Flight Case Sneakers: Fabian Gorsler

Born and raised in Bangkok before heading stateside to study in NYC and eventually landing in Berlin, Fabian Gorsler's knowledge and passion for sneakers - much like his upbringing - knows no borders and no bounds.

A passion born from his love of football, it was during his time at university in New York that his interests segued off-pitch and his focus on the sneakers shaping the streetwear zeitgeist took hold.

Current sportswear editor at Highsnobiety, Fabian's is a tenured and respected voice in the global sneaker community. Toeing the line between hype releases and reliable stalwarts, Fabian's sneaker collection is rooted in the classics. "I’ve generally always been into runners or classic silhouettes and never cared much for basketball shoes or fashion sneakers. Miss me with that chunky hype," Fabian jokes as we get settled in his Berlin apartment and he unveils his selection. "The first Jordans I owned were a pair of 11 lows, but I would have to say my favourites are 3s and 4s from a comfort perspective. AJ1s are super uncomfortable - you can quote me on that."

Spending a day with Fabian in the city he now calls home, we lift the lid on his Flight Case to see the footwear rotation he can't travel without and hear the story of each in his own words.

"The Nike Shox TL is hands down my favourite sneaker of all time. I love the story behind it: Bruce Kilgore, designer of the AF1, designed Shox cushioning at some point in the ’80s but for various reasons it never went to production, laying dormant for nearly 20 years before arriving in the early ’00s. Then it was quickly displaced by Nike Free and discontinued. 

I remember back in the 00s, we didn’t have any Nike Shox in stores in Thailand but I would always see my best friend wearing them after spending the summers at home in the USA. I begged him and finally, one year, he brought me back a pair. So I have a very personal connection to this shoe."

"Although I’ve always been into runners, I never owned that many New Balance shoes - the odd Ronnie Fieg collaboration aside. I think with the 990v5, New Balance has improved what was previously a near perfect shoe. Some might not like how it’s become much more streamlined and stealthy but to me, that’s just the nature of evolution. It’s the perfect balance between dad and modern."

"I’ve beat this AF1 from Virgil's "The Ten" beyond recognition and it’s still one of my favourites. But I have to be careful how often I wear it if I want it to last. I’ve thought about it but I can’t afford a second pair for resale - at least right now. I can’t tell you how many clubs I’ve worn this one to and I probably killed resale value by scribbling all over it."

"This ASICS is similar to the New Balance in that it’s a classic retro running silhouette that has little to no hype behind it but is just solid quality-wise. They’re also one of the most comfortable shoes I own and super easy to style so it was a no-brainer including them on the list."