Shoes, footwear, kicks. Most people only own one or two pairs. Physics teacher Thanh Nguyen has 37. 

Nguyen’s extensive collection boasts a variety of brands ranging from Nike to Puma. Each day of the week, he wears a different sneaker that brings flair to his otherwise formal button-down shirt, tie and slacks. His shoe choice is an interesting addition to his daily Physics lesson.

“I start planning my outfit from the shoes up,” Nguyen said. “I ask myself, ‘what type of socks do I wear with them? What pants?’ From there, it’s ‘what tie do I wear?’ Once I have a tie picked, I pick a shirt to match the tie.”

Nguyen wasn’t always an avid sneakerhead, the slang term for a fan of shoes. As a child, he owned two pairs at a time; in college, he was only interested in skate shoes since he rode a longboard. He particularly liked shoes from Macbeth, a Californian brand founded by former members of the rock band Blink-182. Unfortunately, Macbeth went out of business, forcing Nguyen to turn to mainstream brands like Nike for new skatewear.

Once Nguyen began earning his own money, he was able to spend more on shoes. In 2016, when he was browsing the Gilroy Nike outlet’s skate shoes section, he spotted a pair of black and teal basketball shoes.

 “I turn around, and I see a pair of All-Star Game Kobe 11 Lows, just on the rack, 50 percent off,” Nguyen said. “And I’m like, ‘These are pretty. And the sole is glow in the dark.’”

Nguyen did not buy the Kobes that day, but regretted it and later bought them on Goat, a popular sneaker reselling site. On Goat, sellers buy coveted shoes upon release and sell them at an inflated resale price. The Kobes were the first shoes Nguyen paid resale price for and marked the beginning of his sneaker craze. As he searched for them online, he found another shoe: the 2017 All Star Air Jordan 1. These iconic leather high-tops were the first shoe designed for the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan. The particular colorway was nicknamed “Chameleon” for its iridescent turquoise which appears to change color depending on the angle of the viewer’s eye. Nguyen bought them at resale price and started collecting more Jordan 1s in different colors. Eventually, they became his favorite type of sneaker.

“I don’t feel bad getting more than one pair of Jordans because it’s such a classic silhouette,” Nguyen said. “It’s the OG sneaker. It’s the first one that people were like ‘I need to buy this.’ I grew up watching Jordan on TV. I had a Space Jam backpack that had a fold out basketball hoop. If I could have just one pair of shoes, it would be the Chameleons.”

Nguyen’s younger brother, who is also a sneakerhead, noticed Nguyen’s growing Nike collection and introduced Nguyen to an Adidas shoe: the Ultraboost. Boost is Adidas’s trademark cushioning system that resembles squishy styrofoam, and the Ultraboost is known for its cloud-like comfort. After buying a pair, Nguyen was browsing other styles of the shoe when he saw the Aspen Ultraboost Mids, a limited edition collaboration between Adidas and the streetwear brand Kith.

“It was about how comfy they looked and how nice they looked,” Nguyen said. “Nothing else looks like a sweater on your feet. And then after [I saw them] I’m like, ‘alright, let’s let’s see what else is out there.’”

Nguyen expanded his collection with different styles of Adidas Boost shoes, including Inikis and Pure Boost. However, he found them all uncomfortable after standing while teaching for long periods of time. He revisited Nike for models such as Air Max, Flyknit Racers and Reacts, all of which were more supportive for hours of standing. He also returned to his skater roots and bought different Vans and Nike SBs. Soon, the entire back wall of his garage was filled with shelves of shoes.

“I bought a lot [of shoes]; for a while I was buying like, one pair a month for a good year-and-a-half,” Nguyen said. “Then I took a step back and looked at my cabinet and I’m like ‘okay, I can start getting rid of some.’”

Nguyen shares his love for sneakers with his friends and family. He often chats with Chemistry teacher Lester Leung and Physiology teacher Jason Lee about shoes, both of whom own Boosts. Nguyen also gave some of his unworn shoes to his brother for his birthday and gifted a pair to his father, who wears them proudly to work.

For Nguyen, shoes are more than just a wearable — they are a fun way to personalize his attire. Nguyen particularly enjoys Nike’s designs and subtle colors. Since teaching requires continuous standing and walking, he values comfort and versatility. He prefers classic shoes over newer styles, and loves sneakers that commemorate his favorite bands or organizations, such as his NASA vans. Although he no longer buys sneakers every month, he is always on the lookout for interesting new pairs to add to his collection.

“I joke that [my sneakers] give people something attractive to look at when they look at me,” Nguyen said. “But shoes are a good way for me to express myself and show some flair.”