Written by Hans Abdullah.
You’ve waited for them to be released ever since you first caught news of them on a Masses article and the many social media platforms that you’re a part of. You’ve counted down the days, marked the dates on your calendar and set numerous reminders so that you will be right there in front of your computer when the shoes that you’ve spent countless nights dreaming about finally drops online. Things don’t go your way, however, because the shoes sell out faster than you thought they would. As per usual, luck was not on your side and you’ve missed out on the opportunity to obtain the sneaker of your dreams and have crestfallen for a moment before the entrepreneurial side of you kicks in. You search through your collection for a pair to sell so that you can obtain the funds to chase after that pair that got away. You don’t want to part with any of your shoes but you know that it will be worth it. You’ve told all your friends and anyone that is willing to listen all about this pair that you’re so keen on. This is your grail.
Finally, the shoes have been paid for. You impatiently wait for the entire week for your sneaker to arrive. You don’t even mind paying the RM100 shipping tax that you are hit with because finally, the shoes are your possession. With shaky hands, you unbox the packaging only to reveal the most beautiful pair of shoes you’ve ever had the fortune of owning. And then you think to yourself… Now what? Well, the easiest answer would be to wear the shoes! But it’s not so easy, is it? Your grail looks so pristine sitting in its cardboard box, you don’t have the heart to wear them out. It would be a shame to get them dirty. If you have ever found yourself in the situation above, here is a list of reasons Why You Should Wear Your Grails.
You Get To Show Them Off
Arguably the best part of wearing a shoe that you’ve spent a lot of money on is actually seeing them on your feet. Even better, having other people see those shoes on your feet. Posting photos of your newly-acquired grails on social media is a lot more impressive when they are actually on your feet. On-foot shots will always garner more clout than the ones taken with the shoes on a shelf. Attending sneaker events such as SneakerLAH is also a lot more fun when you wear a pair of shoes that nobody else is wearing. It might make a statement to wear your beaters to an event, but you can make an even bigger statement by wearing a pair of kicks that can make heads turn. You don’t buy a Lamborghini to keep it hidden away in your garage, you buy it so that you can look cool while you’re stuck in KL traffic. The same rule applies to sneakers. Wear your grails, so that you’ll look fly no matter what activity you’re doing on that day.
You Get To Have That “Freshly Un-DS’ed” Feeling
One of the many pleasures that a sneakerhead can have is the joy of wearing a pair of shoes for the first time. There is a certain euphoric feeling that arises when the shoes that you’ve recently acquired make the transfer from their cardboard box to their new home, which is on your feet. Putting on a pair of new shoes just feels better than wearing your beaters. Maybe it’s because the shape of the shoe is still perfect. Maybe it’s because the feeling of the shoe’s inner lining expanding to accommodate your feet for the first time is somewhat cathartic, similar to the feeling you get when you pop bubble wrap. There is a reason why people take photos of the first time they wear their shoes. It’s the same reason why the #UnDS hashtag on Instagram has over 100,000 posts. It’s because the first time you wear your shoes is a moment to be savored. You owe it to yourself to be allowed to savor that moment.
So That Your Sneaker Last Longer
The cardboard shoebox that your grails came in was not chosen because of its ability to keep your shoes from degrading over time. No, it was chosen because cardboard is cheap and recyclable. Unless you’re the type to keep your air- conditioning constantly running in your sneaker room and you have a penchant for sprinkling silica packs all over your shoes, your grails will probably eventually fall victim to one of the biggest enemies of footwear. Humidity. Malaysia is humid, and too much humidity is bad for your sneakers. Keeping your grails tucked away in its box somewhere under your bed will probably damage it over time, and you’ll find yourself opening the box a few years down the line to a mess of crumbling parts and broken dreams. The simplest solution? Take your grails out of their box once in awhile. Let them breathe, and better yet wear them out. Don’t let your grails suffer a lonely death in your wardrobe.
You Won’t Regret It
There are times where you’ll find yourself staring at your shoes and contemplating if today is the day to finally wear them. You might get struck with paranoia, or a tiny voice in the back of your head starts to question “What if you get a scuff on the leather?” Worn shoes don’t look as good on display as brand new shoes, and you worry that wearing your grails might damage them. You’re afraid to put a blemish on the beautiful piece of footwear otherwise known as your grail. If you do overcome that hurdle though if you somehow manage to ignore the voice in your head telling you to not wear those shoes if you decide to put on the grails that you’ve spent hours drooling over through photos…. You’ll find that you won’t regret it. Once the shoes are on your feet, and you get to look down and see your grails where they deserve to be, you’ll find that everything you were worried about before doesn’t really matter. In the grand scheme of things, you’ve paid for this pair of shoes, and now they are on your feet. You will not regret wearing them because you’ll realize that not wearing a pair of shoes that you own is the same as never owning them at all.
There are collectors out there who buy more shoes than they have time to wear, but it is a good practice to try and wear as many of them as you can. After all, a good pair of sneakers is meant to be appreciated, but it is a lot more fun to appreciate them on your feet as opposed to behind an acrylic case.
