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Community Collections swings back through to the Big Apple to highlight one of New York City’s OG sneaker enthusiasts. Valentino Santiago has been collecting shoes since 1981, and after taking a decade off in the middle, he is back in the game rebuilding his stash with both new and old gems. Originally started on PUMA and adidas classics that were the move in NYC, Santiago has now transitioned into Jordans and Foamposites, but is always rocking before stocking.
Click through the feature to hear Valentino’s sneaker story, and see some of his personal favorites including his Most Rare Pair and Most Frequent Wear. Drop a line with your feedback in the comment section at the bottom of the page, and keep Nice Kicks bookmarked for everything sneakers.
Name: Valentino Santiago
City: New York, NY
Instagram: @Thuggist
Size: 8
Started: 1981
Sneaker Story:
“My collecting started out by just wanting to be fresh or fly. Ha! My first pair of fly kicks were Clyde Puma Suedes, of course. Different colors with matching laces to go with what I was wearing for the day. My next pair of kicks were the adidas “Shell Toes”, Before Run DMC was even a thought. I stopped collecting sneakers for about ten years. I really started getting back into the game about same time the Jordan Dub Zeros first came out. It’s been all about Jordans and Foamposites ever since. Don’t forget to rock over stock.”
