An Endless Love for Sneakers

(Image created by Laro Lagosta)

A deep passion for sneakers has undoubtedly always been present in my life. I've had influence from different people that determined what I was more interested in at different times, but no matter what the feeling has never left. 

Osiris-Skater Phase

When I really began to develop as a person (mid-late elementary school), the skater phase hit me hard. With that, I felt that I would die for a pair of blue and black DC shoes, which I would eventually get. I then phased very deeply into the bulkiest of bulk in terms of shoes: Osiris. My friends can still clearly recall my Osiris phase.

Skater phase or no skater phase, I was always heavily involved in baseball and basketball growing up, but more basketball than baseball. Both of these would also play heavily into the sneakers I was interested in during that time. With baseball players only being able to wear cleats, baseball's sneaker influence wouldn't amount to be near as much for me compared to the sneaker influence from basketball.


Deepening into my middle school years, I rolled out of the skater phase and rolled straight into an awkward mustache that I was too scared to shave because I had no idea how. But more importantly with that foul fuzz above my lip came an even deeper interest in sneakers. About this time I really began paying attention to specific sneaker silhouettes and colorways. I learned how to identify every silhouette from the main Jordan line, along with some other current and more aged models. I would change the lock screen photo on my school Microsoft Surface almost weekly to different sneakers, and had endless amounts of sneaker screenshots on my iPod of images that I discovered on Instagram (shout out to the #sharpshooters gang). One lock screen image from my school tablet that I can remember vividly was the LeBron XI Low "China". I never stopped wanting that shoe. This is also when I got in the habit of checking sneakernews.com on a daily basis during school - I am forever thankful that website was never blocked on the school's server. Around the same time in my life, I went to a basketball camp for elementary and middle school age kids at a college, and one of the kids I was playing against everyday had the LeBron X P.S. Elite "Total Crimson". I stared at his feet every time I saw him, and I recall this as my first in-person sneaker memory.

LeBron X P.S. Elite "Total Crimson" (via solecollector.com)

LeBron XI Low "China" (via weartesters.com)

Throughout my years in high school and into the present day, I have been greatly impacted by sneaker writers and influencers. I was very close to seeking a journalism major in college so I could eventually end up as a sneaker journalist, but the path seemed far too risky. I took the route that seemed safer, but still hope that one day I can end up with some sort of career in sneakers just like the fellas pictured below.

Trinidad James, Brendan Dunne & Matt Welty (Image via expressdffrnt.com)

Seeing that I have an extreme interest in and passion for sneakers, I will be setting out this summer in search of sneaker information that has not been easily accessible for me growing up, but that I feel is important for me to know. I will be taking time weekly to look more deeply into individual silhouettes, sneaker designers/creators, specific sneaker lines & collections, influencers, fun sneaker stories, etc., from all different brands and walks of life. After learning about whatever sneaker related information I decide to look into for that week, I will be posting my findings under the "Sneakers" heading at the top of the blog. Stay tuned for new posts weekly starting May 20th!