Do YOU want to become the next "Sneaker freak of the week". Former freaks: Charles – Mr.67 Henry from Finland finds Air Jordan irrestistable Max - from Sweden InSane Balla - from the Bronx Linus - the Bomb Cameron - Pumping Reeboks Charles - Stenamark fan Pontus - crazy hair, crazy sneaks? Carmine - Brooklyn man? Jeff - the mad collector? Mike - Shake Fan? Duncan - Puma Power? Justin - sponsored by Nike? David - designs his own? Kinyatta - wants to be sponsored? Andrew - had scary Ewings? Fedry - not so normal from Normal? Marieke - wears New Balance 576 on stage Lim - his Kangaroos got jacked Greg - Skating Sneaks Luke - Sofa Sneaks Matt - Botkyrka style Jonas - crying for clogs Nikeboy - he knows what's up in freekin Baltimore Nick - he knows lil'penny personally! Maegan - creative in Converse. Pat - Footlocker Freak. Yusuke - is he gonna get his Air Max snatched? Somaya - the Bronx is her brand Fatima - loves a water fight Nina - tooth brush lady Tobbe - you can tell a tagger by his sneakers. Humpty - gangsters wear hi-tech now. Patrik - lacing is essential. Anna - Stan is her man. Pelle - the shoe tree guy. Micadelica - Adidas with fat laces are no 1. Fredrik - from skater to trainspotter. Pim - a modern man.

Mike King shake-fan and sneaky fire walker from Canada, Ontario. Your first sneakers? In the long days of yore I remember those old Venture runners with that thick white sole, the black tread glued on, with a little bit of leather on the sides, encompassed with nylon and the tell tale sign of loserdome, those 2 velcro straps. No comfort, no style, selling for $10 canadian. The odd part is if they weren't so damn empty I'd likely sport a pair for fun, until they deteriorated in like two months. My first shoes that were not openly mocked I got when I was maybe 12, a pair of Con hightops. Then in about a year, when they blew out I got a pair of Nike X-trainers, now there was a new experience of comfort for the time. I don't know how many Nikes I've gone through of different styles in the inter- vening years, but I've had these Shakes for the last 2 1/2 years and they're about pouched. On more than one occasion, Dr. Shoe had to operate. One of the eyelets gave, that was an easy enough fix with some copper wire. The heel tread came away on one of the shoes, (that's usually the biggest problem with Nikes, when they got that exposed air pocket, it's a real structural flaw.) Four crazy glue-coated 1.5" nails applied at 45 degrees to the back has held for a couple of more months at any rate. Where do you shop for sneakers? I'll look around everywhere before I make a purchase decision. It's quite obviously not some thing that I do frequently, so I don't mind investing the time when it is time to start looking for a new pair. Mike's top sneaker. Why are sneakers important? Sneakers are an emblem of freedom, the freedom of movement, probably the primary extraneous freedom. There is an element of individuality, particularily given the range of styles by makers, type and regionality in the area of sneakers. The casual nature of sneakers says that "I am not a business man." which I am not, and do not desire to be. With the growing acceptance of sport shoes in non sporting climates it will be ever more possible to live with only one shoe which is your freedom of the moment. I tend to be very monotheistic in my possessions, to bond with what I own. I think that one of the great things about sneakers is that they do die in the most a couple of years, as change is an important ingrediant to healthy living. Your best sneaker story? There is a near annual pig roast held on a family lot around where I live. Usually invites go out to family or friends or whoever the hell wants to show up. A couple of years ago, my current shoes were flagging so for the occasion, I painted some gnarly multi-coloured flames on the sides and toe. Me and my got real drunk and we started jumping over the pit fire in the flaming shoes around midnight. All the while making the "doo-dodiloo" sound from Pitfall, whenever the little guy jumped over anything. It was a while earlier, with the same shoe, I was a little bored, so I retro-fitted a custom, micro utility knife to my shoe. I just got one of those exto blades and baked a plastic/femo handle for it. I had a little trouble designing a fastener that would both camoflauge and hold the knife to the shoe, but it was worth it when I was visiting my old roomate, he wanted to open up something and this little knife manifested itself out of my shoe. How many 1 pair, currently, always 1 pair. How do you clean your sneaks? I apply a conditioning foam at irregular intervals, like when I actually care what my sneakers look like. If there's some type of social gathering scheduled immenently, then I'll take a couple of minutes to wipe them inot respectability. Mike is considering looking forward to Airwalks. Sneakers you are most looking forward to? I was looking forward to trying out some Airwalks or Vans this time around, just to get one of thier casual type designs. As often happens though, a particular Nike caught my eye, The son of glove, with black as the primary colour. It almost looks like a cross between a formal boot and b-ball shoe. It's only the black that gives off this impression though, I saw a white one and the effect was wholly dissimilar. I've yet to find one in my size, so I haven't been able to try it out, so I can't say for certain. Submit your own opinions in the worldwide sneaker report