SELECT Collections: AFROKIX

Within the world of sneakers, there are so many different options for consumers to choose from. There are countless brands, categories, genres, and sub-genres, and on and on it goes, so for many of us, it can seem overwhelming at times. Especially nowadays, with the culture flourishing like never before, it’s harder than ever to decide what to spend your sneaker dollars on. But for some collectors, the decision isn’t as hard as you might think. Amidst the infinite landscape of footwear choices, sometimes that one brand or category or even a model can emerge from the masses to speak to us in a way that no others do and become the focus of our attention.

There are plenty of sneaker connoisseurs out there who have a specific affinity for a certain silhouette or brand, going to great lengths to hunt down any and all make-ups of the shoe that they love above all the rest. In many of these cases, it’s the usual suspects in terms of brands and models. We’ve seen plenty of collectors who specialize in Air Jordans, SB Dunks, LeBrons, PEs,

but the granddaddy of them all might just be the legendary Air Force 1. Originally introduced in 1982, the Nike Air Force 1 is one of the most beloved models of all-time and was one of the first “collectible” sneakers in the sense that even back in the early ’80s, people would hunt all over for that hard-to-find colorway that no one around their way had.

Over the years, countless sneaker enthusiasts have fallen under the AF1’s charms and there are a substantial amount of collectors around the world who can boast quite the arsenal. But with so many colorways and variations released over the last 30+ years, it would be a nearly impossible feat to accumulate every pair in existence, making each AF1 aficionado’s personal collection unique unto itself. In the case of Los Angeles-based Afrokix, he might not have them all, but he’s damn sure got most of the good stuff covered. We recently had a chance to check out his incredible spread of treasures, so click ahead for a look at one of the most impressive Air Force 1 collections you’ll ever see.

AFROKIX

Twitter: @afrokix
Instagram: @afrokix

Age:  34

From:  I’m African. My mother is Moroccan (North Africa) and my father is Senegalese and Tunisian (West and North Africa). I grew up in Brussels, Belgium. Currently living in Los Angeles.

Sneaker News:  Tell us a little about yourself.

Afrokix:  My name is Hassan aka AFROKIX aka Africa’s Finest Sneakerhead from “Cowpunchers Crew” which is made up of @slova_don (Boston), @bakegriffin (New York), and me, @afrokix (Los Angeles). Bruce Kilgore named the AF1 shoe after the President’s plane, and the CIA code name for the President’s plane is “Cowpuncher”, so since the three of us became friends and decided to have our own crew because were all AF1 fanatics, we decided to call ourselves the “Cowpunchers Crew”.

I think the reason I’m so obsessed with sneakers is “Revenge on the Past”. Growing up, I always wanted the fly kicks, for the simple

reason that the most popular kids on the block were the ones who were wearing the dopest kicks – Air Max, Jordans, Ewings, Barkleys… I was truly blessed and I was not in need of anything, but for my parents who were African immigrants, it did not make any sense to pay $100 or above for some shoes and I knew better than ask for them. So I just tried to be fresh on a budget, and I know a lot of people can relate to that. Today, this “Revenge on the Past” has gone out of control and transformed into a serious disorder. I know I’ve got a problem, but I have no intention on doing anything about it.

Sneaker News:  Approximately how many pairs of sneakers do you own and how many are Air Force 1s?

Afrokix:  I own a little bit above 700 pairs of kicks and approximately 350-400 pairs of AF1s.

Sneaker News:  What was the first shoe you ever fell in love with?

Afrokix:  Growing up, I had multiple sneaker crushes and like most kids on my block, I fantasized about having them all. But the first pair I fell in love with has to be my first pair of AF1s – 1997 AF1 Mid Red Metallic jewel swoosh. I thought I was the man. You could not tell me anything, I was the flyest dude on the block. Other kicks had me going crazy, but I actually owned these and they made me feel like a million bucks. I was in the 11th grade at the time.

Sneaker News:  What’s your favorite model of all time?

Afrokix:  NIKE AIR FORCE ONE of course.

Sneaker News:  What is it about the Air Force 1 that you love so much?

Afrokix:  Honestly, I feel like they were designed for me. You can dress them up or down. They look great with pants or shorts. Infinite colors and material combinations. They come in Lows, Mids and Highs. It’s the PERFECT sneaker blueprint: swoosh, heel, back tab, lining,side panel, eyestay, tongue, toe, toe box, midsole, sole, “AIR”, strap… It’s everything but a coincidence that the ultimate ID experience is the AF1 Bespoke. A true urban legend!! The most iconic Nike shoe of all time. A footwear classic, a basketball classic and a hip hop/urban phenomenon classic. YOU CAN’T BEAT THAT!

Sneaker News:  How many years have you been seriously collecting sneakers?

