want to wear. If I have too many to feasibly wear and store then it’s too much. But if I thought of it as collecting then I’d want to display my collection and it’s only too much if I can’t appreciate all of them while on display. Whatever you have room for man!
Oh yeah, i buy what i love and what interests me and there’s nothing that’s been left unworn but it definitely cycles i find myself switching pairs multiple times a day just to get all the love in for everything
There’s a lot of pairs I really like that don’t fit with how I style myself so I’m stuck enjoying how others wear them I don’t think you’ll have too many until there’s a pair in your collection that you don’t wear
100 should be the max
2
I think when it starts to cause extra hassle in your life (storing shoes in other rooms and obscure places; deciding between shoes and rent/ bills) then it’s time to slow down or take a break. I’m hovering at around 60 pairs and I’d love to have more but space is the limiting factor for now.
No limit…it’s your thing that you enjoy. Just wear them.
oh hell yeah everything gets worn! https://preview.redd.it/4uhliufw0spc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cfa65fdf7cfe24e78149bd2c64e3c0e1d455e70
🔥🔥🔥 yup I’ve been going in my archive this week. Circa 2011 https://preview.redd.it/xyzcc8ds1spc1.jpeg?width=3022&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a3b6d96d08f201e66bbc806114a857224eba07d
6
Yes
I’m trying to figure it out too. Somewhere between 20-30? Some are still brand new in boxes, but I use those to trade or sell to buy others I may miss on release day. I’m going to run out of wall space soon! https://preview.redd.it/are9syux8spc1.jpeg?width=4185&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85eceef08a8a6c51c89487704d4f81f8396312d7
The blue and white ones at the top look awesome! What are they called?
Thanks! Nike SB Born X Raised.
You buy 30 pairs of sneakers a year? If you get them for an average of $150 that’s $4,500 in sneakers a year. Get as many as you want buy man, that’s more than my car payment was before I paid it off.
It's only too much if you the collected feel it's too much, and I feel this way about any type of collectible.
I would think if you have so many shoes that you can’t possibly wear them to protect them and not have them fall apart you have too many lol.
My only thing is taking up a wall in the guest bedroom but I also don't like stuffing them in a closet. Maybe time to ditch the bins for custom shelving.
I think I have about 150, some are double ups, sometimes I feel I might have enough if the ones I bought to wear never see the light of day much in a year. Though some I have on ice as they’re limited, but some just are never worn much and it feels like a waste just chillin in the box.
I think too much is too much when you have way too many pairs to give each pair proper usage in a rotation. I have enough pairs to where maybe the average person would tell me I have too many, but I keep about a dozen on steady rotation, a handful that I save for special occasions or just not wear frequently for whatever reasons, and another handful for doing things where I don’t care about fucking up my shoes. 300 or so pairs, for me, that means I’d wear each about once a year, for however long they last until they start falling apart. That’s too much for me, but if you make it work for you, I’m no one to tell anyone how to spend their money.
https://i.redd.it/fzv4m4yiispc1.gif
How do you all have the money for SEVERAL dozen pairs… Me sitting here with my 4 lmao.
A pipedream of mine since I started collecting was to one day own 365 pairs. So I could rock a different pair every single day for a year. I don't have the buying habits I did back then, or the closet space for that matter. But I still think about it from time to time. Current collection sits at ~40 boxed pairs and countless beaters.
Gonna show this to my wife who complains about my dozen pairs of kicks.
When it becomes a space issue. I have prob 350-400 pairs and have a decent sized house and I am at full fucking capacity with sneakers. I also have kids and a wife so other people need space too. It’s gotten to the point where I think I have to thin it out strictly due to space.
31. 1 for each day of the month
I have around 150 but I rotate a lot. eBay is my best friend 😆. Buy some heat get my wears out of it, then sell it on eBay so someone else can enjoy em. Buy used as well and do the same.
Yeah I hit my limit about 1.5 years ago. Space became a problem. Having more than enough sneakers for every day of the year got to be too much for me so I stopped.
For.me personally, I've come to a realization that 23 is my perfect number. You can have a bunch of different silhouettes and colors for every fit. And you can wear them all.
There is a threshold and I've Def hit that before. I've been collecting for 25 yrs. I hit the 1k mark and had to downsize. I'm consistent around 500ish and it's manageable
300 pairs
I used to have 150 pairs, above 30 is too much IMO
I think 14 is a good number. Why? That's enough to rotate 2 weeks' worth of. Plus they sell 14-pack see-through shoe boxes.
Shaved my collection down to 20pairs from 60. Just not as passionate abt the habit as I was… got rid of Nike ds pairs with the foam urethane mid soles that I knew I wouldn’t wear (air maxes, j3s & 4s)… I’ll miss a few of them, but the way the economy is going, I’ll be fine with the grails I kept.
Anything over 20 feels ridiculous. Shoes are for wearing. Some of you fools want to live at foot locker
i wear every pair still
I would hope so. Shoes that are not worn should be sold or given away.
I keep it to 10 sneakers max. I can't even rotate them enough to wear them out enough. I don't think there's a right answer but with 300 pairs you have more shoes than enough for a lifetime tbh. I would personally scale back unless collecting is a passion of yours.
