TRYING my best not to trigger an avalanche of shoes while navigating an interview inside a closet space somewhere in Subang Jaya, I creep through Hans Abdullah’s air-conditioned room large enough to house hundreds of valuable and rare sneakers – with the addition of K-Pop souvenirs.
The floor to ceiling collection of kicks displayed before me (some stacked on top of another, some arranged neatly on the racks) is just insane.
“There are about 300 pairs of sneakers in this room right now, more in my bedroom, but the majority of it is here in this space,” said the 27-year-old unapologetic Sneakerhead.
Why fit in when you can stand out
Showing off some of his most prized possessions, I couldn’t help but be awestruck – at the same time doing mental calculations – by the number of Nike Air Jordans in sight.
One need not be at the top of the sneaker-culture game to know how expensive a pair costs, and let’s not get started on resale value. However, for those not in the know, the Jordan 1 Retro Fragment can reportedly resell for up to US$2,000 (approximately RM7,940) – or more, as bids can go up.
“So, these are the Jordan VII Miró Olympics created for the 2008 Olympics,” Hans snapped me back into reality, still finding myself within the realm of sneakers.
The Air Jordan VII OC from the Miró ‘Olympic Collection’ is one of the most sought-after shoes, “because they are just really hard to find, but yeah… there is one pair right here.”
As I would later find out through Hans’ story highlights on his Instagram, the shoe was a gift handed over to him, “free of charge” from a friend during a trip to catch a concert in Singapore.
Of course, Air Jordans aren’t the only babies that make up the passion and pride he has towards sneaker collecting.
There is the stunning Nike Air Yeezy II in pure platinum showpiece that carries a distinct animalistic aesthetic with a reptilian-like sculpted spike molded on the rear of the shoe that boasts hand-skived anaconda textured leather. Describing it as flashy is an understatement.
The limited-edition Asics Nasi Lemak-inspired GEL-Kayano 5, as well as the latest GEL-Lyte 3 ‘Petronas Twin Towers’ (also from Asics) were seen stashed among the massive assemblage.
“I first got introduced to the sneaker-culture when I started playing skateboarding games and through watching one of the ‘Step Up’ movies (an American film series that revolves around street dancing) where there was a scene that had the sneakers up on the wall and all that. But at that time, I never really had the kind of money to purchase them,” shared Hans, when asked about the background of his hobby.
“I only started collecting when I was 21, which was around 2012 to 2013. It was a time when I was studying (and working on the side) in Melbourne. Even then, I was lurking in forums, just learning and absorbing as much as I could about sneakers.”
He notes that Japanese forums were the liveliest place to source for references that helped to cultivate his interest towards sneakers.
“I realised that they have a way to style things as well, which was truly unique, and it is one of the first things I picked up about the sneaker-culture itself. That is, you got to go with your own fashion sense,” he added.
Sharing more of his thoughts on whether style should be closely associated with the sneaker brand or the collector, Hans says, “It's all up to you if you want to be loyal to the brand or whether you want to just buy something that you like.”
“I know some people who only wear Nike, but I also know others who will wear whatever they feel comfortable in, which is cool. I think that's the whole idea about streetwear. It's an extension of yourself. Basically, how you show off your personality based on what you want to project.
“I think if you were to lose that sense of understanding, you will lose this form of self-expression. It is the kind of dilemma most people find themselves in nowadays, but that is a conversation for another day I guess.”
Elaborating further, the music business degree graduate says, “copying someone else's style and not standing up for something in streetwear makes one a follower,” stressing further how “it is sad because you spend so much money to emulate someone else's identity.”
A newcomer into the sneaker subculture following an idol and slowly learning the lingo is not wrong.
Hans clarified: “I think having role models are important in this scene because that is usually how this interest starts out and encourages. Just don't be too fixated on one particular sense of style.”
“Once you start to realise your potential and venture out on your own (finding yourself in the process), that is when streetwear and sneaker collecting becomes fun.”
Expressing his interest in detail as we made ourselves comfortable surrounded by colourful footwear, in the den that was created and supported by his late mother, “I really got into it [streetwear] through skateboarding, but I don’t skate.”
“I kind of wanted the drip (slang to describe an individual look or fashion sense) but I didn’t want to look as though I am biting off another culture. So, I kind of had to mix it up with Hans Abdullah style.
“I wore skate shoes, but I didn’t put on the whole outfit (i.e. the three-quarter cargo shorts) because I wanted to avoid becoming a culture vulture (someone trying to profusely copy something from a different community). I think immediately from the start I was already mixing up what I could gain from the sneaker-culture to suit myself,” Hans shared.
When asked which among his collection best represents ‘Hans Abdullah’, he scanned through the row of sneakers – each branded with the household ‘Jumpman’ logo – and pulled out a pair of the Air Jordan III Seoul.
Nike made the design to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the city’s hosting of the Olympic Summer Games and the moment Michael Jordan won the 1988 Slam Dunk contest.
“These are my babies,” gleefully expressed the Sneakerhead with the ‘Taegukgi’ a.k.a. Korean flag inspired colourway shoe in hand.
