This guy owns more Jordans than you!
Rudi is South Africa’s very own King of Kicks. With over 120 (and counting) pairs of sneakers, he has a walk-in sneaker closet with enough kicks to make even the most avid sneaker collector reconsider his 20-piece collection.
Picture this: You wake up to the words “You’re going to New York", after laying unconscious in a hospital bed for two weeks after an accident which nearly cost you your life. Any one of us would want to jump right out of that bed and get packing (despite the very restrictive neck-piece) -- damn, we’d have our outfits and a pair of sneakers for every day of the week planned as soon as the words “New York” were dropped. This is exactly what happened to Rudi after he entered and won the King of Kicks competition. We decided to catch up with the man to find out exactly what makes him the ‘King of Kicks’.
Archive: What’s up Rudi. You won the ‘King of Kicks’ competition in 2016. What is it that gave you the ‘advantage’ over other sneaker collectors? Your collection must be huge?
Rudi: The winner was announced in October 2016 (while I was still laying unconscious in hospital, after the car accident I was in). So I only found out I had won about a week or two afterwards; and at the time I was in hospital recovering... learning how to walk again. For me, the “King of Kicks” is someone who has the best sneakers around. Not just one brand, or one style/type, but a variety of brands, styles, shapes, colours, etc. Someone who knows the history behind the sneakers he likes, the reason(s) that he likes/wants specific brands/types of sneakers, the stories that go with it. It’s not just about having the most expensive or the most pairs - it’s about everything sneaker related: living it; being it. It extends to beyond just sneakers. It’s your dress style, your unique style, how you pull together your entire outfit, the extended sneaker-culture, the sneaker community.
Archive: On to the most important thing - we know that you are a Jordan lover. How big is your Jordan collection? Would you ever reveal how much your entire collection is worth? Also, why Jordan?
Rudi: Off the top of my head I currently probably have around 40 or 50 pairs of Air Jordan sneakers. And somewhere around 110/120 pairs of sneakers in total. Growing up, Michael Jordan was obviously the biggest and most well-known basketball player ever. You grow up wanting to be like Mike, and wear his sneakers and clothes. Also, the USA had/has a major influence on what SA fashion/sneakers is all about. And basketball in the era of Michael Jordan was huge. But there were many other basketball players who were also a big hit globally. But Mike was in a league of his own. The estimate value of my entire collection I would like to keep a secret...
Archive: What’s the rarest Jays that you own?
Rudi: It would probably have to be my collection of Jordan 11’s. I have about 6 different colourways now…. But the “Concord 11s” pair (released in 2011) is probably the most valuable.
Archive: Where/how far are you willing to go to get the Jordans that you want? Do you ever look to resellers?
Rudi: I have done my fair share of camp-outs where myself and my fiancé and/or friends would literally camp-out outside of stores for a sneaker that’s releasing the next morning when the store opens. But I have given up on that now. There are way too many resellers now who actually pay people to camp-out for them. Not just one or two guys, but sometimes like 15 or more guys all working for one reseller, and he/she ends up buying all the pairs that a store has for sale. So an average guy like me won’t even stand a chance anymore of buying a pair of a limited-release sneaker if one reseller can end up with basically all the pairs available at only a handful of stores across the country. I only look to buy from resellers if it’s a pair that I REALLY really want; if the resell price is decent, and not overly excessive.
Archive: What’s the next pair of Jordans that you plan on copping?
Rudi: I really want the Air Jordan 13 Low "Chutney" that’s releasing around June this year. I’m not sure yet if it’s going to be released in SA, but I’m hoping it does.
Archive: Keeping resellers in mind, exactly how hard is it for you and how far are you willing to go to get your hands on a pair of Jordans and what do you do when you have missed the opportunity to buy a particular pair?
Rudi: With sneakers becoming more and more popular, and with so many resellers around now buying out all the latest limited-releases to resell for a quick buck; it’s becoming quite hard to get a pair of sneakers that you might really want to get. As I mentioned earlier, I only look to buy from resellers if it’s a pair that I REALLY really want; if the resell price is decent. If the resell price is too ridiculous and what I want is sold-out everywhere, (even overseas and on the internet) - it’s an easy pass for me. Over the years though, I’ve met quite a few fellow sneaker-enthusiasts, so often these are the guys I would turn to.
Archive: What can we do to make a difference?
Rudi: I think that sneaker stores should start implementing ways to try and get rid of resellers who are buying out basically all of the limited-release stock. Some have turned to a raffle system, which still has its flaws, because if I have 20 other people (called bots) in the line for the raffle, my chances of buying a pair is far greater than say someone who just came as an individual, with only one raffle ticket number. Others have implemented a “one per customer” rule, but again... if I have 20 bots that are all buying a pair on my behalf (and probably slept over in the line from the night before already), the normal average guy hardly stands a chance of getting a pair. Maybe they should start “naming and shaming” these “resellers”, as it’s fairly easy to see who the “bots’ are on release day. I’ve heard a rumour recently that someone actually got shot at a sneaker release in Joburg; which is crazy. Apparently it was the “Bots” who were all standing in line for two “big-time resellers”. The “Bots” got into an argument with one another over who was first in line and it broke out into a fight between two groups of “bots”. When I hear things like that - people getting shot trying to be first in line for a sneaker release and getting paid to do it for a re-seller - I feel like the whole sneaker-game has lost the plot. That’s not what it’s all about. But I would probably still keep on buying sneakers for a very long time though. It’s just a part of who I am.
Check out Rudi’s Instagram here (@abrahamsrudi) to check out his New York experience and to view more of his ever-growing sneaker collection.
Check out the latest selection of Jordan sneakers, clothing & accessories at Archive - click here: http://bit.ly/2pryYHq.
