The Sneaker Hunter

Meet Sam Shoelock, international P.I. and Sneaker Hunter. Sneakerhead.com recently brought Detective Sam Shoelock onto the payroll to sniff out the trends from the shadowy underworld of sneakers. His assignment is to uncover some of the rarest breed of shoes, celebrity sneakers. This is what the good detective has discovered so far.

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Year: 2005

From Detective Shoelock’s journal:

It was the middle of summer when the Sneakerhead girl walked into my office, lookin’ to hire a Sneaker Hunter. She didn’t look like much except for the new Nikes on her feet, she said she had heard I was the best Sneaker Sleuth in the city, and she needed the best. The assignment was tough. Sneakerhead needed someone to hunt celebrity sneakers for them, and I wasn’t sure I could do it. Those celebrities and their sneakers are an elusive breed, but I always was a pushover for a damsel in distress and a free pair of shoes so I took the case. We agreed on payment and she gave me until January to bring her a list of what the sneakers had been doing during 2005.

NEW YORK CITY- NOVEMBER 06: Actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley of the Harry Potter movies) arrived at the "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" premier in New York City wearing a pair of worn out grey Converse; the same shoes he wore to the London photocall in October.

LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 03: Taboo, Fergie Apl.de.Ap and Will.I.Am of The Black Eyed Peas, who were nominated for the awards for Best Group and Best Pop Act, appeared at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Taboo was spotted in white Nikes with a black swoos and gum soles, Fergie in a pair of orange-gold Adidas, and Will.I.Am wore a Nike Woven, possibly an Air Force 1.

Also at the MTV Europe Music Awards was German band Silbermond. Band members sported Converse Special with hearts, black/white checkerboard Vans, red Converse, and black Converse.

DENVER- OCTOBER 26: Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets was seen wearing a Jordan brand basketball shoe during a preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets won 118-115, proving that Carmelo's signature Jordan shoes are worth they salt. Also at the game, Andrew Bogut of the Bucks was spotted on the court in a black pair of Nike Air Max basketball shoes, and T.J. Ford #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks stepped out in a pair of black/blue-green Adidas shoes.

LONDON - OCTOBER 25: Emma Watson (Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films) attended the London photocall for this latest Harry Potter film wearing a pair of low-top converse with black and gold ribbons for laces while co-star Rupert Grint, who plays Potter's best friend Ron Weasley, was sporting grey Converse. The odd man out, Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, wore a pair of black leather dress shoes.

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 25: Jay Kay of Jamiroquai performed at the Nokia Theatre Times Square on October 25, 2005 in New York City wearing black and white Adidas.

EAST RUTHERFORD - OCTOBER 10: Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets was spotted breaking in a new pair of Nike basketball shoes in the trainers' room during Real Training Camp at the Nets practice facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

MTV TRL- OCTOBER 6: Sean "Diddy" Combs visited MTV's TRL (Total Request Live) shoe on October 6th wearing a pair of brown Nikes.

LONDON - OCTOBER 04: Actor Jake Maskall attended the aftershow party following the world gala film premiere of "Kinky Boots," at Titanic in London, England while wearing a pair of red Converse. The Kinky Boots Collection is a fundraising collection of footwear designed by celebrities including Cher, Sting and Trudie Styler, Sadie Frost and Colleen McLoughlin that will be auctioned to raise funds for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

SYDNEY, NSW - SEPTEMBER 12: Actor Johnny Knoxville (Luke Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard" movie) wore a pair of well-worn Converse Chuck Taylor canvas basketball sneakers to the Australian premiere of "The Dukes Of Hazzard" at the George St Cinema in Sydney, Australia.

LONDON - SEPTEMBER 05: Musician Kaz James of Bodyrockers arrived at the UK premiere for the film "Pride & Prejudice" at the Odeon Leicester Square on September 5, 2005 in London, England sporting a pair of Chuck Taylors.

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 04: Actor Matt Damon arrived by boat in a pair of green Pumas, possibly Puma Easy Riders, for the photocall for his film "The Brothers Grimm" at the 62nd Venice Film Festival. Also at the film festival for the film "The Brothers Grimm" was Director Terry Gilliam in a pair of Vans classic slip-ons and Heath Ledger jumped ashore in a pair of red/black or blue Adidas.

HOLLYWOOD , CA - JULY 28: Actor/singer Willie Nelson showed off his custom New Balance shoes as he arrived at the Premiere Of "The Dukes of Hazzard" at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 28, 2005 in Hollywood, California.

After all this sneaker hunting, I need a break. A nice long rest in someplace warm where people don't wear shoes and I don't have to look at them. Being the best sneaker hunter does have its price....

The End?

Stay tuned for more updates to Sam Shoelock's journal after he returns from his tropical hideaway.

Help Sam Shoelock continue his assignment! If you have intel and/or photo evidence of a celebrity sneaker in film, tv, or on the street, submit your info and pictures to the Sneaker Academy editor at with the subject "Celebrity Sneaker Intel". Don't forget to include your name, location, and what kind of shoes and who was wearing them!