Early Sneaker
Memories
School is back in session and the
flurry of first day outfit pictures has hit my social media. All these pictures
made me remember being excited to wear a new pair of shoes or a new outfit to
school. I was a late bloomer compared to some getting into sneakers and didn’t
really start my collection until I was 16 or so. Even still, I often chase that
feeling of getting a compliment or a look of approval from my peers just like
back then. To help capture how this feeling of self-discovery and the urge to
collect started in all of us, I reached out to some friends. I wanted to share
some early sneaker memories of ours and compare them:
“My brother got into sneakers shortly before I did and I
remember he had the Cardinal 7s but I wasn't crazy about them. I made a friend
in one of my classes in 10th grade and he was wearing the Bordeaux 7s one day
and I thought they were the coolest Jordans ever. I was confused when he told
me that they were Jordan 7s because they looked nothing like the Cardinals to
me at the time and knew Jordan 7s because their side peaks. I took a closer
look at the Bordeaux 7s and noticed that they did in fact have the peaks but
they were matte black which was so fire to me at the time.” - @thisbryanguy001
This is a classic case of
discovering a detail on a shoe for the first time. Those little changes like a
new material or color blocking make all the difference. Not to mention the
experience of seeing a colorway for the first time on someone else. Memories
like this are what create nostalgia around retro releases for years to come.
Bryan’s collection is amazing and he has a great mix of gem OG colorways and
player exclusives. He is someone that really appreciates the little things that
go into a shoe and this memory summarizes that perfectly.
“My high school sneaker memories in the early 90s were
mostly about how impossible it was to acquire Air Jordans in the small town I
grew up in. I loved the Jordan 5 and 6, but the only way to get them was if you
were making the trip to Vancouver, and somehow timed it during the sneaker
release, and had the money, which of course means you had to convince your
parents. I never got them, and I wasn’t really a fan of Jordan 7-9s. The 10s
were pretty good, but Jordan retired that year so you didn’t really see him
play in them. When the Jordan 11 released, it was of course mayhem. But not in
the town I grew up in, because it was still impossible to get. I had to wait
till 2003 or so to get my first Jordans. And probably till 2010 to get my first
Jordan 11s. Sometimes you gotta wait.” - @Sockjig
If you are reading this, I imagine
you are already listening to this man’s podcast. If you are not, you are
missing out! I love hearing this perspective of people older than myself who
got to experience the debut of an original silhouette that Jordan played in. It’s
almost a fairy tale status that follows around these early releases in the mind
of a kid because they are out of your grasp. It’s the dream of every kid to get
a part of something that makes you feel like a part of the story unfolding with
your favorite athlete. I remember getting my first pair of Kobes and just
feeling like I had leveled up. Even as someone who was more into hockey than
basketball, I wanted that piece of what those players represented. Finding that
perfect pair as a kid or later in life helps you connect to that story.
My
personal memory is about designing a 3d print of a pair of Jordan 10s for a
family friend in a school design class. I wasn’t particularly into sneakers at
the time and I had never really stopped to look at a pair. When I started
looking up reference pictures for the model, the sole details blew me away. Spending
time everyday staring at those photos made me appreciate how much effort went
into the design of sneakers. My design didn’t end up the most flattering
representation of the shoe, but I went out of my way to fully replicate the
stripes and lettering on the soles. It was just so cool to me as a concept that
I had to show it the proper respect. I don’t even know if I owned anything at
the time besides Adidas shelltoes or New Balance from Kohl’s. That one story of
a shoe hooked me in and I have been learning new stories ever since.
By Justin DiRe
Twitter: @beanster88
Nerdthusiast Sneaker Content Writer
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