Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Noble Projectreport
Noble Projectreport
VALUE.
_______________________________________
A Project
presented to
_______________________________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment
Master of Arts
_____________________________________________________
by
Jordan Noble
July 2019
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend innumerable and immeasurable thanks to Dr. Monique Luisi,
without whom I would not have a master’s degree. She worked tirelessly to ensure I was
prepared in every aspect to complete this project, as well as graduate, even when times
were incredibly tough. She is always supportive and someone I could continually count
Second, I would like to thank Amy Simons, who was kind enough to take on this
project at the last moment and encourage me across the finish line with immense help in
my interviews.
Finally, I would like to thank Kathy Adams for too often allowing me into her
office without an appointment ready to answer any question I could possibly have.
Behind the scenes she did countless things to bring this project to life and ensure I was on
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DEDICATION
I would like to thank my mom and dad for always providing me with countless
opportunities to better myself and for pushing me to be the best student and person I can
be. I love you both, and deeply appreciate everything you have done for me.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii
References………………………………………………………………………………..55
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………58
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Basketball and sneakers have always been two worlds closely intertwined,
constantly influencing one another. Basketball, more than any other sport has dictated
since the 1950s what the youth have worn on their feet (Cunningham, 2008; Nichols,
2011). The explanation could be as simple as one cannot wear football or baseball cleats
in the street, while basketball shoes can be worn anywhere (O’Connor, 2014). However, I
feel as though it may go deeper. A subculture has grown and developed in recent years
around those who collect, wear and care about sneakers (Rakestraw, 2017a).
The targeted demographic and sneakerhead lifestyle is growing. With it, so is the
coverage of the expansive sneaker industry. Sneaker culture, a cultural lifestyle driven by
one’s love of sneakers and the continued desire to purchase new pairs and learn about
their history, has changed drastically since its rise from sub-culture to a popular culture
phenomenon -with the most growth occurring in the last decade along with the advent of
social media. (Rakestraw, 2017a; O’Connor, 2018). Since the meteoric rise of the
Internet, the sneaker fanatic lifestyle has changed in many ways. Gone are the days when
it was necessary to wait in line for hours to buy a must-have shoe before it sells out
(Welty, 2016). Rather than waiting in the cold in New York City overnight, sneakerheads
wait patiently in the comfort of their homes until the second the clock hits 10:00 AM,
hoping they pushed the “Buy” button fast enough to purchase the shoe before it sells out.
With the majority of sneaker purchasing moving from brick and mortar locations to
online stores, along with it moved the sneaker culture. Still, throughout the evolution of
sneaker culture, one thing that has remains constant: the importance of basketball
sneakers.
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Professional basketball players are the first line of influencers in dictating what
basketball shoes are popular (O’Connor, 2018). After all, they are the athletes wearing
the shoes on the hardwood for the consumers across the world to be exposed. Elite,
professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are often
offered deals with big name companies such as Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour. Through
these lucrative deals, players work alongside the brands to design sneakers that are
collectors across the country, I probed deeper into the importance of sneakers at a
functional, fashionable, and personal level. I set out to learn what sneakers they wear, and
why they wear the sneakers that they do. I wanted to know how they arrived at those
connections with certain shoes, and am immersed in this culture. It is a connection linked
to a memory, or a person, or a time in their lives. This connection is part of a culture, and
a billion-dollar industry, (Wolff and Rega, 2016) and thus, these stories are important to
tell.
To tell these stories, I spent four months interviewing players in The Basketball
learn what their sneakers mean to them and their process of assigning value to basketball
shoes – or sneakers.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
History
community that revolves around the purchasing, fantasizing over and love of sneakers
and the sneaker industry (Rakestraw, 2017a; Cunningham, 2008; O’Connor 2014). Those
who are a part of sneaker culture, especially the collecting aspect, are often referred to as
sneakerheads (Proulx, 2018). Sneaker culture has been a subculture in the United States
following the industrial revolution, sneaker production was cheap and the style gained
popularity (Cunningham 2008). The first sneaker to take on a life of its own was the
Converse All-Star. A sneaker still popular in the 2010s selling nearly 100 million pairs a
year (Sommer, 2015); the All-Star was the first sneaker endorsed by an athlete
(O’Connor, 2014). Chuck Taylor, the eponymous brand style, was the professional
basketball player who first endorsed the Converse sneaker in 1921 The following year,
the United States’ Olympic basketball team wore the sneaker, making the shoe
synonymous with basketball forever (O’Connor, 2014; Cunningham, 2008). After World
War II, Converse began to mass-produce the All-Star in multiple colors for wear by
nearly every basketball team from high school to the professional level in the United
States (Cunningham, 2008). However, it was not until the 1950’s that the basketball
sneaker made its way from the hardwood to the streets (Cunningham, 2008). Off the
court, Hollywood actors pushed the popularization of the Converse All-Star when James
Dean was photographed wearing a pair of white Converse, blue jeans, and a white t-shirt.
Dean’s style became a symbol of rebellion and youth for teenagers for over a decade
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(Cunningham, 2008). This was the first time that a sneaker itself defined a generation and
became part of a culture, but it was far from the last (Cunningham, 2008; Nichols, 2011).
