SneakerHEADS?



I couldn't agree more with @QBrees.



I am a stickler for using words in the correct context and the misuse of the word “Sneakerhead” lately has stirred up a word in my soul to preach to the uneducated. It just seems to me that lately a lot of people have been on Twitter claiming the whole SNEAKERHEAD name & fame but I just don't deem it as necessary. I can have sneaker talk until Jesus comes back but at some point there just has to be better things for people to do. Cop sneaks, wear them, receive compliments, place them back in the box, & go to BED. All of this “in-the-middle 'I've got a sneaker, hey, hey, hey, hey...' business” going on HAS to stop! I could possibly talk about this subject for days & days, but to keep things short & sweet... these are my problems.

A) Obtaining ten or more sneakers does not make you a “sneakerhead”! You can love sneakers from afar but you have not gotten anywhere near the brink of the game if you think that's a LOT! In my eyes you have just begun a collection and you have so much more to call your own. I am understanding of the fact that sometimes money issues can play a role in the cases of those that may have a low sneaker count, but that leads me to my next point.

B) Knowledge of the game is important! Having EVERY shoe is impossible, but to know about the kicks that you aspire to have & talk about periodically is a must. A pro of knowing your shoes is that you can miss out on EVER being mistaken for a “hypebeast” by knowing the history of the sneakers on your feet like the back of your hand. A con of knowing your kicks is going overboard. You still have to make room to relax and take into consideration the style of the shoe & all of the possibilities of fashion that come with it. So, lie somewhere in the middle where you know enough... but not too much. Read Jordan cards, use Google, or do something because REAL people in the game WILL test you on your sneaks. As a SIMPLE prime example: Who all REALLY knows the truth behind the Doernbecher & Jordan collabs on kicks? Ah, Ah, Ah...Don't Google it now...

C) Jordans ARE NOT the ONLY sneaker! I love Jordans as if God himself said that “there is the The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit, & The Jordans”, don't get me wrong. Sadly, they're not. I had someone tell me once that Nikes & Jordans were the only shoes that mattered. Well, honestly... I had to politely tell them that they don't know SNEAKERS. They know Jordans, alright. They know some Nikes, alright. Yet, in the word SNEAKERHEAD (unless there is some subliminal message in the text) Jordans and/or Nikes are not specified. Out in the world lies an abundance of new styles to be consumed by what I call the brave & the TRUE. Yes, I said it. “Those that take risks are TRUE to themselves.” Quote me on it. I can respect people that wear Vans, Sperry, Android Homme, Supra... the list goes on. I can even respect Coach sneakers. Remember the keyword: SNEAKERS.

D) Being a music connoisseur DOES NOT make you a “sneakerhead”! Maybe this is just me... but since when did listening to Wale, Wiz, Spitta, Big Sean, and many others make you the “all-knowing god of the sneaker kingdom”? They may spit about kicks, but if that makes you feel like you deserve an award... you have far more problems than I thought humans could have... EVER! Wale had a nice spread in the Jordan Look Book. Did that make some of you feel like you had the game in your back pocket? If so, see me & I will gladly bring that head back down to size. Music & Fashion can run hand-in-hand, but knowing a lot about one does not automatically make you master ninja of the other.

E) Self-Proclamation DOES NOT make you a “sneakerhead”! I have NEVER had respect for those that have appointed themselves as a “sneakerhead”. That title should be EARNED. Until you have been seen walking around a COUNTLESS amount of days with nice sneakers & inevitable fashion, please don't let that word seep from your lips. I think this here is the root of the problem: “ There are too many self-named in the game” and that's real. I see the word “sneakerhead” just like I see the title of M.D. To be a Dr. of Medicine you need to go to medical school. To be considered a “sneakerhead” you also need to go through a few tests & trials to make sure that the name suits you. That is all.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not even saying that I am the female “sneakerhead” of the century. There are so many more females out there pushing the game to its limits & I have mad respect for them- we shall have our day. What I'm saying is everyone needs to be themselves and get back to what they know. If no one else loves you for you, Twitter me & I will. Kicks don't make you cool no matter what anyone says & some of you are forcing yourself into the shoe game that you know NOTHING about. It's starting to make me mad. So, thank you for your time & I love you all :-)

SinCIKly,

Tatiyana