Rare Airs and the great laced

ONE of the world’s largest collections of rare sneakers isn’t in a sneakerhead’s climate-controlled storage locker. It’s at “Sneaker Pimps,” a traveling sneaker art exhibit that stops at the Mayer Building in Hollywood on Friday night. More than 1,000 pairs of Nikes, Adidas, Reeboks and other sneakers will be on display -- all of them limited-edition, rare, vintage, celebrity-signed or hand-painted by popular artists in the graffiti, toy, fashion and hip-hop worlds.

Among the artists contributing custom shoes: New York graffiti artist Stash, L.A. fashion designer Dr. Romanelli and Hong Kong toy designers Brothers Free. Among the performances: turntablist Qbert, Kanye West protege Lupe Fiasco and British artist turned live-painting sneaker customizer Dave White.

The collection is so valuable that Sneaker Pimps founder Peter Fahey pays “an insane amount of insurance.” And he still has nightmares that the sneakers will be stolen.

“I’ve been to Third World countries where they tried to steal my shoes and stole my passport. I’ve bribed customs officers. I’ve had the craziest situations,” Fahey said of the 4-year-old exhibit that has been to 50 cities worldwide. “The collection is priceless.”

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-- Susan Carpenter

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“Sneaker Pimps,” 8 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, Mayer Building, 5500 Hollywood Blvd., L.A. $10. www.sneakerpimps.net.