While athletes often endorse sneakers (Wilson & Sparks, 1996), they are not the
only ones who can popularize a shoe. Following the culture influence of the Converse
All-Star was the success of a black and white; three stripe Adidas sneakers, now known
as Superstars (Nichols, 2011). RUN DMC, a hip-hop group that emerged in the 1970s
released a song titled “My Adidas” (RUN DMC, 1986, track 3), in reference to the white
and black striped shoes the group often wore. The song’s success made the sneakers so
popular that Adidas agreed to sponsor the group. As a result, the following year Adidas’s
saw a $35 million increase in U.S. profits (Heard, 2003). Adidas quickly realized that
sneakers were synonymous with hip-hop. The two cultures were, and are still so
interwoven that it is hard to separate between the two. Hip-hop artists often determine
what is cool in footwear, suggesting brands to youth through their music. Examples
include entire songs dedicated to sneakers and fashion such as “Air Force Ones” (Nelly,
2002, track 7) or “Fashion Killa” (A$AP Rocky, 2013, track 10). Other songs include
quotes about coveted sneakers including Kanye West’s “All Falls Down”; “Cause that’s
enough money to buy her a few pairs of new airs cause her baby daddy don’t really care”
(West, 2004, track 4). Adidas is crucial in sneaker history not only because of the merger
of hip-hop and shoes, which they continue to do today through Kanye West, but also
because of the influence their formula had on all well-known sneaker companies. These
companies realized that they needed to begin to target the youth – a tactic still used in
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has expedited the growth of followers of the sneaker culture (Welty, 2016). The
introduction of limited edition sneakers, or sneakers that are not mass-produced, was a
crucial turning point for the industry and the sneaker culture as certain sneakers became
rare and necessary for collectors to have (Rakestraw 2017a). While this concept was
profitable for the sneaker companies and helped shape the progression of sneaker culture,
it is also responsible for the aforementioned violence that is unfortunately still visible in
sneaker culture (Cunningham, 2008; Heard, 2003; Welty, 2016). Due to the limited
nature of popular releases, many sneakerheads cannot get their hands on pairs that they
want for their collection, something I have experienced personally on multiple occasions.
Therefore, fanatics may resort to violence in order to get what they want (Welty, 2016).
Sneaker companies have attempted to lessen the violence associated with sneaker
releases by moving popular releases online, rather than in stores (Jones, 2017). By
moving releases online, mobs are no longer forming outside of stores and people are
purchasing from the comfort of their own home, though it still comes with its own set of
flaws (Jones 2017). Problems with the new system can include the sheer number of
people attempting to purchase these coveted release. This can cause applications and
websites to crash, adding another level of frustration to the sneaker game. Another
byproduct of the move online is the lack of community among collectors (Rakestraw,
2017a; Jones, 2017). This relocation online has moved the point of purchase and the
and come up with new ways to advertise and keep their consumers satisfied. As recently
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teaming up with famous guest designers, big brands are reimagining sneakers with the
input of rappers, athletes or designers from other popular areas of fashion Such as A$AP
Rocky, LeBron James and Alexander Wang (Corral, French & Kahn, 2017). Limited
releases such as Nike x Off White, Nike X Supreme, and Adidas X Pharrell, to name a
few, generate so much hype in the sneaker community that they sell out seconds after
their release and resell in some cases for over $1,000 (Corral, French & Kahn, 2017).
With collaborations, the sneaker behemoths get a two for one deal when drawing in
sneakerheads. The collections are often very limited, which generates excitement in the
community, but by collaborating with someone it is also an endorsement and the endorser
actually helped design the product, making it that much more “special.”
Influence
The rise of sneaker culture, and importance of footwear, has been greatly
influenced by celebrities such as Michael Jordan and James Dean (Cunningham 2008;
Kellner, 1996), as well as brands like Nike and Adidas and the respective brand
featuring Michael Jordan (Wilson & Sparks, 1996), arguably, the most influential man in
the sneaker industry to date. In 1991, Nike launched a series of commercials featuring
Jordan and Spike Lee in order to sell Jordan’s new line of basketball shoes (Wilson &
Sparks, 1996). Nike utilized Jordan’s popularity as a black athlete, paired with Lee’s
popularity as a Black actor and director to help target a young black audience with their
ad campaign (Wilson & Sparks, 1996). In their study, Wilson and Sparks (1996) contest
that youth identity is attributed to style and sneaker style is a staple of young Black
culture, which in turn becomes a staple of young White culture. This idea as Hall (1993)
10
states, is something that spans all of American popular culture though, “And, of course,
silenced and unacknowledged, the fact of American popular culture itself, which has
always contained within it, whether silenced or not, black American popular vernacular
traditions” (Hall, p. 469). In a GQ article entitled, “Only the Ball was Brown” written by
David Kamp in 2012, Kamp (2012) states “Basketball is today, along with hip-hop, one
of the tent poles of African-American cultural identity. And since young white America
takes its cues from young black America, basketball is, when you get right down to it, a
cornerstone of American cultural identity” (p.1). This quotation, relates to not only
basketball and hip-hop, but also sneaker culture. Young White America has become
obsessed with sneaker culture; therefore, it is receiving more and more media attention.
Sneaker culture, and the way we discuss and write about sneakers, would not be
1996, Michael Jordan earned $40 million in endorsements alone, which was $6 million
more than his NBA contract for the year (Kellner, 1996). Jordan changed the reception of
sneakers - he turned his basketball shoes into a commodity. Jordan brand shoes became a
tool in the eyes of the consumer that would increase ones performance on the court as
well as their style in the streets (Kellner, 1996). As Jordan’s popularity and greatness on
the court continued to rise, so did the status that came with owning the sneakers that
shared his name (Rakestraw, 2017a; Rakestraw 2017b; O’Connor, 2014). As certain
sneakers became more popular and more limited, the sneaker industry began to turn
every year because of sneakers (author, year). From shop owners to teenagers lucky
enough to get a limited release, many are affected by the dangers that come with sneaker
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culture. In 1990, Sports Illustrated released an issue titled “Your Sneakers or Your Life,”
following the murder of 15-year-old Michael Eugene Thomas, who was shot and killed in
Chicago for a pair of Jordan’s (Telander, 1990). Some journalists as well as citizen
journalists and bloggers are quick to blame the athletes who make the shoes so popular,
or the companies that make certain releases unattainable to many (Jones, 2017).
