Full-time custodian and part-time sneakerhead, Lee Maden showcases his mass collection of shoes and has an outfit to go with them. Even with his tedious occupation, his shoes never have a defect on them.
“I was just buying and selling them to make money, and because I liked them,” Maden said. “My first pair was the Concord 11’s, and I thought they were nice and Michael Jordan played in them.”
Buying shoes, especially Jordans, comes with a hefty price. A couple of shoes can easily round up to more than a thousand dollars. With Jordans’ value getting higher shoes aren’t as easy to buy anymore. For example, the Jordan 4 Black Cat dropped at a retail price of $190. Now, these shoes go for about $675.
“My most expensive pair of shoes is the Jordan 11 “Bred.” Also, my most worn pair of shoes is the Breds,” Maden said. “Now that prices are higher with resale value my collection is worth about $20,000.”
Shoes are often hard to come by not just by price but by their limited accessibility. Shoe “plugs” are major in the shoe industry. Shoe plugs are a gateway to get shoes faster and sometimes even cheaper.
“I know managers at the mall who can get the shoes for me,” Maden said. “That’s how I own about 200 pairs of shoes.”
Students and even teachers notice Maden’s diverse shoes and color-coordinated outfits every day. As teens can often relate to Maden’s modern-day swag. Brandon Young,10, is a football player who recognized Maden’s diverse outfits and shoe collection.
“I like how he puts on a tough fit every day,” Young said. “He easily has the best shoe game in the school.”
Putting on consistent outfits takes lots of work. However, Maden never fails to do it daily. Picking outfits and fashion is a major part of high school. Everyone wants to be up to date with the latest shoes and fashion trends.
“I just grab and go for the week,” Maden said. “I’m just used to putting on outfits all the time because I used to work in retail. Some of the basketball players see my outfits, and my wife even recognized my collection of shoes and likes them.”
