TONY TOUPET
Town:BERLIN, born&raised
Age: 32 years of age
Collection Size: way too small if you ask me!
Town:BERLIN, born&raised
Age: 32 years of age
Collection Size: way too small if you ask me!
Please introduce yourself to the Tenisufki.eu readers.
Czesc everybody, nazywam sie tony toupet, as you read in the top i'm from berlin and 32 years old but still 18 in mind and heart, sadly not in liver!
Why sneakers, what made you start collecting shoes?
Thats always a hard question because it makes me really think about the whole shit and what else i could have done with my time and damn money if i wouldn'd care about sneaks and would just buy the next new pair if the old one would be worn dead! But unfortunately or luckily i DO care about them more than what is good for me! In my case it all started with or under the influence of some of my friends of berlins graffiti related scene. In the early 90s there were certain models which were already rare back then and highly sought-after must haves for this kind of dresscode.
How long you are in it? Did you collect at the beginning or it was for fun?
I'm really "into" sneaks, if you wanna call it like that, for at least the last 15 years. At the very begining it was just for several modells which i had to have and more and more, or to be honest really quick it became an obsession, love/hate, collection thing!
Did you play any sport, that made you interested in shoes?
I know a lot of sneakerheads out there are really into basketball or soccer, but for me- i don't care about sport, i just play with myself!
Now we would love to know how many pairs do you own? Do you actually know the answer to that question?
Honestly, i don't know the exact number, and even if -- it's just numbers! I know some guys which have more sneaks at home than your average foot locker on stock. Or other ones which have only 20 pairs worth a benz! What i'm trying to say is that number-dropping is just for pussys.
My wife says it's an obsession, an addiction and she cannot understand, why the grown up men talk about shoes, read blogs and forums edicated to them. What do you think about that? Is it for you hobby, addiction or life?
Another hard question! - if you ask an alkoholic if he's got a problem with drinks, what the hell would he say!? "CHEERS!" So to me a "hobby" is something which you are interessted in for some time or which you do for time-killing - something which changes here and there. so in my eyes "hobby" means shit! I wouldn't go so far to call it live, thats way too much, cause if you take it seriously it's just shoes ... on the other hand it would be mad to say i don't care about my sneakers, collection or whatever you wanna call it! so let's just say: it's def a big part in my live!
Czesc everybody, nazywam sie tony toupet, as you read in the top i'm from berlin and 32 years old but still 18 in mind and heart, sadly not in liver!
Why sneakers, what made you start collecting shoes?
Thats always a hard question because it makes me really think about the whole shit and what else i could have done with my time and damn money if i wouldn'd care about sneaks and would just buy the next new pair if the old one would be worn dead! But unfortunately or luckily i DO care about them more than what is good for me! In my case it all started with or under the influence of some of my friends of berlins graffiti related scene. In the early 90s there were certain models which were already rare back then and highly sought-after must haves for this kind of dresscode.
How long you are in it? Did you collect at the beginning or it was for fun?
I'm really "into" sneaks, if you wanna call it like that, for at least the last 15 years. At the very begining it was just for several modells which i had to have and more and more, or to be honest really quick it became an obsession, love/hate, collection thing!
Did you play any sport, that made you interested in shoes?
I know a lot of sneakerheads out there are really into basketball or soccer, but for me- i don't care about sport, i just play with myself!
Now we would love to know how many pairs do you own? Do you actually know the answer to that question?
Honestly, i don't know the exact number, and even if -- it's just numbers! I know some guys which have more sneaks at home than your average foot locker on stock. Or other ones which have only 20 pairs worth a benz! What i'm trying to say is that number-dropping is just for pussys.
My wife says it's an obsession, an addiction and she cannot understand, why the grown up men talk about shoes, read blogs and forums edicated to them. What do you think about that? Is it for you hobby, addiction or life?