“I love wearing them. It has a low top, and is super comfortable to wear. The best part about this special pair of sneakers is it’s an exclusive Korean release, which was only made available in South Korea (through the Nike Korea online store and a specific Jordan outlet in Hongdae, Seoul).
“I like K-Pop. I truly love K-Pop and this design is the perfect mix of the two things I love the most. This shoe is me,” he added.
Sharing his rumbustious experience of getting a hold of the limited-edition kicks, trimmed in royal blue leather on the heel and red on the lining, whilst sporting traditional elephant print overlays, “I flew all the way there when the model dropped in 2018.”
“I got off the plane and immediately lined up outside the store in -10°C weather. However, I was already number two hundred or so in line. I wear large sizes, which made it harder because Japanese and Korean releases don't like to make sizes above US 10.5 – and I wear size 11 or 12. By the end of it I came out empty handed,” shared Hans.
“I returned home to Malaysia still determined, and asked all my friends if they knew anyone who could help me to get the shoe. Finally, I managed to obtain it after making contact with a guy who was based in China. Funny enough, he was in line, in front of me, in the queue back in Seoul,” added the co-founder of Madecurate, an online space created by a group of sneaker collectors, sharing their love for footwear and helping other collectors find rare additions to their closet.
“This is why I love this sneaker. The whole story that goes behind it is what embodies the culture. It’s one world, one tiny web of (a) network.”
For the love of sneakers
In the course of discovering the vibrant happenings of Malaysia’s sneaker scene at large, Hans pointed me towards Bryan ‘Botak’ Chin – a nickname that has no affiliation to the notorious 1960s real-life gangster, but “because I am botak (bald).”
The founder of SneakerLAH (the nation’s largest sneaker event) and Masses MY (a media platform championing homegrown brands and local culture) is no stranger to a community that keeps close tabs on new sneakers and streetwear arrivals.
“Using the event as a benchmark to gauge the demographic, the community is made up of people across Malaysia, quite a lot of them fly down from East Malaysia as well for the event (prior to the pandemic),” noted Bryan.
“Just judging from groups on Facebook, there is one called 'Sabah Kix', which personally I believe is the most entertaining and fun circle to be in. It's very community-based where people show off not just what they bought, but also bring up topics to discuss keeping things active. So, it shows that there is a thriving sneaker-culture there as well,” he added.
Other parts of the country with a striking interest in sneakers apart from Kuala Lumpur is Johor Baru, Kelantan and Terengganu where the east coast community, “have that whole old-school vibe to it and are very into vintage and collectables.”
“So, we do have the culture here but it's just not as big in terms of size compared to somewhere (within Asia) such as Japan – never mind about the United States because they are the godfather of the sneaker culture and where it all began,” expressed Bryan, during a chat in the city before Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0 kicked in.
“The Japanese generally are very obsessed with sneakers, and I mean it in a very complimentary way. They are able to take the culture and elevate it by diving deep in the storytelling and history of the shoe, down to the details of logo, era of origin etc.
“I think Japan is a very good benchmark if sneakerheads in Malaysia want to achieve a level of maturity on topics surrounding sneakers, apart from just taking interest,” he added.
SneakerLAH's inaugural event, which was hosted at Lot10 back in 2015, had a total of 17,000 people attending and has grown triple the size since.
Fast forward to 2021, Bryan notes that he is looking at ways to pivot the approach of his pursuit by diversifying the experience of enabling the sneaker community to be progressive, and not just rely on physical events.
“I’m planning to expand it as an online platform, maybe a store of that sort, for people to buy, sell and trade.”
“The pandemic has made us rethink how we are going to move forward. Prior to 2020, we were comfortable with the physicality of things, but now it’s more about how do we maintain the engagement from once a year to every single day,” he said.
According to Bryan, some of the heated discussions within the sneaker community is on trade and “just differing opinions on if reselling is good for the community – it's not good and it just raises the price.”
“Then again, if the price does not go up, there is no hype. So, when there is no hype, do you really still want the shoe? The reality is a lot of people buy things based on hype.”
On whether reselling makes the sneaker culture stronger, “I won’t say it makes it stronger, but it is part of the culture and makes the scene exciting. It’s like the stock market, sneakers have become a commodity over the years and you can’t deny it. It makes more money than stocks.
“If you eliminate reselling altogether, it just takes away the desirability of a product,” shared Bryan, adding there are arguments within the scene, "but usually it is between groups that don’t quite know each other well.”
The recent SneakerLAH x Hundred% x ASICS saw another milestone for Bryan’s company, producing a Petronas Towers-inspired GEL-Lyte 3 sneaker released globally last month.
“If I am not mistaken, I don't think a sneaker event has ever done a collaboration with a big brand like we did.
“I may be wrong but the opportunity given is a great honour, and the team sees it as a huge deal because the whole concept here is putting us on the map through sneakers.
“What better way than to tell the story through a design language that emphasises the Malaysian culture for the world to see,” shared the father of two.
Having been the herald of upholding the sneaker scene in the country, he sees his work in elevating the culture as long-term, “if I didn’t see it as a passion, I’d be throwing in the towel six-months in.” – The Vibes, January 17, 2021