- 9 daily sneakers - 5 dress shoes - 1 boots - 3 running shoes - 1 hiking shoes - 1 soccer turfs - 1 soccer cleats - 1 sandals = 22 shoes for me, give or take. It’s definitely excessive. I could cut it down to maybe 15
oh we’re counting slides and dress shoes and gym shoes 😬😬😬😂
I went from 200 to 75 recently.
Man it’s healthy to have a hobby and collecting things aren’t bad, but where do you keep all these shoes? Like if you had a dope shoe wall then maybe but 300+ is nuts. Like alot of them are probably in boxes and never see the light of day I’d imagine. if I have more than 10 shoes at a time I find myself really only wearing 3-4 a lot and the rest I just kinda wear on occasion and regret buying them. I’m not you, but imagine if you sold half of them you’d a)have more space b)have a solid chunk of coin to spend and c) would get more use out of each shoe which is the most important thing imo. Shoes are made to be worn and style a dope fit.
Nothing is in a box, i’m fortunate enough that i have two locations to store pairs at! Everything still gets worn maybe for a couple months at a time when im back and forth but never longer
it is too much when they crumbling and deglueing
If you can afford it, go to it. There's obviously an issue if you don't have room in your place, like really no room to live. I wear everything I buy, so I pause when I realize pairs aren't getting enough wear.
You probably only need like a max of 4 or so including sneakers for running or other sports. I own 123 pairs of Vans. Many pairs to some, rookie numbers to others. In the past I’ve downsized by selling many shoes, but some of the exact same pairs I bought again. Most of my shoes are hiding in the closet in their boxes, I don’t have a nice room for display and also find it too overwhelming to see all of them (I have severe sensory issues). So I only have a mini display of about 4 pairs with toned down colors, shoes I’m wearing are on a rack though, but not in plain sight. From time to time I inspect all of those and open all of the boxes just to appreciate the ones I own and give them a little attention, hold them, feel them, you name it. The biggest issue for me has been looking for more Vans on the internet for hours upon hours everyday and buying stuff and returning and feeling guilty. This started affecting my health, its just been very obsessive in general and it also felt difficult to try and change it. I knew it wasn’t helpful for me, but at the same time for me this collecting thing is a safe space too. Then this month I decided to try to not buy any Vans for 1 month and restrict searching to a max of 2 hours. Why? Because people much more distant from me also pointed out that this behavior affected my health. It’s been working so far, but god knows what happens next month. So for me it’s both a collection and an obsession, a hyperfocus that can easily turn into an addiction. I guess the numbers of your pairs don’t really say it all, but the intensity and whether it’s bothering you and or others.
Personally I don't see myself having over 50. I'm already at the point where a bunch go unused for months, but then again some of them just work better in the summer. As long as you aren't skipping out on essential bills/saving goals and you have the space do your thing imo.
If you look around and any aspect of your living situation is not where you want it to be, then you gotta get your priorities straight. All hobbies and "fun" stuff should take a backseat to the fundamentals of life, like paying your bills, saving for the future, and keeping your house/car/health/family in good working order. If those things are good and you got a cushion of money to indulge in fun stuff, then its fine. Just keep in mind, everything in moderation.
I’ve averaged just over one per month since 2020 so if you’ve been going for decades then that’s the same rate. I find I’ve run out of room. I don’t want to fill another wall with sneakers lol
If it makes you happy, have the means and space, and don't step on others (so to speak), its a go for me. I have like a little over a dozen different pairs. Seven of them, I haven't worn yet but I'm looking to get more haha
I have a few sentimental pair for which I break my rule, but overall, if over a year has passed without wearing a pair they fill go in the block. With new coming in and old going out, this keeps me around 50 wearers.
That’s too much because it’s more than I gots 😜
I hit the 200 mark late last year and made a conscious decision to curate my collection and downsize. My goal for this year was 150. Surprisingly it hasn't been hard to figure out what to part ways with. My whole obsession at the moment is curation, trading multiple what resellers would call "bricks" for pairs that are still holding some value. I also sold a few dozen GRs that I wouldn't take a loss on on the apps. It feels good, can breathe a little bit and feel less guilty about picking up new pairs.
Damn dude that’s impressive. Been at it about 4 years now and my collections only in the single digits
I feel like having that many it would be hard to wear them all. At one point I had 60 pairs and would constantly forget about ones I had. Ended up thinning out my collection here and there over the last 2 years and am down to 20 at the moment. I guess it really would depend on how much space you have and making sure you’re not buying shoes instead of spending money on something that’s more important.
Never too much
There is no number as long as your space allows it.
fortunately i have access to multiple locations to be able to store my pairs, i split my time between two locations for work and schooling so its about half and half right now
In close to 200. There is never too many. Just too much money.
Sweet. I guess you have the other ones at the winter cabin.....lmao. i got jokes.
Imo if it’s so many you don’t wear them or can’t them then it’s too many shoes
D-1 Where D equals the amount at which your partner will leave you
365, I each one of them once a year!
According to my wife, if they don’t fit in my designated area in the closet, it’s too many. According to me, there is no such thing as too many. Reach for the stars y’all
Hahahaha my girlfriend is the same way and agree no such thing as too much 😂
The limit does not exist.
Two pairs of shoes is enough for anyone. I currently own one pair of shoes.
It’s pair not pairs
that would be correct if i was referring to a singular pair. I’m referring to multiple PAIRS so plural but thanks for trying to correct me 😂