SACRED SNEAKER RITUALS

We asked the Community to share their ‘sacred’ sneaker rituals on a recent Sunday Discussion. From quirky habits to borderline obsessive routines, the comments poured in, showcasing the unique blend of passion, humour, and devotion that defines our vibrant Community. We’ve broken it down, here’s a snapshot of what makes you Offspring sneakerheads tick.

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RITUAL BANNER

STRAIGHT ON FOOT

For the ‘straight on foot’ fam, there’s no hesitation. Box opened, sneakers laced up – no waiting around! These Community members believe sneakers are meant to be worn ASAP Rocky.

Straight on foot is my only one🫡
-nerdyacollects

Out the box , admire for a few minutes and then straight to foot 🔥
-sneakerroom_hampshire

Straight on feet with a fit check just to see how good they look 😂🔥
-jbali_07

Lace them up & off we go. Simples
-markythemar8k

Simple - Unbox them and throw them on feet and then try and justify to the wife 😂 Have a great day all 🙌
-dmac7557

Out the box straight on feet. Don’t adjust the laces or anything 😅😅
-life_of_chin

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ritual -on foot

THE SNIFF TEST

The box lid comes off, and you plunge your nose into the pair like a sommelier sniffing fine wine. That new sneaker smell – a heady mix of glue, leather, and dreams – is intoxicating.

One of my fav parts of getting a fresh pair, the sniff test😂
-khailakays

The sniff straight out the box is a must for any sneakerhead surely ❤️
-garb83

Definitely smell 👃 😂don’t no why and I always have to do a smooth around I like to call it 😂
-lpsets_

The big inhale straight out the box 🤣
-chrisderb

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ritual -sniff test

THE LEFT SHOE FIRST

Superstition or tradition? No one knows, but many of the Offspring Community insist on trying the left shoe first. Perhaps it’s for good luck, or maybe the left shoe just looks better on foot?

For me it’s getting them out the box, most definitely a sniff test and and general feel round the shoe, checking toe boxes match and then always trying on the left shoe I have no idea why but hey that’s what a ritual is for. Then once I know they are staying the sticker comes out and I relace or try different lace swaps ready to wear. 🙌
-mckeownnicole

Always seem to lace the left shoe first
-thisiswonderk

New pairs get a sniff, Re-laced, some shoe trees then in the stack ready for the first wear.
I’ve also realised recently that i always put my left shoe on first, it wasn’t until I did it the other way round and it felt strange, that I realised I did this. 😂
-simon_says_sneakers_

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ritual - left foot

RELACING

Factory lacing is for amateurs. True Community connoisseurs relace their kicks to perfection, spending ridiculous amounts of time achieving the perfect aesthetic. It’s art, pure and simple.

Always the relace!…Always amazes me that people are employed to lace every box fresh pair wrong!!
-terencedon

Re lace and then we move
-boogsforever

First thing. Re-lace.
-dan_squire

Instant re-lace and take out the material sticker and stick on the underside of the box lid.
-ediz

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ritual - lace swap

STICKER REMOVAL

Removing the insole sticker is a rite of passage. However, it’s also a source of existential dread. Peel too fast, and you risk tearing the sticker. Leave too long, and it ain’t ever coming off!

Nothing major, but the sticker from the insole MUST be taken off. No idea why you’d leave it on🤷🏻‍♂️
-sneak.away

Weird rituals for me are I always take off the inside label and put it on the lid and the one that really gets people is that I take out my laces and iron them before relacing!
-deebo_seebo

Always remove the sticker!
-mikeysmithftlom

Open them remove the sticker from the insole (people that don’t scare me) put them into the collection ready to be worn.. one day 😂
-kick.game95

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ritual - sticker

FINDING SPACE

You got the new kicks but where you putting em? It’s like playing Tetris with all your sneaker boxes. With storage situations dire, some rent storage units or move house. Others just hope their precarious stacks don’t topple over during dinner.

Playing Tetris with shoe boxes to try adding them to the pile of shoes without actually making the pile of shoe boxes appear any bigger to avoid questions/comments from the other half. It’s a incredibly difficult skill to master and even I fail at it sometimes 😅
-mikesknowsbest

Always a re-lace with both sides even length and no twisty bits, try on - take a few selfies on foot, then photos on the box 🗃️. Try to figure out how to fit them in the jam packed shoe closet and have to look for older shoes to donate as this is just ridic 🥹🤦🏻‍♀️
-chasemejt

After all the rituals, rearranging the stock in the sneaker room because it gives me error if there isnt a consistency in the collors or size of the boxes stacke
-nickythevleuten

Introduce them to their siblings… Find them a space to live.. then tell em I soon come😎 and probably not come back for how much weeks or months… I just realised that I’m a deadbeat ‘Kickz’ Baby Father 😮🤦🏾‍♂️
-squadgigantic

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ritual - space

QC CHECKS

Unboxing requires precision, scrutiny and a magnifying glass. Glue stains? Crooked stitching? A scuff on the sole? Any defect, and the sneakers are sent back faster than the Community commenting on a cactus pic!

Open, smell, qc check, picture
Pink (or close to pink) place in all my travs
No shoes goes back in a box after a wear till it’s cleaned
-mike_nificent_lifts

I'll give them a quick QC check, take the labels off the insoles (if I remember), re-lace them the way I like and take a pic in front of the shelf for the gram.
After wearing I'll wipe them down if they're dirty and stick them back in the box/on the shelf.
-datdarkhorse

Inspect quality, sniff, and immediate relace.
-amunpalmann

Qc check them first at OS lol, then get home and forget about them 😂😂😂😂😂
-ogindiandreadhead

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ritual - qc_1

So, there you have it – a glimpse into the ‘sacred’ sneaker rituals of the Offspring Community. Crafted with your shared experiences, this list celebrates the quirks and traditions that make sneaker culture, and our Community so special.

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