Hot Chicks, Cool Kicks

There are foot fetishists and then there are sneakerheads. This subculture of shoe freaks collects sneakers like some women harbor handbags. But instead of labels like Prada and Gucci, in-the-know kicks collectors scout out limited-edition designs by brands such as Supra, Nike and Alife. High-tops have made a huge comeback; so have some of the old-school sneakers we grew up with in the ‘80s, like a line for Reebok called the Reverse Jam, designed exclusively by and for Chicago boutique Leaders 1354. Only around 80 pairs were released earlier this year. The last time Leaders designed a line for Reebeok in November 2008, 75 pairs sold out in two hours. Often-times a hip-hop artist or athlete will team up with a company to design a line of steps that you’ll never actually get your hands on—sending the subculture into a tizzy. In honor of Adidas’s 60th anniversary this year, we found 10 shoes every serious sneakerhead will want in their closet this spring (whether or not they can actually get their hands on them)—and then we modeled them on one of our favorite Playmates, Miss January 2001 Irina Voronina. Consider yourselves on the inside track.