Behind the Handle: @trainer.spotting's Archival Celebrity Sneaker Shots

‘90s Kevin Costner serving Off-Duty Dad realness in a crisp white button-down and Reebok Blasts. A radiant Naomi Campbell in a mossy green suede New Balance 576. David Bowie looking louche in a newsboy cap and Nike Tailwinds circa 1983. These are just a few of the 1,000-plus-and-counting shots that have earned @trainer.spotting an ardent following of sneakerheads and fashion fans alike. Founded by Sergey Velsin in 2018 as a repository for his personal archive of 15 years’ worth of celebrity sneaker photos, as of this writing the account has garnered more than 50,000 followers. 

“It was just a fun little side-project,” Velsin recalls of Trainer Spotting’s origins. “The image archive itself was a byproduct of both my personal interest in sneaker history and professional involvement in the sneaker/streetwear industry as a content specialist. Although it is still a hobby-level project for me, it grows bigger over time. Sometimes research takes a lot of time and effort and feels like a full-time occupation.” Spanning the worlds of music (a baby-faced Björk), art (Basquiat and Ed Ruscha), modeling (from Stephanie Seymour to Playboy), movies (auteur David Cronenberg on-set) and more, Velsin’s feed is a veritable treasure trove of rarely seen shots and sneakers ranging from the iconic to the esoteric. “I know that designers and brand archivists use my content as a reference in their work,” he offers, “and that is one of most satisfying outcomes for me."

Here, Velsin curates 10 Trainer Spotting-approved shots for GOAT, from the ‘80s to the early aughts. Hungry for more archival pairs? Discover the biggest sneakers of every year since 1985 on GOAT Timeline.