The double up. A classic move in the world of Sneaker Heads. One that really cements your place as a shoe fanatic. That is unless you’re a reseller, in which case you’re just greedy, or as some may say, ‘entrepreneurial’. My first double up was a mistake. Although to this day, I still have the two shoes in my collection. Partly because no one else will probably buy them off me, but also because they hold a dear place in my heart. Let’s go with option two, it sounds better. Anyway, the first the shoe I doubled up on was the HUF x Wu Tang’s from 2014. I remember seeing them online as part of a collection pack with some clothing bits and socks, none of which I picked up apart from the creps.

I think at that point, I was aware of the Wu Tang Dunks, so I knew what having the “W” on the side of the shoe meant. I’d watched a review on them from OG Sneaker Youtuber. It was the guy with the see-through plate that spun round 360 degrees and the intro had a voice clip saying, “I’m an addict to Sneakers”. I’ve linked the video below so you can relive what I felt all those years ago.

When I first saw the £125 price point, I was in shock. That was steep for me back then. No way was I getting the go ahead on these from my Mum. I knew it was a case of biding my time and waiting for the right price. A month or two had gone by and they had sold out of all the online retailers I was aware of. I didn’t really use eBay too much back then apart from researching how much certain collectable figurines were. I managed to find a seller out in the US who was selling a few sizes from his account. They looked legit and for a total of £82, I was willing to take the risk. I ordered them. The first time I had ever ordered something like that from America. How long it’d take for them to arrive I wondered. The awaited time in my purchased items section had said two weeks. That was manageable. Every day after I finished school, I’d rush home to check the status of the shoes. The journey itself was exciting. Until that is, the day they hit the UK. Somehow, they’d got shipped up North by Royal Mail. They had ended up in some apartment building where a lady had signed for them. I spent days with the seller trying to get more information but got nowhere. That was it. All that excitement for nothing. They were gone, never to be seen again.

Upset about the loss I had just taken, I decided to move on. The dream of getting the HUF x Wu Tang’s was over and I just needed to accept it. A few shoes had been purchased since to try and fill the void in my heart, but the gap was still there. I was in college now, over half a year later, sitting in the canteen during my lunch break I decided to browse the Route One website on my iPhone 4. I was scrolling the sale page much like I used to do. Then I saw it. The HUF x Wu Tang’s for £25. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I kept saying “Oh my gosh no way” to the point my friends started to get concerned. Little did they know they were witnessing a Sneaker Head during his finest moments. They were witnessing the art of ‘the steal’. I didn’t have time to explain to anyone what was going on, so I added them to my basket and checked out as quick as I could. Thirty seconds passed and boom, the confirmation email came through. I can even remember feeling that now. Top 10 college moments that. A week later they arrived at my house and I was gassed. I wore them round the house for a few days, pouring over the different details on the shoe. The wait was over. They were mine.

About a month later I was watching TV on the couch at home. I remember it still being warm and light out after arriving back from college, so it must have been at the end of summer. Either way it was a late delivery from the post man. A near five o’clock delivery is a rare occurrence, but a welcomed one. I was confused when the package arrived as it was directed to me, and I wasn’t expecting anything. I looked over the different labels to see an array of different notes on the box. One thing I did know was that it had come from the US. Still confused, I opened it up. It was only till I saw the light green HUF shoe box that I finally realised what they were. No way … it couldn’t be? Over half a year had gone by and I hadn’t heard anything about the shoes I had ordered from America. Yet there they were. They had finally managed to make their way to me. I could barely believe it. Eager to make sure they weren’t fake; I took them upstairs to compare them to my Route One pair. They were good. I didn’t want to confuse which pair they were, so I labelled the inside of the box, “Pair 1” and “Pair 2”.

Today they both sit in my collection upstairs. The Route One pair I took to Uni but never put any serious miles on them. In fact, both are still in close to deadstock condition and in serious need of love and wear. I think they still look sleek and with a pair of baggy denim shrouding them, I could definitely make them work. The only thing that gives away their age is the speckled midsole and perhaps for the eager-eyed Wu Tang fan, the “20^th Anniversary of 36 Chambers” label on the tongue. I don’t think I’d get rid of either of these shoes because of the sentimental value they hold, but also for the fact that they have Wu logo on the side of the shoe. Priceless.