The Origin of RaisingTheBARG's Wrestling Shoes

My "top four" of each brand on July 25, 2016.

My name is Nolan Barger.  I'm 21 years old and wrestling has been a huge part of my life since I was knee-high.  Wrestling over the years has evolved in so many ways, but one of the biggest ways I have noticed is the emphasis athletes put on the gear they wear, especially their shoes.

When I was 15, I attended the Ohio Tournament of Champions and saw probably twenty wrestlers sitting around with wads of cash in their hands, and piles of shoes and singlets in front of them.  Kids of all ages were swarming their collections, asking for prices on everything they owned, including the shoes on their feet and shirts on their backs.  I was intrigued.  I remember watching one deal specifically, and a kid paid over $300 for a pair of old and beat up Nike wrestling shoes, known as footsweeps, which just happened to be in the wrestling shoe recycle bin at my high school.  I was hooked.  "Why would these idiots pay that much for a piece of junk pair of shoes?" I thought to myself.  I still have yet to answer that question, but after a few months of collecting I became addicted to the shoe game, and I became one of those "idiots".

Within a month or two I had gathered up every old wrestling shoe I could find, and started my flickr page.  Flickr, for those who don't know, is just  a photo sharing site, but "funky flickr boys" would consider it a sin to say it is only that.  Flickr serves as a median through which shoes are traded, sold, and even just discussed.  Through the exchange of information on flickr I became in my opinion an expert on wrestling shoes, new and old alike.  I studied them for hours a day, from their names, to the years they were made, and the prices they sell for.  It became an addiction to me to know everything about every wrestling shoe out there.

Over six years later, here I am.  I still have a collection of wrestling shoes, about 15-20 pair, and I treat them as assets to my business.  On a good week I'll sell 3-4 pair, and buy a few pair to replace them.  My flickr days have ended, due to the increase of scams I had encountered, and I've moved most of my business to eBay and instagram.  I'm a senior in college now, and buying and reselling shoes is how I've made the majority of my spending money while at school.

With this blog, I don't intend to sell any more shoes, but rather inform about them, and share my thoughts about shoes I have owned.  I have owned hundreds of pairs of wrestling shoes, and make it a point to wear every pair I have, at least once, to see how I like them.  With this blog, I am going to do reviews on pairs of shoes that I have owned, hopefully to your benefit.  Too many times I have bought shoes to wear, only to find out I don't like how they grip, or they are too small for my feet, etc.  I also plan on writing about other trends in the wrestling world with this blog.

I hope you enjoy!
Nolan Barger