Another hard question! - if you ask an alkoholic if he's got a problem with drinks, what the hell would he say!? "CHEERS!" So to me a "hobby" is something which you are interessted in for some time or which you do for time-killing - something which changes here and there. so in my eyes "hobby" means shit! I wouldn't go so far to call it live, thats way too much, cause if you take it seriously it's just shoes ... on the other hand it would be mad to say i don't care about my sneakers, collection or whatever you wanna call it! so let's just say: it's def a big part in my live!
What would be a centerpiece of your collection?
I have a mixed up taste, so my stuff varies from vintage to retro and is not limited to a particular model! I'm really down with vintage adidas "made in france" stuff, nike cortez and air trainer models, so i guess these are the centerpieces or columns of my collection.
The absolute grail and name top 5 sneakers of all time?
The hardest of all questions ... impossible to name 5 so i'm gonna try it like that:
adidas:
< - ewing (rivalry, attitude, metro attitude)
- superstar
- epi pro
- stan smith
- kareem abdul jabbar
nike:
- air jordan I
- cortez
- air trainer (cross,I, III, sc)
- max I
- blazer
other:
- ghetto puma (suede, basket, clyde)
- converse star tech
- puma the beast
- converse all star
- pony starter
Funny stories regarding any release, camping outside the store, any luck on eBay etc?
Some weeks before the 1st puma vaughn bode release one of my buddys from sneaker-tv showed me a preview pic of the upcoming style and i told him imediately:"langer, (aka inberlin35) there is no question - i need those, but you know me if i wanna camp it will be in canada and not in front of SOLEBOX!" so he told me:" toupet i got you - if i get them for you BEFORE the official release day you gonna ..." and me:" serve coffee for all the campers in front of SOLEBOX on release day sporting the bodes and bathrobe only!" in the end it was a cold fucking morning, as some of you might saw on youtube, only wearing the awaited kicks, a bathrobe and of course my toupet!
Favorite brands, since you're German you might be fan of Adidas or Puma, or it is other brand?
There's no doubt that i'm "a fan" of both companies or better of some of their genius creations of the past, but as both brands come from Bavaria, the south part of Germany- to me it's the same as if they would come from Transilvania or from Atlantis!
I see you own a lot of Vintage, Original stuff, was it like that from the begging? You were always interested in history? Do you like any of the new models?
As i mentioned before some of my grails like the adidas ewings or nike son of lava domes aka escapes, which were the first models which i tried to get my hands on, were already pretty hard to get back then. this was before the whole retro-styles came up so it was just logical that you tried to hunt down gone models if you wanted to have something special! For me the history aspect was more like: i need to have these "metro attiude" "cortez" or this "campus" because it looked so cool on this record cover or movie and they would match perfect to this or that shirt or jacket in this colorway! Besides really few exceptions it wasn't/isn't for the sport or company background for me.
What is your take on hybrids? Is it for you new trend (not that new if you know sneakers, hahaha) that will go, or is it going to stay forever?
Actually there is only a very little number of new models which i like and in most of the cases those are hybrids, which comes straight to your next question. Just recently i saw a picture of an air trainer 1/ max 90 infrared hybrid, which made me instantly horny! (sadly it was just a photoshoped pic!) even if i told you that my taste or style is variing, my prefered look for kicks is allways: old school = as simple and clean as possible - a code which most of the new models don't follow. But in general i'd say the designers should get their asses up and need to create total new stuff, and not just only mash up tinkers masterpieces!
I have a mixed up taste, so my stuff varies from vintage to retro and is not limited to a particular model! I'm really down with vintage adidas "made in france" stuff, nike cortez and air trainer models, so i guess these are the centerpieces or columns of my collection.
The absolute grail and name top 5 sneakers of all time?
The hardest of all questions ... impossible to name 5 so i'm gonna try it like that:
adidas:
< - ewing (rivalry, attitude, metro attitude)
- superstar
- epi pro
- stan smith
- kareem abdul jabbar
nike:
- air jordan I
- cortez
- air trainer (cross,I, III, sc)
- max I
- blazer
other:
- ghetto puma (suede, basket, clyde)
- converse star tech
- puma the beast
- converse all star
- pony starter
Funny stories regarding any release, camping outside the store, any luck on eBay etc?
