Singapore's Sneaker King

Mandeep Chopra, founder of limited EDT, Singapore’s first dedicated Sneaker Boutique, is on a mission to Cement Singapore’s status as a street culture capital.

- Karen Tee

When Mandeep Chopras Out And About, He Walks With Eyes Downcast, His Head Facing The Ground.

“It is an occupational hazard. I look at people’s shoes,” says the 43-year-old founder of Limited Edt, Singapore’s pioneering cult sneaker boutique chain, with a laugh.

Besides getting a sense of the hottest kicks of the hour, Chopra has, on occasion, spotted rare finds to add to his personal collection. For instance, at a recent sneaker convention, he saw an attendee with a pair of Adidas Pharrell Hu NMD Holi edition shoes that he had been eyeing and bought them off the wearer. On the other hand, Singapore’s sneaker king has had people offer to buy shoes off his feet too.

It is a sign of how frenzied the sneaker craze has become, that many collectors will go to great lengths to snag a coveted pair. This is not just a hobby for a niche group of fanboys either – investment experts are beginning to consider sneakers an “alternative asset class”, for their potential to appreciate in value. In July, Sotheby’s held an auction of 100 of the rarest sneakers produced, with the Nike Moon Shoe, which was designed by the brand’s co-founder Bill Bowerman, selling for US$437,500 (S$607,000).

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

Here in Singapore, the sartorial set has Chopra to thank for kick-starting this sneaker culture ahead of its global spurt. In the early 2000s, Chopra, a third-generation member of Weston Corporation, a family business that deals with sporting goods, joined the company after graduating from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s in business administration.