Robert147

Looking for shoe collectors on eBay might be easy, but finding them in-person throughout the globe is a whole ‘nother story. However, here at eatmoreshoes we don’t give up lightly, and recently we traveled out to the Netherlands in order to connect with a certified, one-of-a-kind, adidas fiend by the name of Robert147. This self-proclaimed “squeaky-supe-loving Dutchie” searches for Superstars and track tops to stash in his specialty sneaker room, sharing his background and inspirations with us as we dig through the royal blue boxes and tear into his track top wardrobe.

Robert147, tell us about yourself… who are you offline?

My real name is Robert. I’m 34 years old and I live in Holland. About an hour drive away from Amsterdam. I have a nice girlfriend, a three and a half year old daughter, and a little boy on the way. During the week I work at a bank in a nice suit. My other interests are cars, rollercoasters, music, and movies.

When’d you first get into sneakers?

Late 80′s, early 90′s, when I was in high school it was all about the Nikes (sorry adidas). If you didn’t have the right Nikes you were nothing. I wanted to fit in of course so that resulted in me owning a couple of Air Max’s and Pegasus’. Then a period came of no sneakers at all and around 1995 I became a skater, so I wore a lot of skate shoes (such as Ethnies, Vans, and ES).

Beyond your initial flirtations with Nikes and skate shoes, when did you know it was all about adidas for you, all about the Superstar?

In the late 90′s I saw a guy at school wearing these bad ass adidas sneaks with a rubber nose. I had never seen them before. I just had to have those shoes and asked the guy where he got them from. Amsterdam, he said, so I took the train to Amsterdam and bought the shoes. They were actually Pro Models, and I think this was just before adidas launched their Originals range, because shortly after that almost every guy and girl was wearing Superstars.

Anyway, I really fell in love with these shoes and adidas in general. I only bought adidas since then. Some Samoas, Rekords, and Dragons, but most of all Superstars. I listened to a lot of Hip Hop in those days so adidas was the perfect combination. Not to forget KoRn – which was my favorite metal band at the time – as they were also into adidas. In 2009 I discovered SSDB (SuperstarDB) and since then I have only bought Superstars. I’m pretty glad I found this website because it helped me find a lot of nice sneaks. Holland is definitely not the place to be when it comes to buying Supes. The only shell toes I ever bought in Holland came from an outlet.

Beyond the music and high school hype, what is it exactly about adidas – and the Superstar – that really gets you going?

It’s hard to describe. Everything’s just right about adidas, I guess. The old school look, the comfort, just about everything. Same for the Superstar itself. The design is just perfect. No sneaker looks better in my opinion. The shell toe is the best design ever.

You certainly know what you like… how does this focus on footwear affect your family life?

Since I discovered SSDB, sneakers have completely taken over my life. My love for adidas was always there but after joining that forum it became a full-blown addiction. At the moment I have about 70 pairs of superstars and a dozen track tops and t-shirts. The funny thing is my girlfriend encourages me to buy more. Can you believe that?

No.

[both laugh]

I know… I’ve the best girlfriend in the world! My little girl is not really into adidas but she spots a trefoil from a mile away. I think one of her first words was adidas. I not only share my addiction with family, but with my friends and colleagues as well. Everybody thought I was crazy at first but they’re starting to like it a lot and are always very curious to know what my next purchase will be.

Nice one! But what about other collectors, how’s the shoe scene in Holland?

Hmm, no real shoe scene in my area, just skip this question!

Damn, harsh world you live in up there. So do you consider yourself a collector?

Yes, I do. My taste in Supes has changed over time. When I first started collecting I bought everything I could get my hands on. I used to think there were only white and black models out there but when I discovered there were a lot more I became crazy and spent every last penny I had. That has changed and now I only buy what I really like. It’s not about quantity for me; it’s about quality. I think that’s what collecting is about.

We agree completely. Speaking of quality, what can you tell us about your growing collection?

