Pelé, Maradona, “Forrest Gump”, the Pope… In Ecuador, he collects thousands of sneakers that tell life stories

“Each pair evokes a certain period in these people's lives, but also a period in history as a whole,” says Esteban Del Hierro, who has collected more than 7,000 pairs of sneakers over the past forty-five years. “Walking is an essential part of our lives,” points out the calceologist, a scholarly name for a shoe collector.

On a hill north of Quito, a house of about 400 square meters is designed entirely to house his collection on rows of shelves with a total length of 3.3 km, where you navigate through narrow corridors. They contain about 5,500 pairs. “Smells like a shoe store, not feet!” “, he soothes

Bands and sky color

The collector lives in a neighboring house, where he also stores 1,500 pairs, he explains, displaying a copy of the Nike Cortez, a famous model created in 1972 in honor of the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and often worn by members of the formidable Mara Salvatrucha gang. (MS-13) in El Salvador. The Cortez they wear – the colors of which are associated with the different territories they operate in – have become as iconic as their corporate tattoos.

The sneaker lover presents this white retro pair with its iconic sky-colored 'swoosh' (Nike logo): it's the first model of its kind. These shoes were used in the cinema, especially by the main character in “Forrest Gump” (1994), played by Tom Hanks, who undertakes to run for three years without stopping.

The Latin Kings gang of American origin, active in several countries, adopted Timberland with the tongue reversed as a sign of belonging. They also appear in Esteban Del Hierro's collection, among others Puma, Adidas, Reebok, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

The collection includes some surprising pieces, such as serials bearing the brand of unexpected luxury cars: Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz… Skipper boat shoes, “iconic in Latin America”, model worn by the legendary Puerto Rican boy band Menudo and Argentinian. cumbia villera groups.

Certain sneakers have become objects of desire and fetch millions for sellers thanks to a thriving market and auctions. “That's the power of fashion,” exults Esteban Del Hierro, who bought a pair of Adidas TRX on credit at the age of ten, his first pair of a foreign brand, which he still keeps.

He hopes to be awarded a Guinness record: the current record is 2,388 pairs belonging to American Jordy Geller.

Pair #147 of 999

According to Esteban Del Hierro, there is no record for collecting football boots and his could earn him such a title. He owns around 1,000 pairs, some made of kangaroo leather or similar to those worn by legendary players such as Pelé or Maradona. It even has the carbon fiber shoes produced in 2008 for footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. This is pair number 147 of the 999 in this limited series on sale to the public.

His dream? Find a copy of Pope Francis' famous black shoes, 'a symbol of humility'

His dream? Find a copy of the famous Carlos Samaria black shoes worn by Pope Francis, “a symbol of humility” according to him, the pontiff being the first to ditch the traditional red shoes of his predecessors (except for the Vatican). Esteban Del Hierro, who finances his purchases himself, would like to create a museum and an urban cultural center to support the artists, athletes, children and young gang members he would like to enable to give up illegality. Now he wants to donate his collection to benefit the world of art and sports.