Before I loved art, I loved shoes. Those who know me would say it was more important than water. I remember my 10-year-old self being gifted imitation Nike Air Force One sneakers by my mother (who worked 3 jobs at that time to provide). I remember loving those shoes like they were the real thing. Granted, I was humiliated by my fellow NYC savage middle schoolmates. And Yep, I did attempt to use a sharpie to draw a Nike Check on the imitation shoes. “Crafting” a Nike shoe was a form of Art in my deluded & undeveloped eyes. It felt like a consolation prized project. Nonetheless, I trusted the process. I figured one day I would strive and make a surplus amount of money and be able to purchase any authentic pair of shoes I wanted. My goal came to fruition. I bought it all. Vans, Converse, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, Giuseppes, Louboutins. I didn’t discriminate. I also remember discovering Nike ID, which is a service provided by Nike allowing customers to customize clothing purchased from Nike. I lost it. I would now design and craft a real Nike check and so I did.
In 2011 (one of the best years of my life), my ability to afford my sneaker craze was birthed. I had amassed over 300+ pairs of shoes. In 2018, when I moved to LA from NYC, it would come back to bite me in the ass.
I formed a knack for buying many colors of the same sneaker models across the board #subtleflexbutok right? Many who had seen my sneaker collection wondered if I was either opening a sneaker store, a prolific hoarder or insecure about myself. All suggestions were humorous but false. I'm simply a passionate sneaker head. When I buy a pair of shoes, I do more than just wear them. I attempt to understand the design process, along with the mind-frame of the designer. I want to know what motivated them and how they decided which colors and materials would mesh together. Shoot, I want to know what they were eating (Yes, It's real).
Ultimately, you do what you love. You attain what you crave. I am a philanthropist at heart though. Over the years, I've given away more than 80+ pairs of shoes. I call it sharing art. I view sneakers as a culture and an art-form. Like Diddy says, #cantstopwontstop. I'm built for this.
Commentaires