Retired Teacher Penny Gold Owns 700+ Pairs of Converse Sneakers

words // Brandon Richard Proving that you can never judge a book by its cover, retired school teacher Penny Gold may have a bigger sneaker collection that just about any of us. Now living in Lake Mary, Florida, the 63-year old Brooklyn native claims to have the largest personal collection of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars in the world, owning approximately 733 pairs of the iconic sneaker. Gold says she started collection Chucks about 20 years ago, the shoes serving as a reminder of her days growing up in New York. "Ive been wearing Converse since I was a very little girl in Brooklyn,” Gold told CFNews13. “When all the Converse outlets opened here in Orlando it was at least reasonable to buy." Each pair from the 733 pair collection has been purchased by Gold in person - meaning nothing from eBay or other online dealers. She says that she typically gets bargains on her pairs from nearby Converse outlet stores, somewhere in the $25 range, and has spent around $15,000 over the years. Her shoes are stored in a large personal closet with shelves handmade by her husband Barry, and if you're wondering, Converse is the only sneaker brand allowed on those shelves. “It’s not even allowed in my closet,’’ she joked in ...