However, without endorsement from celebrities and athletes, in conjunction with the
rarity of certain sneakers it is hard to believe that sneaker culture would even exist today
(Welty, 2016).
Kanye West, for example, has become the face and redeeming feature of Adidas
(Roberts, 2015). A company, that was struggling to compete with other big brands, with a
plummeting stock, put their faith in the hip-hop star. West ended his relationship with
Nike in 2013 and joined Adidas in 2015 (Roberts, 2015). West’s signature shoe marketed
as “Yeezy’s,” which can resell for 800% over retail price, sell out almost immediately
attempting to acquire the sneakers (Roberts, 2015). West has single-handedly revitalized
sneaker culture since his move to Adidas in 2015. According to online sneaker stock
market Stockx.com, the resell prices of Jordan brand have fallen, while West’s signature
shoes can be worth over $1000 a pair. The Nike vs. Adidas battle, which began in the
1970’s (Rakestraw, 2017a), has been restored and rejuvenated the excitement in sneaker
coverage. The battle between the brands has allowed for arguments and the production of
opinionated pieces on public forums and has opened the door for people to take sides
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Sneaker advertising influences kids not only on the streets of America, but across
the world. Diversi (2006), who spent 23 years in Brazil, noted that the street youths in the
country all cared about Jordan brand shoes. He was amazed that the kids, who essentially
lived on the street begging for money, with far more serious problems than not owning
Jordan brand footwear, were so interested in the newest models and tech that Nike was
producing around 1994. Diversi’s article shows how sweeping sneaker culture is across
the world and not only in the United States. Diversi found that the children that he spoke
to were more interested in having sneakers than they were a sufficient meal. He notes the
widespread impact of ad campaigns featuring Michael Jordan and the effect that they had
on even those who could never dream of affording a pair of his shoes. Diversi recalls,
“The three of them were soon, all at once, saying things like having better
moving really fast. I felt like I was in a Nike commercial. Before I could ask how
they knew about all that, the kids were already chasing one another making
dunking moves in the air and sticking their tongues out” (p. 371).
Advertisements in the sneaker industry shaped the way sneakers are spoken and written
about as well as how highly we regard certain pairs of shoes and styles. With Michael
Jordan as the prominent endorser of his brand, his success led to the importance of certain
models among sneakerheads (Wilson & Sparks, 1996; Kellner, 1996). A dunk from the
free throw line while wearing a pair of Jordan 3’s makes the pair a coveted piece in a
collection. A championship as well as a feature in the film Space Jam (Pytka, 1996),
cemented Jordan 11’s as one of the greatest shoes ever made in the minds of collectors
(Reisinger, 2016). The sneakerheads as a whole, who decide what is popular and what is
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not, are the ones who dictate what sneaker publications and advertisers should be writing
and advertising as well what consumers should be buying, almost as much as the
brands has always dictated the direction of sneaker design and the direction in which the
Theory of Value
For my research, I will borrow a theory from the field of economics that can be
journalism, economics and fashion; consequently, I believe that the Theory of Value
could be useful in furthering my research. Chamberlin (1949), states that the theory of
value is the idea that “[a]dvertising increases the demand for the product, that is, it
enables the seller, at whatever price he decides upon, to dispose more than he could
without it.” He adds, “[a]t each price more of the commodity can be sold; for each
interesting point surrounding the theory of value is that which has the greatest monetary
paradox (Hill, 2018). The paradox highlights the relationship between diamonds and
water in that water is far more important to human life and survival than diamonds, yet
the price of diamonds is far higher than water. This may be due to the scarcity of
diamonds and societal conditioning through advertising that diamonds have such a high
In fashion value is placed on items both buy brands and consumers, however this
is nothing new. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the color purple was only to be
14
worn by royalty (Melina, 2011). Purple fabric was difficult to produce and so expensive
that those in power were the only ones able to afford it and therefore the color was a
status symbol. Fashion as status is still extremely common, including in the sneaker
industry (McGarrigle, 2018). The value of sneakers such as Jordan’s, Yeezy’s or Off-
White’s have far surpassed the sale price of the average tennis shoe. They are seen as a
status symbol and only those willing to pay thousands of dollars or with a connection can
acquire the shoes (McGarrigle, 2018). Among sneakerheads, though there is also the
it valuable to a collector and therefore raise the shoes value on a personal level.
While the theory of value falls under the study of economics, it has utility in
journalism. Journalism often borrows theories from sociology, political science and
history (Steensen & Ahva, 2014). Even theories that seem to originate in journalism have
literature, and this internship opportunity, I will be addressing the following research
question.
RQ1. What are factors that drive the personal connection between sneakers, and
Sampling
with athletes in The Basketball League (TBL) as well as friends and acquaintances that
consider themselves a part of sneaker culture. TBL is a professional league that focuses
15
on player development and community outreach within the cities that teams are located.
A majority of players in the league are recently out of college, though some are older,
who have received a professional, non-binding, contract from the league for the 2019
season. I recorded 8 interviews total; 4 with TBL athletes and 4 with friends and
acquaintances.
