Although Memorial Day sees the average American laying by the pool, taking walks through the park, cooking on the grill and/or enjoying family time, the real focus of today should pinpoint our U.S. Service Members. We must take time out to recognize those who died while protecting our country in the military service. Likewise, we should honor and support our current military members because these privileges that we enjoy come with great sacrifice.
To coincide with Memorial Day, we have highlighted nine military members that are not ashamed to proclaim their fetish for sneakers. These 10 honorable members, who have or still continue to serve, reveal photos of their extensive sneaker collections and answer questions about their top five sneakers of all time, the best part of serving and collecting, and what shoe they think represents their respective military branch.
Take a look at our Memorial Day Spotlight: Soldiers Share Their Passion for Sneakers.
Name: Bobby Walthour
Branch: Army
Rank: E-4
Hometown: Savannah, Ga.
Currently stationed in: Medically Retired
Years in the service: 9.5
How long have you been collecting sneakers and how many do you have? 12 years. 250+ pairs.
Top five sneakers of all-time:
1. Jordan III Black/Cement OG
2. Jordan XIII Playoffs
3. Nike Foamposite Eggplant
4. Converse AllStar always classic.
5. Nike Air Max Penny 1
What sneaker started you collecting shoes? Probably the New Balance 574 back in high school.
What is the next shoe you plan to grab? Jordan III True Blue
What is your favorite sneaker in your closet? Jordan 6/11 DMP never wore them though. I wear Jordan 9’s & 13’s a few times a week.
If you had to pick one shoe to represent your military branch, what would it be and why? Cool grey Jordan 11 OG because they really match well with the work out gear and a lot of people slept on them.
What is the worst part of trying to collect shoes and serve at the same time? I lost a lot of shoes during deployments. Family doesn’t appreciate the sneaker addiction.
Do/did you ever try to work sneakers into your military-assigned attire? I wore Jordan 16’s Black/Red through basic training in 2001.
What?s the best part of being in the Armed Forces? Travel was definitely a plus & a consistent salary to support sneaker release dates.
Since you?ve been all around the world, what?s your favorite sneaker store? Premium Goods & Dave’s Quality Meat in NY.
If you could design a sneaker dedicated to you particular branch, what shoe would you use and how would you create it (colors, materials)? Real leather is a must. Black with grey trim to match the army’s pt uniforms. I’d maybe add some kind of patent leather just for easy clean up. It would probably be an all black Jordan 11.
Do you have any memorable shoe-related stories? I skipped work and headed to the mall to buy the Jordan XVI their first release only to get robbed for them 2hrs later at the movie theater. I ended up getting another pair and still have extra wraps to this day.
