If the equity and commodities markets are not doing much for your portfolio these days, perhaps designer kicks just might be a worthwhile investment.

“I’ve made a lot of money on shoes,” Bennett says. Today, there are about 120 pairs in his collection. He had more, but he sold them on the Internet. Bennett is reluctant to reveal what his most valuable sneakers are worth, but he gives an example of a pair of sneakers that substantially increased in value overnight.

The Air Jordan XXIII came out in January, 2008. Five

hundred and twenty-nine pairs (the number is based on multiplying 23 by 23) were released in North America. There was even more hype than usual when these Jordans (named for basketball player Michael Jordan) came out. “Michael Jordan played college basketball at the University of North Carolina,” Bennett explains. “He was No. 23, and these shoes are white and baby blue – UNC’s colours.”

In Canada, the shoes sold for about $350. “Within 24 hours, they doubled in value,” Bennett says. “Within a week, they tripled.”