We’re back in the moody-skied capital for this episode of ?collections, paying a visit to Linus Nutland – the founder of the restorative Nike Server. Read on to get the full picture of his ultra-niche Nike footwear collection, which boasts models that would have even the keenest of aficionados scratching their heads for clues.

It all started with a few cheap and random purchases on eBay and in charity shops until Linus was finally able to build a small collection of forgotten Nike footwear in his own size. Then he turned his attention to other sizes, and that’s when the buying and selling side of the business inevitably kicked in.

‘From the late ‘90s through into the 00s,’ says Linus, ‘the Nike SB models at the time were somewhat frowned upon, but when we fast-forward to the present day, these shoes are now really sought-after.’ Although he hasn’t got his hands on all of them, the Nike Trog and Choad are some of the older Nike SB standouts from the collection – with the latter being incredibly in demand today.

Even though Linus says he doesn’t have a sentimental attachment to any shoes, the Huarache Escape was a pair that was there from the beginning for him – which rings true to the sentiment that everyone really does have that one pair that starts it all.

But the thrill for Linus is found more in the hunt for the models – that’s where his passion lies. Not only that, but also being able to then share that information with his avid-collector audience as a way of giving back is a nice bonus for him, too.

In his second year, Linus started buying broken pairs of old Nike models, in an attempt to fix them up himself. This was too time-consuming, but when he heard about Vibram, he went over to their shop by Old Street with a bag full of around 20 different shoes.

Linus says that he has now resoled somewhere in the realm of around 500 pairs, as his obscure collection continues to work alongside Vibram in order to restore old models back to their best, or to breathe entirely new life into them altogether. If you want something truly no-one else has got, look to Linus.

Get stuck into more ?collections on our blog.