Some weeks before the 1st puma vaughn bode release one of my buddys from sneaker-tv showed me a preview pic of the upcoming style and i told him imediately:"langer, (aka inberlin35) there is no question - i need those, but you know me if i wanna camp it will be in canada and not in front of SOLEBOX!" so he told me:" toupet i got you - if i get them for you BEFORE the official release day you gonna ..." and me:" serve coffee for all the campers in front of SOLEBOX on release day sporting the bodes and bathrobe only!" in the end it was a cold fucking morning, as some of you might saw on youtube, only wearing the awaited kicks, a bathrobe and of course my toupet!
Favorite brands, since you're German you might be fan of Adidas or Puma, or it is other brand?
There's no doubt that i'm "a fan" of both companies or better of some of their genius creations of the past, but as both brands come from Bavaria, the south part of Germany- to me it's the same as if they would come from Transilvania or from Atlantis!
I see you own a lot of Vintage, Original stuff, was it like that from the begging? You were always interested in history? Do you like any of the new models?
As i mentioned before some of my grails like the adidas ewings or nike son of lava domes aka escapes, which were the first models which i tried to get my hands on, were already pretty hard to get back then. this was before the whole retro-styles came up so it was just logical that you tried to hunt down gone models if you wanted to have something special! For me the history aspect was more like: i need to have these "metro attiude" "cortez" or this "campus" because it looked so cool on this record cover or movie and they would match perfect to this or that shirt or jacket in this colorway! Besides really few exceptions it wasn't/isn't for the sport or company background for me.
What is your take on hybrids? Is it for you new trend (not that new if you know sneakers, hahaha) that will go, or is it going to stay forever?
Actually there is only a very little number of new models which i like and in most of the cases those are hybrids, which comes straight to your next question. Just recently i saw a picture of an air trainer 1/ max 90 infrared hybrid, which made me instantly horny! (sadly it was just a photoshoped pic!) even if i told you that my taste or style is variing, my prefered look for kicks is allways: old school = as simple and clean as possible - a code which most of the new models don't follow. But in general i'd say the designers should get their asses up and need to create total new stuff, and not just only mash up tinkers masterpieces!
What do you think about people who collect only the limited edition sneakers? Is it the point of collecting?
Generally i think everybody should collect or do whatever he/she wants to! So if someone is down with the hype only, it's cool for me - this way there will be more vintage stuff for me, hahaha! But everyone who calls himself a collector should at least know a little where the whole shit is comin from! Some basics are needed to know, if you ask me - and i'm not talking about which model kanye wore during his last performance, more like: "orange swooshs", crackin' soles,"endorsed by" , first visible air and so on!
What do you think about resellers? How to make money for all the new releases, do you spend a lot of money on shoes?
Reselling is just a logical part of the game. i mean if you afford the time to camp in front of a store just to grab a pair of whatever new release you are free to offer, sell, or resell everything you want to every price which comes to your mind! As long you find someone stupid enough to pay you your price (or smart enough not to camp himself, but spend the night with drinks and girls...) you're a made men after maybe 120 nights camping!? The deeper you're in it the easier it gets to get your next fix! But easy doesn't necessarily means that you don't spend serious cash -- a lot of little is still much in the end!
And what about new brands like JB classics, Supra, etc?
I'm not so familiar with their whole product line, but as far as i can tell both brands have some good ideas and nice clean designs. I saw some nice cws and materials on serveral supras and classic cuts on jbs. But to be honest they didn't made it to my feet so far!
We know there is a big scene in Germany, are there any online communities you can recommend?
Sneaker-tv.de is the choice when it comes to german sneaker sites! Dunkbar.de is a brilliant site with everything related to the "one and only" DUNK.
Do you guys meet in real life? Can you say sneakers ring people together and you can actually met some great people, maybe friends through that?
If someone would have told me 5 years ago that i will frequently meet with people (men!) that i know from the internet i would have told him to piss off! But the truth is through out the net and it's serveral sneakersites i met a lot of strange and even more cool guys! We have a "sneakerstammtisch" - a meeting with sneakerheads which is taking place frequently and more events and partys than whats good for my health!
