My sneaker journey; a short synopsis

For this week’s blog, I thought it was about time I got a bit personal and shared how I got into sneakers.

If I’m being honest, my love of sneakers hasn’t necessarily been a lifelong thing. I know it would make a more compelling story to begin by saying that I’ve always been in love with sneakers for as long as I can remember, but this is simply not the case. As a little kid, I simply did not care what was on my feet, as long as I could go fast in them. Fast forward to middle school,and I was more conscious of what I was wearing, but it was the classic middle school boy outfit. A combination of runners, basketball shorts and a Nike graphic t-shirt that made me, in effect, look like a highlighter.

It wasn’t until high school that I began to really care about sneakers, and sneaker culture. One of my good friends Tyler, and his older brother Ryan, were always getting new Jordans, and 14 year old me was instantly hooked. Perhaps it was the flashy colors, or really the attention that they got for them, but I decided that I too wanted to get in on the sensation. This coincided directly with songs like “Wings” by Macklmore and “23” by Mike Will Made It topping the charts when I was beginning to listen to my own type of music and not what my parents liked. Music and sneaker culture have gone together as far back as the 80’s, and this was the catalyst that launched me into my sneaker obsession. I’ll never forget my first pair of Jordans, they were 1 lows in a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air inspired colorway. I wore them with pride every day, and I still have them, though I wear them sparingly now to increase the life they have left.

At first, I simply bought up the newest sneakers that would drop, and bought them off of sites such as Amazon or footlocker. It’s insane how quickly the world of sneakers moves, as it would be nearly impossible to get some of the shows I did, such as Nike Dunk Desert Silt, off of Amazon (one of my biggest regrets is not buying a second pair for $39, when now they cost 250 plus). In college, I discovered the GOAT app, which changed life for me my freshman and sophomore years. Then, I would pick up just about any shoe that caught my eye for sheep, and I would style my outfits around the shoes I chose to purchase.

That leads us to today, where I have slowed down on my purchase rate, and tend to go for lower profile shoes in more subtle colors. I have made the bulk of my purchases off of eBay or Depop in the past two years. In fact I haven’t ordered a pair of GOAT since the summer of 2020. I have also done what I previously would’ve thought was unthinkable, and have sold a large number of the shoes I bought my freshman and sophomore years.

Let me know in the comment section about your sneaker journey.