Like I said before I bought almost every single supe I could find. But I sold all those shoes and now I only buy what I really like. Another thing that’s important to me is to make sure the price isn’t too high. I know that sounds obvious but it’s kind of a sport for me to find real bargains. I’d rather buy five “normal” pairs than one exclusive pair if you know what I mean.

Right now my collection is a combination of all silhouettes. Superstar 1′s, 2′s, 80′s, and Vins. I think the Superstar 2 is the most comfy model. But the Vins and 80′s look so much better. Suede is my favorite material so you’ll find a lot it in my collection. I’m currently into finding older superstars, preferably before 2000. I like the shell on those so much more than what they use nowadays. But it’s pretty hard to find them in good condition.

No doubt. Seriously Robert, the room you’ve setup is amazing, how’d that come about?

Thanks! Before this setup I had another room with six shelves in it, but I had to make room for the new baby. So I was able to create my own space. I started thinking and I wanted to keep the shelves of course. Pretty soon I had the idea of making three rows of shelves – to represent adidas’ three stripes branding – on an adidas Originals royal blue wall. It was a lot of work to level out all shelves but I’m pretty happy with the result. It wasn’t complete without a big ass white trefoil. I searched for a sticker but couldn’t find any so I decided to create it myself. I bought a 4mm MDF board, a jigsaw, and some white paint… and the result is what you see on the pictures.

Wow, Robert, you’re definitely nuts for the three stripes! What’s next though?

I’m not sure if I’m going to add more to my room, as it’s pretty small. I do still have a wall which needs some decoration so any suggestions are welcome.

Out of your entire collection, what do you wear the most and why?

Unfortunately I can’t wear Superstars to work so the weekends are my only shell toe times. And I live in Holland so that means a lot of shitty weather, thus suede is not an option most of the time. But when I do wear Supes there isn’t really one I wear the most. Instead I try and combine my kicks with the clothes that I wear.

Holy grails… you must have some?

Pffffff, there are so many. I can say the whole Consortium series of the 35th Anniversary but that’s not realistic. Although I like them all, they’re just too pricy for me. That is, if I ever get the chance of finding them. My actual grails are much more realistic, such as the red snakeskin 80′s, the black Kazuki Whiz’s, the Superstar 80′s Transformer Pack, the Run DMC’s (25 anniversary of ‘my adidas’), and the Blue Sciences to name a few.

And are you collecting anything else?

No, although my closet is getting pretty full with track tops.

When did you first start stashing those?

Like my Superstars I always had one track top I wore all the time. I just started collecting about two years ago, if you can even call it collecting.

It definitely looks like a collection in the making… where, and more importantly how, do you usually find the ones you dig enough to purchase?

I find them on eBay, in outlets, at adidas Originals, and various vintage stores. I don’t buy them to match my shoes, but instead because of the way they look on their own. With seventy pairs of Superstars there is always a match.

[laughs]

What’s the story behind your STV Herzogenaurach track top?

One might say it’s a vintage track top but I actually bought it at an outlet last year. I have been told that STV stands for Sport und Turn Verein (which loosely translates to Sports Club). Beyond that, there’s no real story behind it, though it’s one of my favorite track tops. The colors are nice and the stripes match my bluebird track pants.

Fair enough… maybe you’ve got a funny sneaker story for us instead?

Go visit SSDB and you’ll find a ton of stories. I’m currently known as the “squeaky-supe-loving Dutchie” or “fussy bugger”. To be fair, I am quite fussy when it comes to Supes, but that’s just how I am in life. Unwanted creases, little cracks, squeaking Vins, dog poo on my fresh Supes, you name it, it can make me turn insane!

[both laugh]

Robert, thank you for your time and your hospitality, allowing us into your shell toe shrine for a sit down. Before we bounce, do you have any parting words of advice or shared wisdom you can dish out to your fellow, worldwide, trainer addicts?

Some words a wise man once said on SSDB: “it’s a marathon not a sprint”. In other words, don’t buy just about anything. You’ll end up poor and owning a lot of sneaks you don’t really like.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by Niels Doms and Robert Hamers