Do you know anything about Poland, polish sneaker guys?
I have a lot of friends which are originaly from poland since i am a kid and i've been to poland a lot of times to visit friends or for buisiness. Due to berlins geografical location close to poland we have many polish citizen here, especially in the area i live in. Just at the last "SOLEMART", the biggest german sneaker convention, it meet some polish guys which had a sales stand as well and we did some deals and beers togheter! I know that you have a huge scene, too and that there are some true collectors!
Any shout outs, any last comments anything to add?
First of all: rest in peace to Michael Jackson my biggest hero of all times!
I hope to meet some of you at the next SOLEMART, taking place at 2nd of july in berlin, have some drinks with you and do some sneaker deals! If you have anything vintage for sale or trade - just let me know! i'm always open to new contacts and networks!
Peace to all polish sneaker heads, my buddys from sneakerstammtisch, my brothers from Auclan berlin and of course these fine stores: madflavor, solebox, kickback, paul's boutique, and lacee!
Interview by: tenisufki.eu
Generally i think everybody should collect or do whatever he/she wants to! So if someone is down with the hype only, it's cool for me - this way there will be more vintage stuff for me, hahaha! But everyone who calls himself a collector should at least know a little where the whole shit is comin from! Some basics are needed to know, if you ask me - and i'm not talking about which model kanye wore during his last performance, more like: "orange swooshs", crackin' soles,"endorsed by" , first visible air and so on!
What do you think about resellers? How to make money for all the new releases, do you spend a lot of money on shoes?
Reselling is just a logical part of the game. i mean if you afford the time to camp in front of a store just to grab a pair of whatever new release you are free to offer, sell, or resell everything you want to every price which comes to your mind! As long you find someone stupid enough to pay you your price (or smart enough not to camp himself, but spend the night with drinks and girls...) you're a made men after maybe 120 nights camping!? The deeper you're in it the easier it gets to get your next fix! But easy doesn't necessarily means that you don't spend serious cash -- a lot of little is still much in the end!
And what about new brands like JB classics, Supra, etc?
I'm not so familiar with their whole product line, but as far as i can tell both brands have some good ideas and nice clean designs. I saw some nice cws and materials on serveral supras and classic cuts on jbs. But to be honest they didn't made it to my feet so far!
We know there is a big scene in Germany, are there any online communities you can recommend?
Sneaker-tv.de is the choice when it comes to german sneaker sites! Dunkbar.de is a brilliant site with everything related to the "one and only" DUNK.
Do you guys meet in real life? Can you say sneakers ring people together and you can actually met some great people, maybe friends through that?
If someone would have told me 5 years ago that i will frequently meet with people (men!) that i know from the internet i would have told him to piss off! But the truth is through out the net and it's serveral sneakersites i met a lot of strange and even more cool guys! We have a "sneakerstammtisch" - a meeting with sneakerheads which is taking place frequently and more events and partys than whats good for my health!
Do you know anything about Poland, polish sneaker guys?
I have a lot of friends which are originaly from poland since i am a kid and i've been to poland a lot of times to visit friends or for buisiness. Due to berlins geografical location close to poland we have many polish citizen here, especially in the area i live in. Just at the last "SOLEMART", the biggest german sneaker convention, it meet some polish guys which had a sales stand as well and we did some deals and beers togheter! I know that you have a huge scene, too and that there are some true collectors!
Any shout outs, any last comments anything to add?
First of all: rest in peace to Michael Jackson my biggest hero of all times!
I hope to meet some of you at the next SOLEMART, taking place at 2nd of july in berlin, have some drinks with you and do some sneaker deals! If you have anything vintage for sale or trade - just let me know! i'm always open to new contacts and networks!
Peace to all polish sneaker heads, my buddys from sneakerstammtisch, my brothers from Auclan berlin and of course these fine stores: madflavor, solebox, kickback, paul's boutique, and lacee!
Interview by: tenisufki.eu