Meet the coolest sneakerheads from Bengaluru

These shoe lovers from India’s IT hub talk about their first pair of sneakers, the most expensive ones they own and the ones they are hoping to ‘cop’ right now

In the past, we’ve featured some of the most ardent sneaker enthusiasts from across the country to talk about their love for collecting shoes. From influencers in North East India to some of the coolest women, we’ve covered a pool of ‘sneakerheads’ who share a collective appreciation for a good pair of shoes ( you can read more about them here and here), costing an arm and a leg. In our ongoing series of sneaker buffs, we take a look at the city of Bengaluru to scour out those aficionados who consider shoes to be worth more than gold.

Priaa Rangan

The first pair of sneakers that Priaa Rangan bought were the Nike Air Max in 2017. She now has three different variations of it in her collection. “I was fortunate to be around people that wore a lot of cool pairs of sneakers. I came to learn that it was less about the hype and more about the design, the art and the story. Eventually I started to collect some really nice pairs of kicks of my own,” says Rangan, who works as a creative and brand strategist in Bengaluru and also runs a podcast called Missbehaved—a platform for women to express their sexual freedom. In the past few years, Rangan believes that the sneaker game in India has reached a new level as more people are getting into this culture. “It’s nice to see people express themselves through their style. Brands such as Nike and Adidas have been around for decades now, but I think in the next few years, more artists are going to launch their own lines featuring their custom signature illustrations . Take Anushka Kalro, for example, an illustrator who recently came with her own custom sneaker line.” She herself though is not into the whole ‘drop culture’. “I like to own rare pairs of sneakers, which is why I had copped Nike’s Air Max 90s Essentials from a reseller because they were sold out elsewhere,” she says. The next ones she’d like to add on her list of ‘rare pairs’ are the Comme Des Garçons Play x Converse.

Shariq Rahman

Shariq Rahman was 13 years old when he bought his first pair of sneakers, white Air Force 1 Low, by saving up all the money he received during the festival season. “Seeing my favourite kicks on my favourite rappers was one thing, but holding them in my hands was so satisfying and surreal,” says Rahman, who credits the hip-hop culture from the 1990s for kicking off his obsession with sneakers. “Seeing rappers like Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and Fat Joe rocking these amazing kicks just got my mind running. For me it’s not about the hype, it’s the community, culture and the art associated with them that got me hooked,” he explains. Shuffling between Bengaluru and Dubai, Rahman is an entrepreneur and founder of Life Behind Bars Cycles—a bicycle and lifestyle brand and also works as a graffiti artist. While he does believe that the sneaker culture is booming in India, Rahman is also of the opinion that most people now buy sneakers in order to get them the most number of ‘likes’ on social media. “For me, Nike’s Air Jordan 1 to 4 are the most uncomfortable shoes you could ever own. But I can see a shift in the mindset of people–they are buying more sneakers, and in the process, getting more educated and opting for quality over hype. I would like to see smaller brands push the envelope in terms of design and innovation, similar to what comes into the country from South East Asia,” he says. With the number of sneakers he owns adding up to about 30 pairs now (Nike Air Jordan Spiz’ike GS Infrared being the most expensive of the lot), Rahman is meaning to include the newest Nike ACG Blazer to this collection. “I love wearing my sneakers so it functions over hype,” says Rahman.

Gokul M.

Although it was hip-hop music (the likes of Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC) that got him into sneakers, Gokul M. insists that he’s not a part of the new-age hype culture. “I do think there will be a course correction happening down the lane when the so-called hype dies down,” says the Bengaluru-based publicist, who has been collecting sneakers for over 15 years. The first pair he bought were the Adidas Superstars. Now his shoe shrine consists of more than 120 pairs of sneakers, many of which he shares on Instagram, from Nike Air Maxs to Air Force 1s. “The most expensive ones, though, were a Givenchy pair that I paid the retail price for, and Nike Air Jordan 1 Bred when it comes to the resale price,” he says. He’s now looking forward to buying the winged overlay sneakers from the Jeremy Scott X Adidas collaboration.

Ridhii Paul

Ridhii Paul has never counted the sneakers she has collected over the years, but if asked to give a number, she believes it is more than 70. The first pair of sneakers she ever got (“I was six years old and cried my way into getting a pair,” she says) was by Lelli Kelly which came with detachable flowers. Paul has carried this love for sneakers into her teenage years as well; at the age of 16, her dream job was to design shoes for Converse. “Fast-forward to high school and university, I was getting every possible colourway that I could find of the Converse All Star 70s. I guess I was fascinated with sneakers from the perspective of graphic design and fashion,” says Paul, who is the founder of social media and design studio Dame & Max. The most expensive pair of sneakers that she has bought yet are the oversized ones by Alexander McQueen and Fragments, which she paid the full retail price for. Being into the sneaker game for long, Paul has seen a rapid growth in this culture in the last two years itself. “Reselling platforms are making sneakers more accessible in the country. Brands like Nike have started shipping from Singapore, making it easier for sneakerheads to access different silhouettes, especially for those who need larger sizes,” she says. When asked which ones she is eyeing to add to her growing collection, Paul has a list of the hottest collaborations, including Reebok x Maison Margiela, Nike x Jacquemus, Adidas x Sean Wotherspoon (“the new hot wheels collar,” she says) and New Balance 500 in white-green.

James Raleigh Thomas

James Raleigh Thomas recently did a count of the number of sneakers in his collection and it’s close to a hundred. “Ninety-three, to be exact. I haven’t worn 32 of them yet,” says Raleigh Thomas, who got into sneakers thanks to basketball and hip-hop. “I remember back in the day I used to go watch my seniors in school play [basket]ball. They used to wear some sick shoes. I fell in love with those kicks and that's where it all started. Watching the NBA and guys like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O' Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony with their kicks had so much of an influence on me. Some of those shoes I have now in my collection and they are very special to me,” he says. But the very first pair that he started his collection with was the Nike Courtballistec 2.3. “These were some sick Rafael Nadal tennis shoes. I had them in blue and indigo. I hope they bring them back. The pair I have is all beat up. I will surely buy them again, if re-released,” says Raleigh Thomas. The most expensive pair in his collection is the Nike Off White 97, but the one he values the most is the Nike Kobe 6 Grinches, which is “priceless” to him. Next on the wish list are Nike’s Lebron 8 Miami Beach, Kobe 6 Del Sol/Pop, Air Jordan 1 Chicago Re-imagined, Jordan 2 Chicago and the Nike Foamposites. Born in Bengaluru, Raleigh Thomas–who works as an information systems consultant–believes that sneakers have become a huge part of making a fashion statement in India and it’s only going to grow bigger and faster in the future. He also credits the rise of the resellers within the community. “Over the last two years I have noticed more reseller pages than communities of sneakerheads on Instagram. As long as there is a demand for shoes, there are surely going to be resellers around,” he concludes.

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