Bobbito Garcia Admits He Only Owns 3 Pairs Of Sneakers

DJ and legendary sneaker collaborator Bobbito Garcia got candid with Footwear News about his personal shoe collection — or lack thereof.

PAIRS OWNED: “I have three pairs, the rest go out. I don’t have a collection anymore. I donate sneakers to various nonprofits, like Hoops 4 Hope in South Africa. I’m more of a connoisseur, a designer, a historian.”

ONLY TIME I’M NOT IN SNEAKERS: “We don’t allow sneakers worn in the house, so I’m barefoot in the crib, or in socks when it’s cold.”

FAVORITE BRAND: “Nike is the brand I feel closest to. I’ve been working with them since 1993. The highlight was in 2007, when I did the Air Force 1 25th anniversary collab — we did seven colors.”

GO-TO SNEAKERS: “My Piola ‘Por Fin’ collab [that comes out on May 5]. I haven’t taken them off since I got my [samples].”

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Bobbito Garcia x Piola “Por Fin” sneaker in white.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Charles Roussel.

ALL-TIME FAVORITE SHOE: “On my first visit to Zimbabwe to see the [basketball] court that Hoops 4 Hope dedicated in my name, I was in the middle of a clinic and thought one of the coach’s sneakers were dope, but they looked familiar. I realized it was a pair of sneakers I donated five years before. That blew me away. The model and brand I’m not going to tell you, because it doesn’t matter.”

FIRST SNEAKERS OWNED: “The first pair I owned were skippies — a no-name brand from the five-and-dime. The first brand-name sneakers I owned were the Super Pro Keds. That was 1975, when I was 9 years old.”

PAIR I’LL NEVER GIVE AWAY: “None. When I did the Nike Air Force 1 Kool Bob Love model for the 25th anniversary, we did seven styles. In my contract, I was to get 50 promo pairs of each color — that’s 350 pairs. I gave away 349 of them. I have one pair left that I wear out sometimes if there’s a special event and I want to get a little sexy. They’re the red high-tops.”

MOST EXPENSIVE: “I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $100 for a pair of sneakers, and I haven’t bought a pair of sneakers in a long time.”

LEAST I’VE PAID: “Free-99. I get a lot of free sneakers.”

FAVORITE TREND: “Today is the best era of sneakers because you have more models, more brands, more colors, more shops. If you’re a sneaker enthusiast, you have the opportunity to be original and creative more so than any other time.”

MUST-HAVE STYLE FOR SNEAKERHEADS: “You have to think for yourself and not listen to me or any blogs or advertising. Make your own decision on what’s special for you to wear. The must-have style is to think for yourself.”