Procedure
which I had prepared multiple questions as working script, however I also allowed the
subject of the interview to dictate the direction of the discussion as long as it remained on
topic. Creswell (2009) mentions the importance of interviewing is being able to hear the
subject’s voice. I hope that in my writing the reader will be able to understand where the
players are coming from and what their relationships with their sneakers are. During the
semester I conducted interviews over the phone that lasted between twelve and forty-five
minutes with athletes, collectors and working men who see sneakers as a side hobby.
open about their thoughts, and therefore it was important that the subject was comfortable
with me. As Creswell (2009) mentions, it is important to being interviews with icebreaker
questions to make the subject more comfortable, which I attempted to do before getting
needed the subjects that I was interviewing to be open to discussing their childhood with
me and really getting into the importance of sneakers in a young man’s life, both on and
Findings
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Personal Value
In interviewing my subjects, I found that, like myself, many men have personal
connections to sneakers as well as the culture that surrounds the sneaker industry. While
the fashion aspect is a large part of sneaker collecting, for some collectors it is much
more than just style that draws them to not only a specific shoe, but to the entirety of the
culture as well. I came to realize that for many of the men whom I interviewed, style was
not at the forefront of their purchasing decisions. The ideals and values varied between
participants including beliefs such as, “It’s a simple flex. And it’s not too over the top,
like you’re not wearing a Gucci jacket or something. It’s just a pair of sneakers… that
probably cost as much as someone’s paycheck.” Or “I started to get into shoes at a really
young age and have carried that with me, I think one of the really interesting things about
guys and fashion; about athletic shoes in particular [is] it does serve as kind of an
interesting indicator about who that person is, before you even really hear them speak.”
The men whom I interviewed all had their own reasons for getting involved in sneaker
culture. However, what I found interesting is that more often than not, what drew men to
sneakers and to the sneaker community was family. For some it was a family member
that first introduced them to sneaker culture such as Subject 5, who recalls how he was
introduced to the industry. “It really started early with my mom. She would get me all the
Jordan’s that would come out when I was younger, as well as… my two younger sisters
at the time, so we would all have the matching Jordan’s.” Similarly it was Subject 3’s
parents who first introduced him to high end sneakers at young age, some of which he
still has. “Michael Jordan was my favorite player growing up and of course everybody
knows Jordan’s, so probably I think I had my first pair of Jordan’s when I was little, like
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1, 2 or 3. I think I was a one year old when I got my first pair of Jordan’s. I still have
them, and I hang them up on my rear-view mirror in my car.” Sneaker collecting, like
many hobbies, draws people together to form a community and is something that people
Rather than learning the ideals of being a sneakerhead from his parents, Subject 1
is the one who is now passing the culture down to his son; Something that he says has
become much more special than collecting for himself. “So, people's heads explode when
they come by and visit about how many shoes [my son] has, and of course he doesn't
care, he’s a toddler. But I'm trying to instill these values early on… and it's kind of our
thing. So, I'm able to channel the sneaker culture… and I'm not only selfishly thinking
about scoring some for me, but I’m thinking its gonna look even better for him.” Being
able to share his love for sneakers with his son is important for Subject 1. It is both a way
to connect with his son and also way to satisfy his hobby unselfishly. Subject 1 is
growing the culture by sharing with his son at an early age, but he also finds himself
sharing his love for sneakers with strangers as well, even if involuntarily; “But, again, I
talked about when somebody who's wearing like, my favorite style that I have this instant
bond. I find that, you know, if somebody is wearing like generic shoes that might be an
indicator of sort of a lack of creativity.” As Sneakerheads walk through life they are
constantly looking down and observing and analyzing what passersby have on their feet.
Subject 2 says, “It’s an easy thing to look at. For me I just stare at people’s feet all the
time walking around New York.” This is one of the outside influences that Subject 2
places value on, which is one of the reasons he believes that he and many other may be
interested in sneakers outside of them just being fashionable. He says, “I guess it’s just if
18
you’re wearing something loud on your feet that’s the first thing someone notices. When
I wear my Sean Wotherspoon’s I guess it’s like statement, I don’t know.” Subject 2
admits that sometimes it feels good to be noticed, which may influence some
sneakerheads purchasing decision, but also adds that it is also a bit of the problem in the
culture. He comments “That’s why hypebeasts is such a big thing right now for kids. It’s
a way to prove they’re rich. People just waste so much money to look the part.” Though
his opinion may differ from others involved in sneaker culture, Subject 2 raises a valid
point pertaining to the sneaker industry. While the personal value may be what drives
many purchases, monetary value always lurks in the background of the sneaker industry.
However, lately with prices skyrocketing due to resellers, the monetary aspect of
Monetary Value
spent to grow the collection from one shoe up to over 70 for some of my interview
subjects. Sneaker collecting is not an inexpensive hobby. Most popular releases are a
minimum of $150 and that is before they enter the resell market where shoes can reach
prices up to $2000 for a single pair. When it comes to purchasing sneakers, my subjects
had different opinions in what they were comfortable spending on shoes or how often
For example, Subject 5 is currently purchasing more pairs now than he has in the
past. “I’m probably getting, right now, I would say about 4 pair a month. I’ve been really
getting back into to lately. Making sure my shoes are top notch.” While Subject 6 on the
other hand has been trying to cut back his spending. “I think like, two years ago, maybe a
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year ago, I was buying maybe a pair month or two pairs a month and that like just kind of
drained my bank account because I started going from like buying $100 shoes to like
$220 every drop… but I think this month actually, is kind of my breaking point. Because
I started having some more financial responsibilities. I’ve got like house payments, got
all my utilities and things like that going on. Trying to save up some money. And I think
last month I bought three pairs of shoes and I'm kind of sick with myself. So I'm going to
cut it off for a while.” The sneakers that the subjects I interviewed purchase are not by
any means necessities. That being said they often convince themselves to make
purchases, even when the money may not be available. Subject 5 states, “I might move a
couple coins here and there depending on the release and depending on how exclusive it
is. I’ll move a few dollars around to make sure I got those.”
