Q&A With Fat Bandit

Q&A Session: Fat Bandit (Antony Jackson)

For a lot of social media users in the sneaker world, it’s enough to take a well-placed snap of the latest hyped model with a pair of joggers and just let the likes roll in.  Not so for Antony Jackson – better known online for his alter ego “The Fat Bandit” – who has generated quite a following with his unbelievably vast and diverse adidas collection. The genuine passion and breadth of knowledge he has for the 3 Stripes is impressive, to say the least, and it’s refreshing to see a trainer collector with his level of dedication.

We have had the pleasure of meeting him in the past and talking to him about his passion for all things adidas, and have once again caught up with him for the readers of our blog.


Antony, can you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a lad living in Manchester and a big adidas Originals fan.  Always try to dress what I consider smart but not to impress anybody.  I like to think that I am genuine and will always try to answer people’s questions on social media.  I am a fan of adidas but not consider myself an expert on the history of the brand although I do know a little bit from experiences of buying the brand over the years and speaking with other collectors etc.

I like my music and enjoy going to gigs from local bands such as The Offset and Stolen Haven, to The Stone Roses, The Courteeners, Kasabian and the recent Happy Mondays gig. I also like a bit of dance music: funky house, a bit of Niche beat from DJ’s Andy Spoff and Jamie Duggan, etc.

Fat Bandit - Antony Jackson


Living in Manchester leads us to the obligatory football question – Are you red or blue?

I’m a Red of course, I try and get to the match as much as I can with a couple of lads from Instagram, Darren Lang and Matt the Red, which is always a good catch up and a good laugh.


Can you remember buying / wearing your first pair of adidas?

I think like most people of my generation, my first pair of adidas were [the] Kick, which my Uncle Terry bought me when I was 14 years old. From this first pair I think I was hooked.


What was it about adidas that captured your heart and what age were you when you began to collect seriously?

Apart from it being smart and great footwear, there was a bit of availability to purchase it from local sports shops.  For me you don’t start off to become a collector, it just seems to happen; you buy frequently and before you know it you have a collection.  Plus now there is plenty of choice because of the frequency of releases, so it seems to be difficult not to have a collection, but I’m not complaining.


How many pairs do you have in your collection?

300-plus, but not as many as other collectors out there, although I’ve had more pairs than this in my collection at one time, but that’s another story.

adidas Boxes

So many adidas boxes that he’s using them as a bedside table


What is the missing piece from your collection that you’ve always wanted to add and why?

I would like a pair of adidas Jeans MKII from the 80’s, they were my favourite trainer from leaving school and have always remained that way. I wish I had looked after the ones I had from back then rather than playing football in them and getting chased over muddy fields by the police!


Where did the inspiration for the Sneaker Thief illustration come from that you use on your profile?

Gary Carter did the first design for me, which started as a bit of fun and ended up being on a few t-shirts.  As for the inspiration it came from the name the Fat Bandit, playing around with different ideas.  All good fun, not to be taken seriously.

Fat Bandit Sneaker Thief


How long do you think you’ll continue collecting?

Not something I have thought about, I don’t think there is a time limit on collecting adidas as I love the brand.


Aside from adidas, what other brands are you regularly seen wearing?

I wear a lot of Stone Island with Edwin Jeans, two of my favourite labels and always go well with a smart pair of Adidas.

Stone Island Fat Bandit


There’s a lot of people on social media showing off their trainer collections nowadays. Do the adidas collectors that you come into contact with seem to get along with one another?

The ones that I have come into contact with in the queues and at launch events always seem to get along really well, and it is always a good laugh.  I’ve met some top men and women collectors over the years and it is always been a pleasure to meet up with them.  There are some great collections out there; it’s good to see.

I have a good laugh in the queues with some of the people from Instagram and my mates Doug Merron and Lee Daniels.  You need a sense of humour especially when its minus seven overnight in the middle of Manchester City Centre.


What made you start posting your photographs to Instagram? How do you find it differs to Twitter for your audience?

Someone mentioned to me that Instagram was a good place to find out about trainer releases etc.,  so around 4 years ago I decided to start loading pictures of my collection up which was my first experience of social media as I have never done Facebook (never will).  Twitter to me has a totally different feel and audience to Instagram but still a good place to post pictures and find out release dates.


Did you anticipate the amount of followers that you now have when you first joined Instagram?

I never gave the amount of followers a thought, I didn’t go on Instagram for that reason.  But obviously it has escalated to where it is now, but it is still not about gaining followers for me.  I just enjoy posting pictures and speaking to like-minded people.

Fat Bandit Instagram


Do you have any personal projects that you are currently working on?

Without giving too much away, working on something with a good friend of mine from Instagram and also working on a new clothing label but I am in no rush to do either.


Finally can you give us the top five in your collection and what it is about them that you like so much?
  1. Manchester 2010 version – Another great trainer released as part of Size? ten-year anniversary
  2. LA Trainer OG – Great trainer from the 80’s, and a recent great re-issue
  3. Palermo OG – Great leisure shoe from the 80’s, and being a big leisure shoe fan I am happy to own an original pair
  4. Ardwick – Great issue from the first season Spezial release from curator Gary Aspden
  5. Dublin 2008 – Another great trainer release, I am lucky to own a pair of these much sought-after trainers
 
…in terms of the Manchester 2010 that you rank at Number 1, what would it take to consider selling it?

 I would only sell if it wasn’t for personal gain.

adidas Manchester


Hopefully our chat helps give an insight into the world of collecting trainers and Antony himself, who we would like to thank for his time and sharing his experiences. As always, you can get regular updates from his Fat Bandit related profiles on any of the below links:

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/the_fat_bandit/

One Comment

what a great blog and Antony Jackson a great bloke – certainly can relate to the Manchester 2010 – Stone island & Edwin Jeans – MR Jackson you do know quality .

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