Showcasing obsessions: Sneakerheads think inside the box

Designer cabinets for collectibles are finding popularity among hardcore collectors. In many cases, the display unit is worth more than its contents.

Photo from CFP

Photo from CFP

By ZHANG Xinyu

 

With over 200 pairs of sneakers to his name, CUI Wen fits most people’s definitions of an obsessive nutcase. He claims his collection is worth over 800,000 yuan (US$120,000) but he isn’t selling (or wasn’t). In fact, he’s just upgraded his storage to do justice to his splendid assemblage of out-of-date footwear and looked online for inspiration. Impressed by the most ludicrous things, Cui found himself mesmerized by an entire wall of brightly lit sneakers, each contained in its own glowing pod. He was immediately smitten, and Cui soon had his own sneaker wall of fame.

This obsession with such display isn’t limited to “sneakerheads” as they are known. Guimazhen, a home style influencer, had a display installed in her apartment to exhibit her massed ranks of Pop Mart toys, quite literally showcasing her obsession. Her living room resembles an art installation.

Guimazhen’s wall of Pop Mart collection. Photo provided by Guimazhen

Embrace your addiction

The market for designer displays has never been better, mainly down to sneakerheads. SupBro, a popular sneaker box brand, reported 45 million yuan of revenue in 2019. Another leading brand, GOTO, made over ten million yuan in last year’s sales season.

SupBro Sneaker boxes.

GOTO directly targeted Pop Mart toys on Tmall, starting another craze as inexplicable as the popularity of Pop Mart itself. But the unpredictability of these trends means that today’s obsession quickly becomes tomorrow’s quaint old habit.

Sneaker care has always been quite a big deal but it wasn’t until in 2017 that CIRCLE CLEAN launched its first designer sneaker display units. A popular hip-hop TV show stoked up sneaker collection fever and other brands, including SupBro and GOTO, soon jumped in.

Completely unlike a cluttered shoe rack beside the door, these boxes resemble space-age pet carriers, or battery farms when mounted together. Sleek and robust for easy stacking and sliding, the pod’s specifications are everything, no matter how irrelevant. CIRCLE CLEAN claims that its sneaker boxes can hold 220 kg. Doubtless, they will protect your sneakers in the event of an earthquake or tsunami. It is very important to the Pop Mart squad that they show the same love and affection for their plastic toys as any sneakerhead shows for a pair of moldy old tennis shoes.

CIRCLECLEAN’s first sneaker box.

But when it comes to sneakers, display is suddenly a matter of considerable importance. Photos of funky sneaker walls demand perfectly aligned logos, seen by everyone. Tribes and factions have formed; aesthetic skirmishes are fought out. This is particularly impressive when you consider that designer boxes with a battleworthy logo start at around 65 yuan. Pop Mart collectors are more focused on utility than brands, and Pop Mart racks are widely available.

Museum status

Despite being relatively new, the market for sneaker boxes was a lot more crowded than today. Many small brands popped up around 2018 but didn’t last. Although brands and fans agree that there is no fixed formula for a hit product, the best sellers share some common traits. They must be big (for high-ankle sneakers), able to hold heavy weights (at least ten more layers stacked on top), easy for opening and storage, and resistant to dust and humidity. Voice-controlled LED lights are an optional extra.

GOTO shoe boxes are equipped with LED lights.

Brands are trying to market their boxes as natural extensions of the footwear and an integral part of the sneaker subculture. Another common strategy is to collaborate with other brands. SupBro, for example, has focused on sports brands to win “hardcore” sneakerheads, while GOTO has partnered with brands as varied as museums and movie franchises to attract young customers in general and to appeal to women. CIRCLE CLEAN recently released a series featuring the Brown and Cony.

Even the brands themselves admit that sales growth has slowed since 2019, only two years after sneaker collecting took off. New converts had by then bought enough pairs to need specialized containers, but going forward, it is unlikely that they will keep buying new shoe boxes as frequently as they do shoes. And existing customers will not stick around forever.

Fickle fashion

To secure future sales, both SupBro and GOTO have opened online stores and social media channels overseas, hoping to sign up distant sneakerheads. It has been a hard sell. When a sneaker influencer posted a SupBro review on his YouTube channel, fans were baffled why anyone would pay as much as 20 dollars for a shoebox. CIRCLE CLEAN has already given up. SupBro and GOTO have sued each other for IPR infringement and unfair competition, and both are grappling to find new growth areas. SupBro recently launched a Pop Mart toy range, an in-your-face challenge to GOTO.

The biggest threat, however, comes from the sneaker collecting circle itself. Once a sneakerhead moves on to other obsessions, the shoeboxes he owns are unwanted. Cui Wen, who inexplicably found himself no longer interested in sneakers, recently sold the majority of his collection. Doubtless, when sneakers and Pop Mart have had their day in the sun, there will still be plenty of things people will want to put in boxes.