and therefore is not moving money around in order to buy sneakers. “For me the last 10
years of being a sneakerhead has just meant making sacrifices… we've got some big
thing that we're really saving for; a big family vacation. [It is] not really fair to my wife,
who also works, and she saves and she doesn't have a shoe addiction like a I do.” He
mentions that there are plenty of releases that he has had restrain himself from buying
because the money was not available for shoes at the time. That being said, there are still
shoes that when they release, he will be sure to have the money for. One of his favorite
shoes is being re-released in May of 2019 and he will be purchasing hopefully more than
one pair for himself as well as his children, as he did with a release in early 2018 which
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While many men are losing money on sneakers, there also plenty who are finding
ways to make money in the sneaker industry as resellers. When we spoke, Subject 1
alluded to the battle in the sneaker industry between the collectors and the resellers who
are driving the aftermarket prices of shoes. He mentions that it can be frustrating having
to purchase at extremely higher prices than the original, but he can also see why the
resellers continue to sell. If collectors are willing to pay, he cannot fault resellers for
Subject 2 falls on both sides of the collector vs seller debate because selling is
what originally introduced him into collecting high-end sneakers. In our discussion he
reflected on the moment he realized he wanted to be not only seller, but also a collector;
“I couldn’t make any money at the time because I couldn’t work, but I realized this was
an easy way to make money. At first that’s literally what it was, but then my first pair of
Zebras came in and I was like oh fuck… so I put them on my feet and looked down and I
was like oh my god… then 11 more came in! and I was like oh shit. I remember wearing
them to class one day and like 20-30 people tapped their friend when I walked by or said
something to me like “holy shit how did you get those” and I was like I’m just cooking
baby, I don’t know.” Subject 2 continues to both sell and collect, straddling that divide in
the sneaker industry, however he says that since he acquired a fulltime job he is no longer
selling as much as he used to. Subject 6 attempted to live on both sides of the selling and
collecting spectrum but expressed to me that he failed. He explains that he often attempts
to purchase shoes that he thinks will have a high resell value, yet when they arrive at his
house, he struggles to make the sale because he likes them and, in the end, keeps them for
21
himself, leading to his 40 pairs of shoes and the feeling of needing to relax on the
spending.
With collector’s incomes, finances and values being in different places some are
willing to spend more than others on a single pair of shoes. The most that Subject 3 has
spent on a single pair is $220 on a pair of Jordan’s, while Subject 2 has spent $800 on a
pair of Ultraboosts. He then followed that up with a $700 purchase. However, in his
mind, Subject 2 is not losing money when he makes purchases. “I think that what I
realized with reselling is that I could get the shoes that l liked, and essentially they’re
free… I see it as an investment.” With shipments coming in every few weeks Subject 2
became not only interested in making money, but with the fashion side of the sneaker
industry as well.
Fashion
For Subject 2, his style began to morph into what it is now in his college years.
He attributes it to a combination of his losing weight and growing interest in DJing. “[I]
started thinking I’m not gonna dress like this frat guy my whole life, and I liked the way
the DJs looked… And that’s when I started, not just the sneaker thing, but really
changing my style in general.” For many of the subjects it became apparent that their
style and daily sneaker decisions were made based on opportunity and ability. Subject 1
commented that he has just begun a new job in a new city and therefore may not be able
to wear what he is used to. “It may be a little early for me to break out, you know…
something interesting from the closet.” He feels it may be inappropriate to wear his
favorite sneakers in the workplace, considering he is not sure how receptive the new
culture he is a part of would be. However, Subject 1 does mention that he still finds
22
opportunities to wear his sneaker. In the coming weeks he will attend a conference where
he plans to wear one of his favorite pairs; the Jordan Black Cement 3. “I’m gonna be
While Subject 1 is often in business attire, the athletes I interviewed take on much
more of a streetwear style to accompany their footwear choices. SUBJECT 4 for example
likes to keep his outfits relaxed; “Well I’ve always been a hooper, so I wear a lot of
joggers and stuff like that, but I like to switch it up… I usually pick the shoes first and
then put [the rest of the outfit] together from there.” SUBJECT 4, like many
sneakerheads, begins building their outfit for the day by starting with the sneakers.
However for some, it does not really matter when the sneakers are chosen, considering
they wear very similar outfits very day. Both Subject 6 and Subject 2 said that they
almost exclusively wear black jeans with either black, white or gray shirts. They both
expressed that wearing those neutral, quieter colors, allowed their shoes not only to stand
out, but also allowed them to wear more unique sneakers. Subject 2 added, “Once I
started wearing less colorful clothes I started realizing you can wear any colorful shoes
with it. I think my style changing has definitely helped with getting to wear crazier color
shoes.”
