We chat to Offspring Community member Callum.
Tell us about yourself
I’m Cal, 22 years old, and I’m from Bristol, UK. I have a passion for photography, sneakers and streetwear, and would refer to myself as an avid sports enthusiast. I’m a Liverpool fan at heart and play football in my free time; at least I did, until I got into the London Marathon and had to start running – can’t say I’m the biggest fan of it.
How long have you been into sneakers and how did you get into them?
Soon after moving to Bath to study at 18, I got a job at a sneaker store and was very quickly pulled in by streetwear culture. I didn’t have many pairs at the time, but always cared about what I had on foot. I never felt like I fitted in there as I didn’t have much previous knowledge about sneakers and felt like I was rather boring compared to the others.
I really think this motivated me to express myself more, and I found a new love in collecting creps. I remember this time so clearly as it was around the release of the original ‘The Ten’ release by Virgil. I think I fell in love the moment I saw that capsule. My collection grew alongside my passion and before I knew it, I had moved on from the store but was still in love with the game.
I couldn’t put a number on how many pairs I have now, but I love each of them as they all tell their own story.
Do you have any early sneaker memory?
My grandad used to give me pocket money weekly. I remember saving my money for weeks until I had enough to buy a pair of 110s. This was the first pair that I remember spending my own money on. I stumbled across them recently and they were beat to say the least. I definitely put some miles on them. Thank you G Dad.
Do you have any sneaker regrets and what is your sneaker grail?
Sneaker regrets? That’s a tough one for me, I don’t usually regret much.
In terms of grails, three pairs stand out to me. If you’d have asked me a year ago, I would’ve gone with the Travis 1 High without hesitation. I feel like there’s too many fakes of these now and it’s kind of killed the feeling for me. I wouldn’t turn a pair down still.
If you know me, you’ll know I’m big on AJ 1s. The original Chicago 1s from ‘The Ten’ is a shoe I’ll most probably never own but always feel something for, as it’s one of the reasons I started collecting.
Secondly, I’d have to go with the Blue Toe Union 1s – the craftsmanship, box, details and story behind them make them another grail of mine. I managed to pick up my third grail recently thanks to a member of the community I’ve known for a while. The OG pair of forces from the Off White x Nike ‘The Ten’ collection. I still can’t believe I own these.
What sneakers are in your rotation currently?
I honestly try to rotate my pairs as much as possible, but thanks to HQ, I was lucky enough to pick up the Travis Scott ‘Phantom’ lows and have worn these at every given opportunity. I’m actually wearing them right now hahaha.
What does community mean to you?
As cliché as it is, community is my favourite thing about sneakers. I have met so many amazing people through the sneaker community and I feel that it’s great to have similar passions with those who you meet. I love sharing and hearing stories from new people. I met my partner, @luc.beth through sneakers and remember seeing her for the very first time on Offspring’s Instagram in lockdown. She was runner up in the WFH comp. Crazy how things pan out.
Shoutout to some of the other amazing people I’ve met through the community: @aqeel.s, @nineteen.85, @saintsibz, @charlottewhybrow and @cllmplmr. Love to everyone if I didn’t mention you and thank you all for reading!
Check out more from Callum on Instagram @callumeightseven
