Wish Realized: Man Creates Nike Shoe Museum (ShoeZuem)

At Wishes 4 Life, we want to celebrate those who were able to realize their dreams.  Today, we are profiling Jordy Geller and his Nike Collection.  Geller’s dream was to build a tribute to his love: Nike Air Jordans.  Through hard work, and a bit of luck, he was able to collect over 2,000 pair of Nike Air Jordans to display in his 9,000-square-foot warehouse, dubbed the “ShoeZuem.”  His shoes include almost every imaginable Air Jordan, from special appearance Grinch-inspired shoes, to ones patterned after Homer Simpson. 

Why Create A Museum To Nike Air Jordans?

There are plenty of people who collect items; stamps, coins, cars and shoes.  But few people take it to the level that Geller has.  He had a dream, a dream that when you walked into his space that you would be almost hypnotized, he wanted people to ”…walk through this world and be completely consumed and engulfed into it and leave thinking that there’s no other brand but Nike, there’s no other shoes like Nikes and nothing like this museum.”

He was inspired by classic movies and books like Willy Wonka, “Field of Dreams,” “The Last Lecture,” “Man on Wire,” and several others.  He began with a simple investment of $300 and some space in his apartment while going to law school.  Anytime he found Nike Air Jordans he would buy them, sell them on the web, and make a profit.  While he could have become a lawyer, he instead decided to follow his passion of selling Nikes. 

What Did Geller Do To Give Back To The Community?

Despite finding a large warehouse for his collection, he wanted to open it to the public.  The problem was, he’s not sure how.  He’s had Nike executives visit and done a few interviews.  He even did a “golden ticket” event in which people bid (all the money went to a charity) for a private 6-hour experience in the ShoeZuem that included a shoe-painting session. 

On June 16, 2011, he will open the ShoeZeum to the public.  Here is a man who followed his passion and wants to share it with the world.

To read an entire ESPN article on Jordy Geller – Click Here. 

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