If you’re a sneakerhead, you’re living at an exciting time for your hobby.
There’s an embarrassment of riches out there, with new colorways of old favorites and fresh styles being released all the time. Not to mention that appreciation for vintage shoes means that some older sneakers have become rare collectors’ items.
However, as you get started in collecting sneakers, you’ll no doubt notice one of the challenges right away. It can be a pretty costly process.
If, like most people, you have limited cash, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t engage with sneaker culture.
However, it’s worth looking at some ways you can balance your sneaker obsession with responsible financial behavior.
Getting Realistic With Your Budget
There are a lot of great things about how dynamic sneaker culture is at the moment. It’s a really accessible and diverse hobby to get into. Nevertheless, people are sometimes willing to spend more than they can afford to obtain limited releases.
Naturally, this approach is likely to get out of hand pretty quickly. Therefore, it’s worth thinking differently and more realistically. Consider creating a budget that supports the steady development of your collection over the long term.
To approach this, get some visibility over your finances. Create a document that outlines your total income and your essential outgoings, like rent, food, and utilities.
This should give you an idea of what your disposable income is. Nevertheless, this isn’t necessarily the amount you have free to spend on sneakers.
Instead, allocate a dedicated percentage of your disposable income to your collection in a way that gives reasonable access to other things, such as recreation, savings, and clothing.
It may be the case that the percentage you allocate each paycheck isn’t enough on its own to purchase a new pair of sneakers.
However, it can be put toward a sneaker fund that you build over time, empowering you to make careful decisions about what to add to your collection that’s within your means.
Using Credit Cards Responsibly
Credit cards and financial responsibility tend to have something of a delicate connection.
It’s not always wise to look at your card as a long-term substitute for liquid cash to purchase new items. This tends to lead to reliance on it for your spending and can see your debt spiral out of control.
Yet, there are some ways to use credit cards to keep up with trends in sneakers without having a negative effect on your finances, though. These include:
Prioritize Pre-Owned Items
You can often get bargains on trending sneakers from pre-owned spaces such as second-hand websites, thrift stores, and consignment stores. These will often be cheaper than purchasing new, meaning you can make small purchases on your credit card that are easier to pay down.Leverage Rewards Programs
Before signing up for a credit card, shop around to see what rewards each offers for regularly using and paying down the balance. Some will offer cashback on purchases.This means you can make regular responsible purchases on your card, pay it down, and put the cashback toward sneakers. Some will offer discounts on clothing items or brands, with which you can pay less for your new shoes occasionally.
Remember that responsible credit card use is all about maintaining a good awareness of your genuine ability to regularly pay it down.
Keep checking in on your card purchasing behavior so you can see when it isn’t as sustainable as it was. This is a sign to hold off on credit sneaker purchases until you get your balance back under control.
Leveraging Side Hustles
Okay, so you’ve looked closely at your budget and credit cards. Yet, you’ve discovered that you still don’t really have enough spare cash to direct toward sneaker collecting.
Where do you go from here? One option that’s increasingly accessible at the moment is starting a side hustle. You can dedicate the proceeds specifically toward sneakers.
Investing
If you have a little cash available, investing can be an effective way to generate revenue from it. This is never a guarantee, but adopting some sensible stock investment strategies can influence your success.
Don’t be led by your emotions or your “gut.” Make well-informed decisions about what you’re investing in, how much you invest, and when to withdraw investment.
This involves closely monitoring the markets and potentially seeking financial advice from credible professionals rather than amateur online influencer “experts.”
Avoid apparent “quick wins.” Solid investments tend to be longer-term projects. You need to have patience and build your portfolio gradually.
Wherever possible, plan for portfolios that you don’t withdraw from for a while. You might even consider keeping your money in stocks that pay annual or quarterly dividends that you can put toward sneakers.
Sneaker Sales
Perhaps it’s not keeping sneakers for a long time that interests you, but rather buying new items that you can enjoy for a little while. In this case, sneaker sales might be a great side hustle to both generate income and focus on your hobby.
You could start by going through your collection and identifying which shoes you no longer want to keep or even which rare items you’re willing to part with because their value can give you funds to reinvest.
There are spaces to sell to collectors online, like StockX and GOAT. Alternatively, you can head to sneaker conventions to trade in person.
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Sneaker collections can be an expensive pursuit. Yet, some responsible financial steps — such as budgeting and side hustles — can free up some money to help you engage with it.
In addition, you should consider making friends and networking in the sneaker community. Often, this can open you up to trading opportunities and low-cost purchases you may not have otherwise been exposed to.