While Subject 2 may have plenty of expensive shoes, he, like plenty of other
collectors rarely wear them out to the bar or to social events. “I don’t wear them unless
it’s like a day thing where I know I’m not gonna be in like a dirty basement of a bar. It
makes me a little cautious going out to wear my nicer shoes.” Subject 2 is not alone in
this sentiment. When buying shoes that he really likes Subject 1 often buys “one to rock
23
and one to stock,” a concept that is very popular among sneaker heads. By doing so
Subject 1 is saying he will buy two pairs of the same shoe, one which he will wear and
not worry about ruining and another pair that he will not put on until necessary. “I don't
sell anything, but also don’t rock my stuff, I kind of like keep them for a few years and
then break them out like five years after they dropped. So right now my rotation, is like
about 10 to 12 that I wear pretty regularly. The others, Kind of sit and I like to admire
them.” This is a practice in the sneaker community know as putting shoes “on ice.”
Subject 1 adds that he has a custom closet to display his 75 pairs of sneakers. He has
different views though from his friend growing up who is also a sneakerhead. “My friend
Scott, he buys all the same stuff that we like, the same style, and he wears everything. As
soon as they arrive in the mail, he wears them that afternoon.” Though they all agree that
the shoe is the most important part of the outfit, Sneakerheads all have different a style
and value different aspects of collecting; be that putting pairs on ice or wearing them as
soon as they are purchased. However for some the style is not enough, but the function is
of great importance.
Function
Because I had the opportunity to interview athletes I was able to ask them about
their sneaker decisions on the basketball court, apart from what they wear on the streets.
Most of them came to a similar conclusion that comfort was most important and style
came second on the court. That being said, for SUBJECT 4 it was playing in different
basketball shoes that got him interested in sneakers off of the court. “I just really loved
hooping in different pairs of basketball shoes. Seeing how different ones felt and wearing
different ones, so I kind of just started getting more and more shoes and trying different
24
things.” SUBJECT 4 also mentions that while he likes the way that they look off the
court, he doesn’t believe that retro Jordan’s are meant to be worn during a game. Subject
5 on the other hand disagrees; “On court purposes, more so Nike’s, but a couple pair of
Jordan’s that I play in. Really though, 11’s are the only Jordan’s that I play in that are
most comfortable for me.” He says that he has a few pairs of Jordan’s that he plays in and
he makes sure that the pairs that he wears on the hardwood stay on the hardwood. He
does not want to take the risk of ruining the shoes traction by wearing them out in the
streets.
All of the basketball players I spoke with did have one thing in common and that
was the size of their feet. They complained about the difficulty of finding shoes in their
size that want, especially in stores. Subject 3 says “I wear a 14, so they usually don’t have
that in stores anyway. So I have to order mine online. I’ll go to the store, see what the
style looks like in person, and then I’ll go home and order it.” He also spends a lot of
time on social media looking at sneakers that he is interested and then will go see them in
person. After which, he will have to go back online and find them in his size. Another
problem that Subject 5 mentions when it comes to his shoe size is trading and selling. He
says “I wear a size 14, so it’s hard for me to be trading a lot. But I’ve got a couple guys
that I trade with and they’re basketball players of course.” The basketball players all
agreed that on the court comfort comes first and style is second. However, once off the
hardwood they have their own styles that reflect their personalities.
Discussion
sneakers assigned value to their shoes, both personally and financially and I came to learn
25
that what makes a specific sneaker valuable differs from subject to subject. The water
diamond paradox speaks to the idea that what may not carry life sustaining value may
carry great value financially (Hill, 2018). Sneakers fall into that category. While a pair of
shoes may be necessary for survival or at the very least, safety, spending hundreds of
dollars on a single pair is not necessary. I sought out searching to understand why certain
pairs of sneakers were assigned such high monetary or personal value. Some of what I
found did not surprise me. It is often as simple as rarity, however what makes a shoe
valuable can be so much more. Subject 1 commented on how a favorite pair of his shoes
is the Jordan Space Jam 11, which released in 2016. What he finds valuable about the
shoe is not only the limited release, but the cultural relevance. The shoe is modeled after
the shoe Michael Jordan wears in the Space Jam film. Being a fan of the movie, Subject 1
is able to combine his passion for sneakers with his enjoyment of the film. The shoe’s
monetary value reflects the popularity of Space Jam and that specific style of Jordan
Others still, find value in sneakers because of what a certain shoe means to them;
often from a memory. However, while I expected memories such as the first time
someone wore a shoe to be more prominent, it seems as though what made a shoe more
special to my subjects was recalling who first introduced them to sneaker fashion, which
was most often a family member. Multiple subjects recalled first being introduced to
high-end sneakers at a young age by a parent. Parents passing down their interest in
sneaker fashion to their children creates a personal value that was seen in more than one
subject. For Subject 5, the memory that they associated with a certain shoe made them
think of their mother and the relationship they have. Because this personal connection is
26
specific to Subject 5, others may not assign that specific shoe personal value or an
inflated monetary value, but the shoe is still of great importance to the subject.
For the athletes whom I interviewed, the first shoe they remember playing
basketball in was extremely valuable to them. Because it brought back positive memories
of them playing basketball in their younger days, the athletes still value the shoes they
wore when they were kids and all admitted that they are searching to find a pair in their
from collaborators and sponsors. Not many shoes on the market today garner more
Abloh. The shoes designed by Abloh, which retail between $100-$200 can resell for up to
$2500. Subject 2 finds both the monetary and personal value in the Nike x Off-White
collaborations. He feels that the sneakers not only complete his look, but also make
statement. Subject 2, as well as many others, finds personal value in the attention that
high-end sneakers bring the wearer. Receiving compliments or glances from strangers
satisfies the desire that many people have to be noticed. Therefore, the value for Subject
2 lies in the how the shoes are perceived by others. He finds value in wearing something
that others may not be able to. In his own words it is “a simple flex” or a way to stand
out. Collaborators such as Virgil Abloh and Kanye West have added another layer to
sneaker collecting. Rather than shoes being designed by and for athletes such as Michael
Jordan’s expansive brand of sneakers, Hip-Hop artists have entered the industry and are
influencing those who may have been on the outside looking in, to become involved in
27
Subject 2 mentions that the shoes that first got him interested in sneakers and
collecting were Kanye West’s Yeezys. He and Subject 6 who are both fans of the Adidas
x Kanye West collaboration choose to support the artist by buying their sneaker.
