Sí Trends

Times have changed. J. Lo isn't necessarily everybody's favorite Latina anymore, and a pair of Nike Dunks can sell for over a $1,000. Meet Randy Fernandez, half of the dynamic duo known as The Twins. He and his brother Ivan have a few $1,000-plus pairs of shoes in their award-winning sneaker collection-a collection that has made them celebrities in the sneaker world. The Twins have taken it a whole step further, though, as they get ready to open up a shoe store/hangout spot for sneakerheads in Hollywood, California. We caught up to Randy for this [Sí] Trends/Rego Magazine exclusive to get the 411 on the brave new universe of shoe collecting.

REGO: Let's talk sneakers. Do you remember the first pair of collectable kicks you bought?
Randy Fernandez: I've been collecting for about seven years now, and the first pair of rare kicks I got were 2003s or 2004s.  They were Air Force Ones, the Mr. Cartoon Limited Editions with the spider web toe.

REGO: So in your opinion, what separates a true sneakerhead from a poser?
RF: It's not about who's wearing what or who has what. It's about what they do it for. If you just love shoes and love collecting them, then it's all good. But a lot of people buy shoes just to resell them. Stuff like that bums me out. Why would you bother camping out for a few days leading up to a shoe's debut just to resell them? Those guys come with their friends and try to buy 10 pairs of shoes to sell on eBay.  That's 10 pairs that could have gone to kids who really want them.

REGO: Camping out on a sidewalk for a few days seems like the norm nowadays. What's the craziest thing you've done for a pair of shoes?
RF: Probably not the craziest thing, but I've flown all across the United States for shoes. I've flown to New York, Boston, Denver, Hawaii. I fly there just to campout for a few days, get the shoes, and then fly back.

REGO: How did you and your brother go from being just regular sneakerheads to celebrity sneakerheads?
RF: It all started with the Niketown Sole Collector events, which are like competitions. The audience comes in and they vote for you. They come in and look around at 10 tables, each one full of shoes. They look at what each table has and they vote on who has the dopest shoes. 

REGO: OK, time for a tough choice. You're on a deserted island. What three pairs of shoes are with you?
RF: I'll take my original Concord Jordan 11 Samples with the 45 on the back. Another pair of Jordan 11s with the football turf bottom. And my Rookie of The Year Air Zoom Generations.

REGO: Do you look at the sneakerhead game as something you do for the love of it, or are you trying to make a career out of this?
RF: I always do it for the love. But I am opening a shoe store in the next couple months in Hollywood. It's going to be called Sole Bar. The whole idea is to have a bar/club place that caters to sneakerheads. They can go there to hang out, buy some sneakers, ask questions or talk about sneakers.  We're there to help them out, pass on what we've learned.