Issue link: http://theflywire.uberflip.com/i/182166
Everyday in Baltimore unbeknownst to many, passersby in-the-know nod in recognition and unfamiliar brothers exchange a handshake or pound to express approval in meeting places like barbershops, nightclubs and basketball courts. When in the company of well-known counterparts, men share their admiration enthusiastically. "Yo man, you hurtin' em with those. Damn, they're tight!" They brag about rare finds, cost and hook-ups.They discuss trends, quality craftsmanship and the controversy of counterfeits.The unofficial members are men of all ages and come from all walks of life; its membership is only dictated by a shared swagger and clearly by what they have on their feet. For years, Baltimore has had a secret society of shoe addicts.You were as fresh as your shoes and many men took that seriously. Today, shoe addiction is in the mainstream for fashion-conscious men and in the world of hip-hop. They're websites, myspace pages and a billion-dollar shoe industry dedicated to this shoe fixation. The day of the basic black and brown shoe collection is long gone.A fashion weakness traditionally reserved for women, is now gender-free. In today's closets of many men, dozens and even hundreds of shoes can be discovered. Shoe collections, that could even rival that of the most shoe revered Imelda Marcus of the Philippines, are stashed. If there were real support groups I could have retail interventions and send many of my friends as referrals. I can imagine the introduction at a meeting as one of its fanatics says, "Hi, my name is Jay and I'm a shoe addict." The photos shown are not staged. Pictured is DJ 'THE FRANCHISE' Jay Claxton and part of his personal shoe collection. 36 The Flywire