This season we’ve watched Gilbert Arenas do something unprecedented: Rock a ridiculous number of kicks. From Air Jordan retros and originals to classic Nike basketball silhouettes to selections from Under Armour, Reebok and Fila, Gilbert has busted out a new pair nearly every night, captivating a watching sneaker world and becoming The Sneaker Champ in one fell swoop. Nevermind the often drastic differences in cushioning, support and performance from game to game, T.S.C. proves that love of sneakers can trump practicality. Even if it means wearing and falling out of shoes that weren’t designed for basketball. Or strapping up $395 Dolce & Gabbana high-tops.
As anyone who loves sneakers knows, they cost money. A lot of it. And if you maintain a sneaker collection of any size, you know the financial toll it can take. One colorway won’t do, you need three. One pair isn’t enough, doubles, triples, even quadruples are required so you don’t run out. Part of the appeal and buzz of Gilbert’s shoe dream season is that you get a sense that he understands all of this. He knows that craving. He’s just like you, except for the playing in the NBA thing and the money to amass the collection he owns.
So before Gilbert and the Orlando Magic resume their season tomorrow, we’ve decided to take a midseason visual inventory of all the shoes Gilbert has worn up to the All-Star break and estimate a grand total of what they’d cost at retail. Each model or colorway was counted only once.
