No introduction needed here—his collection speaks for itself. Who else you know that has two pair of the Undefeated Jordans, worth over $4K each? Hit Greg up at myspace.com/djgregstreet, especially if you have some Paris Dunks in 10.5. He’s clearly not afraid to drop some coin.
First things first: we know you have been a shoe head for a while, but how long have you really been hardcore collecting?
I been hardcore collecting for a little over four years, but I been holding onto shit for a long time, back from the ’90s. Like the canvas Air Force Ones, the jewel Air Force Ones, those are prolly some of my favorites just because they’re classics.
Why did you start collecting?
I mean, I’ve been collecting cars, watches, and vinyl for forever. It was something different for me.
If you had to name one pair that really started you on the sneaker collecting what would it be?
The pairs that kinda got me hooked and into it all were like the J-Rods and the Tiffanys, but not because of the hype. I think if you like what you like, you like what you like! They could have released those to Foot Lockers across America; I would’ve still bought them.
I know it’s too hard to ask for one, so name your top three in your collection.
Top three would probably be Jordan IIIs, the ones Eazy-E and them used to wear. I collect those; I got probably 20 to 25 pairs of just that shoe alone. For SBs, I would say Send Helps; out of all my shoes I wear those the most. Last, it would have to be one of my Nike iDs I made up at their studios.
Other than the Jordan IIIs, are there any other shoes you collect?
Yeah, I collect all shoes that collab with DJs. So I got like all the Bobbitos, a lot of Unkles, the Mark Ronsons. Only pair I want but don’t have is the DJ Irie adidas Equipments they did a while back. I’m willing to pay!
What pair of sneaks to do want but don’t have? Why?
I need a 10.5 in the Paris Dunk. I got a 9.5 that I can wear but I really need a 10.5. That shoe is so hard to find; dudes that got it don’t want to get rid of them, because they know I’m willing to pay.
What’s the most you ever cashed out for a pair?
Man, for one pair of my Undefeated Jordan IVs I spent a little over four grand.
Do you rock your prized possessions or keep them on ice?
Some of them, because some of them I buy at least two pair. If I got two, I most likely wear them. If I got only one I might wear it, I might not—just depends on the shoe. But I ain’t scared to rock any of my shoes. But when you spend as much as I do on one pair you think about it a little harder.
What’re your favorite shops?
Passover and my boy Hector’s spot One Love in Japan. I shop a lot overseas but it’s usually through people because I can’t get out there as much as I like to. In the States I like Undefeated, Sporty LA, Supreme…even Flight Club. It’s consignment but if you’re really looking for something, they got it. In ATL, Standard always holds me down.
Being from the Dirty, how would you describe the sneaker crowd down here?
The shoe scene in ATL is cool, but it will never be on the level of LA or NY because most of the heads down here don’t get it. They don’t understand that it is still just sneakers; if it’s hot, it’s hot. They are too caught up on it being limited and exclusive. Sneakerheads in ATL don’t want other people to become sneakerheads, they want to keep it to themselves, whether that means people trying to keep their spots to themselves and not tell anybody about them or whatever. Put it to you this way: if everyone in the world had a pair of Pigeon Dunk SBs, I’m still going to like mine the same. Most heads down here like sneakers because they think it’s some type of secret society, and they don’t want anyone else to get into it.
I saw those custom Forces that DJ Clark Kent did for this past year’s Sneaker Friends event—crazy!
Well, me and Clark are real tight. He’s really a big Air Force One guy, but anytime something is coming out of NY, he’ll call me, and I do the same for him. But he had a private NIKE iD session at the studio that I couldn’t make it to, so I just told him to do me up a few things crazy and send them to me. It’s cool because me and Clark been cool for years, and now we got something that goes beyond music.
What is Sneaker Friends?
It’s a community, a brand. I may bring the website back but I dissolved it when my boy Gerard started theshoegame.com, which is probably one of the biggest sneaker blogs out there. But websites are a lot of work to update and I already do radio and music; I got a lot on my plate right now.
Well, that being said, what’s next for Greg Street?
I got an album coming out on Interscope, Greg Street Certified Worldwide; the single is out right now called “Good Day” with Nappy Roots. Video will be dropping soon to MTV and BET. My mixtape is out right now: The Mixtape Before The Mixtape. A movie is coming out that is releasing to all the DTLR stores called How We Did It. It’s a movie that has each artist explaining how they made it; features Pharrell, Swizz Beats, Baby, David Banner and too many others to name.
PULL QUOTE
Man, for one pair of my Undefeated Jordan IVs I spent a little over four grand.
This Feature is also available in Vapors 49 – The Sneaks Issue
