When I caught up with Gabriel and Efran Campos they were outside the store shuffling to keep warm. The brothers had been in front of the store since 7 a.m. and still had a day to go before even getting to see the shoes. “We heard about the shoes last year when Kanye started using them on tour to try them out, “ said Efron “Chicago is one of the only places carrying them in the country so we had to be here.”

This is not the first time the Campos brothers have gone the distance for a good pair of sneakers. “Last year we went to New York for a new Nike that was dropping,” said Gabriel, hands deep in his pockets to keep away the cold “We waited outside that store for 18 hours before the shoes came out.”

The Campos brothers are far from alone. Sneakerheads are a quiet but thriving community in the Chicago area. From the casual buyer to the hardcore enthusiast there are many in Chicago that will go to great lengths for the perfect pair of shoes. “My husband, at one point when we were dating, owned nearly 300 Nike Dunks.,” says Chicago native Natalie Slater.

A really good pair of sneakers is, to many, like buying artwork from a gallery. They are an investment and not something to be worn casually. Nor should they be. Since the Yeezy hit the market buyers can get them for anywhere from $215 to nearly $1,000 on ebay. With only limited availability it is literally first come, first serve. If you’re reading this there is a good chance it is already too late. The Air Yeezy’s officially hit the market today at 10 a.m. Saturday the 4th of April.

* Nike Town photo by Barry Brecheisen

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:
Code:*

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!