If you have a passion for collecting rare or exclusive footwear, you're probably all too familiar with catching yourself developing some strong emotional ties for certain pairs from your collection.
In the monthly Kickin' the Door Blog series, we welcome fellow Rotterdam-based sneaker aficionados and footwear connoisseurs to share the Top 3 sneakers from their collection and let us in on the stories that make them so unique.
@Hadzia
For the 28th edition of the Kickin’ the Door series, we are joined by Ahmet.
- Ahmet, when did your love for sneakers start?
My love for sneakers started for me in the mid 90’s. As a young kid, my parents always bought Nikes for me. My first Air Max was the 95 and shortly after that I saw the older kids wearing the BW and I had to have them. I remember seeing the BW in a purple-greenish Cameleon and knew it straight away. I had to convince my parents to get them for me. After the BW I was introduced to the AM1s. The 1's are THE shoe for me, to this day.
We are curious - What are Ahmet's Top 3 sneakers from his collection and more importantly, what are the stories behind them?
#3 Nike SB x Parra Dunk Low Pro 'Abstract Art'
(Released in 2021)
I ended up with empty hands when this shoe was released. A few months later, the night before my birthday my girlfriend surprised me with this pair, and this was my first Dunk. What I liked about this one is the way they feel on feet with the pro features and of course the iconic Parra colors.
#2 Nike Air Max 1 City Pack 'LDN'
(Released in 2020)
I really like the combination of different materials, especially the grey shades with the blue swoosh. The way the little details, like the London Eye and the Thames, are put in the shoe is lovely. A nice clean banger!
#1 Nike x Parra Air Max 1
(Released in 2018)
Once again, I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to cop them directly at the release, a friend of mine found them for me. The mix of colors that pop out on this shoe in combination with the whole tracksuit really got me. 
HONORABLE MENTION
#1 Nike x Patta Air Max 1 Wave 'Monarch'
(Released in 2021)
I think it was a year before the release of this shoe when I saw the first mock-up. It was just a normal Air Max 1 with, at that time, some weird-looking colorway, which looked nothing like the final design. The first thing that went through my head was "Damn, is this really a Patta collab?". When the official images came out I was caught by the wave and I loved that weird colorway. A friend of mine picked me up straight after his shift at the graveyard and off we went to Patta to stand in line.
After a long day of waiting... once again ended up empty-handed…. Fortunately, I was able to cop a pair online. I think Patta did a great job with the waves. The shape, the Wave mudguard, and the colorways made the traditional 1’s look a bit boring if you ask me.
