KUALA LUMPUR: Dulkifli Djuaeri, 37, better known as Ide Adol among shoe collectors, has about 220 pairs of classic branded shoes, especially Adidas, with an estimated value of RM180,000.
He has been collecting used classic branded shoes since 2011, with most of his collection of the Adidas City and Island series.
“I purchased most of the shoes from bundle shops, online and other classic shoe collectors.
“My current collection is mostly from the 1950s to 1980s editions and the shoes come from countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Japan, Australia, France and Hungary,” he told Bernama.
His prized collection is a pair of brown high-cut Oasis edition from France.
Dulkifli regards the pair with high sentimental value, and is confident that he is the only person in Malaysia who owns that particular edition.
“Even if people want to buy this Oasis, I will never sell it,” said the research and development head of a company here.
He said his passion for the German brand that is synonymous with its distinct three stripes is due to three factors — attractiveness, colour and design — that are more appealing than other brands.
The father of three sons also said that the most expensive pair of shoes he ever bought was the Adidas Riviera, at RM2,000.
He took up the hobby of collecting shoes after being influenced by friends to visit classic shoe exhibition and sale events.
He did not deny that his wife was disappointed when he spent all of his bonus to buy five pairs of shoes from a friend’s collection.
“But over time, she began to understand. I also generate some side income through the sale of the shoes,” he said when asked about his wife’s opinion of his hobby.
Dulkifli said that due to his growing shoe collection, a part of the living room at his house had to be transformed into a 10-level shoe rack and the living room looks like a shoe boutique.
His Adidas collection has even attracted foreign shoe collectors and has been featured in a special magazine called Adidas Only Addiction published in the United Kingdom.
He plans to organise a classic shoe showcase and sale later this year.
“My friends and I organised an exhibition called Three Stripes Maniacs (TSM) in 2016 and 2017 at Ruang, Subang Jaya, and University of Malaya, respectively.
“The TSM exhibitions attracted 5,000 visitors, including collectors from Germany, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong,” he said. – Bernama
