Sneaker fan foots a R23k bill for a pair of designer shoes

Would you shell out R20,000 on a pair of sneakers? You would if you were a "hypebeast" in search of some "grails".

South Africa's sneaker culture has exploded over the past few years, along with customised designs and price tags that rival the cost of a second-hand car.

It has even spawned its own language: a hypebeast is a trendy person who buys only the latest products and copies what celebs are wearing; a diehard sneaker collector is known as an OG, or Originals Gangster; and a grail is a very rare pair of sneakers - as in the Holy Grail.

On Saturday, May 6, thousands of sneakerheads descended on Constitution Hill in Johannesburg for the fourth annual Sneaker Exchange - a one-stop shop where grails as well as the more plain "coke whites" were bought, sold, bartered, admired and compared.

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The man behind the event is Zaid Osman, a self-confessed sneaker addict who recently scaled down his personal collection to 150 pairs.

"This is about growing the sneaker culture in our country. In America, sneakers are part of daily life," said Osman, 24, who lived in the US between the ages of four and 15. "Growing up there, you are involved in the culture but no one is driving the trend. What we are trying to do here is to drive the trend."

Osman said the concept of the Sneaker Exchange had been devised in a Cape Town coffee shop.

"After I had been trading sneakers online, a few friends and I invited sneaker enthusiasts to a small get-together.

"I had all the sneakers that I got in the US, which were not yet released in South Africa. We started at a coffee shop and it was literally sneakers on the table, guys coming there swapping and buying. About 80 people attended. From there I thought there was something that needed to grow bigger."

The event is the largest sneaker-trading event in Africa, where collectors and aficionados can buy, sell or trade sneakers as well as buy locally produced apparel and footwear. More than 2,500 people attended the event in Johannesburg, and similar ones in Cape Town and Durban.

Osman said those looking to trade their sneakers did not need to register for the event, and that depending on the value of the sneakers, cash payments could be negotiated.

Artists including Riky Rick, Anatii and Youngsta performed at the event.

"We are also trying to find a way to bridge the gap between arts, music and sneakers," Osman said.

Describing what makes a good sneaker, he said it was not just the label, but also "crazy designs".

While the craze for designer sneakers has created an international counterfeit industry worth an estimated $461-billion (about R6.2-trillion), Osman said fakes - known colloquially as Feezys after the proliferation of fake Yeezy sneakers - went against true sneaker culture.

"When it comes to sneakers, you must wear what you want - but do not wear fake. When you wear fake, that says something about your personality."

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He said the sneakers most in demand were Nike's Vlone Air Force 1 and Air Jordan 1, as well as Yeezy - a collaboration between adidas and rapper Kanye West. "People also now like the trendy collaborations that brands have with celebrities."

"People are now more educated on sneakers and new releases. What is unique about sneaker culture in Africa, and specifically in South Africa, is that we are putting our own identity on our sneakers. We mix sneakers with different Afrocentric flavours such as our clothing."

The Sunday Times understands the most expensive sneakers, a pair of Jordans 4 KAWS, were bought by a 15-year-old for R23,000. He didn't want to be named.

The sneaker is a collaboration between the Jordan Brand and artist Brian Donnelly professionally known as KAWS.

"I've always wanted a pair and I tried getting them from overseas but I was going to pay a high price. I came here and paid a reasonable price. This is a shoe that is going to gain value because it's exclusive," said the teen, who has 35 pairs of sneakers.

Jimmy Lin, from Trap Kicks, who sold the KAWS, said when they were released in March this year, about 40 pairs were sent to South Africa.

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Another sneaker junkie, Joel Peterson, who came all the way from Cape Town for the event, bought Nike Air Force1. "I was lucky to get these under the resale price because they actually cost more. I negotiated to get it for about R2,000 because it costs R2,700," he said.

Also at the event was visual artist Dada Khanyisa, who includes sneaker art in her portfolio. "To customise a sneaker, it takes initiative and a creative mind," she said. "When the sneaker is done, it must not look like it was before, it must be customised to suit one's taste." She uses leather, fabric and paint to customise sneakers.

Trend analyst Nicola Cooper said sneaker culture was growing in Africa. "This is because of changing lifestyles and the new generation.

"Sneakers and streetwear are becoming acceptable, even in the workplace. We are on par with the rest of the world because of access; we are connected more than ever. When collaborations between celebrities and brands are released, we all know about it."

• E-mail the author of this article, Siphe Macanda, at siphem@thetimes.co.za