Nevertheless, West is not alone in combining hip-hop and sneakers. For example, Travis
Scott is currently collaborating with Jordan Brand for a popular sneaker and there were
many before West as well. By popularizing the Adidas Superstar RUN-DMC would be
sponsored by Adidas, inflating the value of both the brand and artists.
While all consumers assign value to sneakers for personal reasons, it is the culture
as a collective that decides the monetary value of the most expensive and sought-after
sneakers on the market. Through reselling, limited releases and popular collaborations,
the sneaker industry, and its collectors have created an after-market that benefits some
while infuriating others. The high prices found on the resell market forces consumers to
believe that a shoe may be more special or valuable than another, which, in a sense,
makes it true. Sneakers are assigned monetary value by those who consume the product
and consequently, when sneaker collectors force a shoe’s resell price to inflate it is a
What I came to learn through my interviews was that the cultural value of a shoe
does not always reflect the personal value assigned to shoes by my subjects. There are
numerous outside influences that cause a collector to appreciate a specific sneaker, style
or brand. Be that a memory, a desire, or a simple difference in taste from other collectors.
What remained constant however, was the idea that the sneaker is the most important
piece of the outfit. The fashion style of collectors comes down to what is on their feet. As
sneakerheads, we walk through life with our heads down, seeing what others are wearing;
28
looking for inspiration, a connection with a stranger or just admiring the pair of shoes that
walks by.
We all assign our own value to sneakers from our experiences and preferences,
but the influence of the culture will always drive the monetary and cultural value of what
is popular. The culture itself is something that was often taught or handed down from an
elder generation, and something that, like in the case of Subject 1 and his son, should be
29
CHAPTER 3: PROFESSIONAL ANALYSIS
Field Notes
On day one I arrived at GLI and was welcomed by Shawna who took me on a tour
of the office and introduced me to a few co-workers who happened to be there in the
morning as we were walking around. After a short meeting with Shawna she advised me
to begin researching a few GLI projects that were coming up this summer. While I was
conducting my research, I had a quick meeting with both IT and HR to make sure I
understood the computers and went over a few HR rules and regulations. Afterword I
went back to researching the Tech City initiative as well as the Health Solutions
initiative. In the early afternoon I met Marie, who’s duties I will essentially be taking
over when she goes on maternity leave next week. I spent a little time researching the
application basecamp as well and began learning how to use it as it is used a lot at GLI. I
left early on Monday because my supervisor Ameerah is in Florida for a conference and
On Tuesday I was given the marketing plans for both the Tech City and Health
Solutions initiatives. I spent much of the morning reviewing the plans and taking notes. I
came up with a lot of ideas for the Tech City marketing plan because it is in its early
stages and I will be spending a lot of time this summer working on Tech City. Mid-day I
GLI’s website. Upon completion of the news-letter I attended a meeting with Marie and
Luke (the graphics intern), pertaining to brand standards and how to use GLI’s social
media accounts appropriately. After the brand standards meeting, I sat in on a meeting
30
about the upcoming event FAM Tour. The marketing team (Marie and I) meet with the
other teams to discuss what needed to still be done for the upcoming event. Once the
meeting was over, I drafted copy for an email about the Hot Spot Networking event
while about the summer and some big events and initiatives GLI has coming up. I spent
meeting with Ameerah and Marie about Tech City, in which we discussed what Marie
had done so far and where I would be picking it up in her absence. Before going home
Wednesday I put together the Top Investors Update letter on Mailchimp. Which goes out
once a month.
I began Thursday morning with a marketing team meeting with Ameerah, Marie,
Luke and Rene, who is the graphic designer of the team, but today was his last day.
Therefore, the meeting covered what we needed to know from Rene before he left that
afternoon. After the meeting I made few edits to the Tech City website and corrected a
few typos elsewhere on the GLI website. Before lunch I attended a meeting for the E3
event next week where I learned I will be attending the event and recording b-roll footage
to edit for a news release after the event. I spent much of the afternoon after lunch
creating an excel sheet for an audit of the GLI website, which I will be working on
throughout the summer. Finally, I drafted a script for a radio ad about Tech City that the
31
On Friday morning I began drafting a Request for Proposal to build a website for
Jessie, who focuses on education and workforce development. Ameerah invited me to sit
in on two media interviews in the morning; one about policy and one about Tech City,
after which she took the time to explain to me what our speakers did and did not do well,
during the E3 event and created a spreadsheet to collect articles and events in Louisville
When I arrived on Monday Ameerah had sent me the recording of the radio ad
that we had written on Thursday. After hearing it we both agreed that we did not like the
recording and asked the station to re-record it with a female voice rather than male. After
we meet about the radio ad, I spent much of the morning working on the website audit.