Afrokix:  I want to say I started collecting in 2004. It became more than just buying shoes to go with my outfit, my shoes had become my outfit and I just had to have them.

Sneaker News:  What was the first super rare pair you ever acquired and how did you get them?

Afrokix:  I believe it s the Air Force 1 Hyperstrike “Entourage”. My friend Kasem knew this dude who worked at FlightClub Los Angeles at the time and he had a few pairs. He came by our job and his cousin just happened to be there kicking it with us, so we ended up getting them at a better price.

Sneaker News:  What are some of the craziest things you ever had to do to get a pair of shoes you wanted?

Afrokix:  It’s probably how I got my AF1 One World Booba. As you already know I’m an AF1 fanatic, and when I saw Booba was making an AF1 collabo with the Senegalese flag on it, I damn near lost it. Just like Booba, I’m half Senegalese and I’ve been following him since the beginning of his career when he was part of a crew named Lunatic. Their first album changed the game in the French speaking hip-hop world (which is way bigger than you might think: France, Belgium, Canada, Haiti, The French Caribbeans, The French Polynesian Islands, North, West and Central Africa).

As a buyer for a chain of 4 stores here in Los Angeles, I’ve got relations with a few Nike employees, so I hit up the Nike West manager of sales at their corporate office here and told him I really needed a pair. He told me he’d try his best to make it happen.

Months go by, the shoes release and I unfortunately was not able to get my hands on a pair. Another month or two passed and by then, I have a sales meeting at the Nike West corporate office. The Manager of Sales just surprised me with a pair of Booba AF1s and tells me the whole story on why it took so long.

So, the story behind the Boobas is: 250 pairs made, 176 pairs released at his store in Paris, 24 pairs in NY (that nobody seen btw), then another 50 pairs given away to friends, family, celebrities, and influencers. So my friend had put in a request for me to get one of those promo pairs, but his friend overseas completely forgot and felt real bad about it. He felt so bad that he ran the machines one more time to make just one pair, so I ended up with #251/250!

Sneaker News:  What’s the story behind why do you have two nearly identical Bespokes?

Afrokix:  Actually, I was only supposed to have one, but unfortunately they had made some mistakes on the first pair. I have two logos on both my back tabs, the African Map and an Islamic Symbol to represent both my cultural and religious background. The first pair I received, both the logos were lasered, but I had asked for it to be embroidered, so they were kind enough to redo them the way I had asked and let me keep the other pair as well. So what seemed to be a mistake ended up being a blessing.

Sneaker News:  What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a pair and what was the shoe?

Afrokix:  I spent $3400 on my Air Mag (Bday gift). The most I’ve ever spent for some Air Force 1s was $1100 for the Air Force 1 Hyperstrike “NITRAID” friends and family.

Sneaker News:  What are your five most prized Air Force 1s?

Afrokix:  No specific order:

AF1 High Stash NYC-London-Tokyo

AF1 Laser Pack “Cashmere” by Mark Smith

AF1 One World Pack “CLOT”

AF1 Mid “FLAX”

AF1 co.jp “Linen”

Sneaker News:  What’s the crown jewel of your collection – the one centerpiece that you hold above all the rest?

Afrokix:  The AF1 Laser Pack “Cashmere” by Mark Smith. In my opinion, the most beautiful sneaker ever designed by NIKE!!

Sneaker News:  What’s your ultimate grail that’s missing from your collection – the one shoe at the top of your wish list if you could get your hands on it?

Afrokix:  1993 Air Force 1 High Purple

Sneaker News:  Outside of the Air Force 1, what are some of your all-time favorite models?

Afrokix:  Growing up in Europe, I love Air Maxes, Air Max 1s, Air Max 90s and Air 180s are my favorites. The Barkley Air Force 180 are my favorite basketball signature shoe. I’m big on ’90s signature shoes like Barkley, Pennys, Pippens, Bo Jacksons, Agassis… I believe in variety. I wear a lot of Jordans, basketball Shoes, running and SBs.

Sneaker News:  What’s the most recent pair you’ve picked up?

Afrokix:  I literally just picked up two pairs this week:

1998 AF1 Low Jewel “Halloween” DS with OG Box

AIR MAX 90 “Atmos” Infrared/Camo

Sneaker News:  What are some upcoming releases that are on your radar?

Afrokix:  There are a few:

Legend of the Summer Jordan Retro 3s and 2s

AF1 Downtown Liberty Pack

Adidas Dikembe Mutumbo “NYK”

Dunk SB “112”

Yeezy 2 “Red October” (I know, I know, I m a hypebeast)

AF1 “Penny Hardaway” pack, both pairs

Sneaker News:  What are a few shoes that are heavy in your current rotation?

Afrokix:  I literally change shoes everyday. Mostly Forces, Maxes and Jordans. Check my Instagram, I post daily.