Mid-day we had a meeting with the events teams about FAM Tour, which is happening
next week. After the meeting I copy edited a 2 sheeter for an employee in the education
and workforce department. Today was Maria’s last day before her maternity leave so we
had one last meeting with her about marketing and brand standards. After the meeting
Maria and I discussed the monthly newsletter which I will be working on tomorrow.
Before going home for the day, I read over part of the Mayor’s resiliency plan.
I started Tuesday with two meetings. First, we had a meeting for Evening of
working on the newsletter. Each month GLI send out a newsletter to investors looking
forward to the month ahead highlighting events in Louisville as well as GLI’s events. The
newsletter also highlights important stories surrounding greater Louisville. After working
32
on the newsletter for a couple hours a started working on the PowerPoint for Evening of
Entrepreneurship. I am tasked with creating the PowerPoint for the program Thursday
Evening. I also went and picked up the awards that were being given out at the event.
Before leaving on Tuesday I wrote and scheduled social media posts to be sent out on
Wednesday.
to be sent out by noon. Before finishing the newsletter, I worked to redesign on of the
company’s logos that would be featured in the newsletter. After completing and
distributing the newsletter through Mailchimp I began working to finish the PowerPoint
Ameerah that she had with the investor team in which she was interested in learning how
we could best help them. After the investor meeting, I attended a meeting for Innovation
Indy, an event happening in a few months that I had not even hear of. I finished the
lengthy PowerPoint and went home to prepare for a long day tomorrow.
On Thursday Morning I made a simple graphic that Ameerah asked for since
Luke was busy and I could handle it. I sat in on a meeting with Outfront Media who were
hoping to get GLI’s business so they may help us with out of home marketing. After the
Outfront Media meeting I jumped into another meeting with YPAL, a branch of GLI, to
discuss the NBA2LOU movement. We had a phone call with a board member of
NBA2LOU discussing the possibility of a co-branded event next month. As soon as the
phone call ended I ran into Ameerah who needed my assistance. She was supposed to
attend a lunch with a few other employees, a local reporter and the speakers for the
Evening of Entrepreneurship keynote speakers, however a story came up that she needed
33
to interview with local media about, so she sent me to the lunch in her place. After lunch
I spent the rest of the afternoon researching NBA2LOU and brainstorming ideas for a
future event. I left GLI at 4:30 and headed to the theatre where the Entrepreneurship
event would be taking place an hour later. I spent the evening taking photos and b-roll
video of the event which ended at about 8:00. After the event Ameerah and I went back
to the office and I cut video and put the b-roll together for a news release. We left the
Because I worked for 13 hours on Thursday, I did not spend a lot of time at the
office on Friday. I came in for a few hours and worked on the website audit and went
home at 11:00.
Tech City. We discussed pushing forward on getting GLI’s investors more involved. One
way we wanted to do so was to reach out to investors who were in the tech industry and
have them share their tech story with us. Therefore, I spent the entire day searching for
and gathering email addresses of our tech investors so that I could contact them with the
On Tuesday morning I created the google form and distributed to the investors
asking them to share their tech stories and tell us how they are innovating and growing
the tech ecosystem in Louisville. Once I sent out the form, I uploaded photos to the serve
and updated the photo albums on Facebook. I also loaded social media posts into buffer
to be sent out throughout the week. After working on social media, I finished the
PowerPoint for FAM Tour, which begins tomorrow. After lunch we had a FAM Tour
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meeting to finalize the agenda and ensure that everyone knew where they needed to be
when and tie up some loose ends before the out of town consultants arrive. After the
meeting I gathered photos from Tops Magazine to be distributed on social media next
week. I spent about an hour researching tech trends that we could send out on social
media as well. Finally before going home we had a debrief meeting about Evening of
Entrepreneurship where we discussed the good and bad of the event and what we could
On Wednesday I began the day reading trends that Ameerah had sent me before I
arrived in the morning. I had a meeting with Ameerah and Rebecca about investor
marketing where we discussed how to better market the sales team and generate investor
leads, primarily through website updates, which I will be working on. After the meeting I
spent some time updating the meet the team page on the website. We took new headshots
of the staff which I had to update on WordPress. After lunch I began working on the D.C.
Fly-In app that the participants will use while on the trip to keep up with the agenda.
After work I went straight to the first event of FAM Tour and took photos of the welcome
Thursday morning, I drove straight to the breakfast session for FAM tour and took
photos from 8:30-11:30. When I got back to the office I uploaded videos to GLI’s Vimeo
account and caught up on industry trends. I spent most of the afternoon however, working
on the audit of the website, which I had not been able to work on in a few days.
I spent all of Friday at the final FAM Tour event taking photos and working with
Ameerah on social media posts for the event, as well as taking notes for a press release of
the event.
35
Week 4 Field Notes
Monday began with a debriefing meeting about FAM Tour. Everyone involved
was very happy with the outcome of the event. After the meeting I began editing a blog
post for the website recapping Evening of Entrepreneurship. While I was working on the
post Ameerah came and grabbed me for a meeting about everything we have in the
upcoming weeks and we zeroed in on what to focus on when the events work settles a bit.
After our meeting I finished the blog post and posted it on the GLI website. I then spent a
few hours creating social media content for Patrick, a local tech influencer, who is
helping us promote an event happening in August. In the late afternoon I worked to find a
way to use an RSS feed on WordPress through Wake let to promote the #TechCity
campaign.
marketing for once D.C. Fly-in has ended. We spent an hour coming up with a post-event
plan after which I went back to my desk and uploaded the new goals into Basecamp.
Once everything was loaded in I used Instagram to promote GLI investors and employees
who were recognized by Tops Magazine as Leaders of Louisville. I then spent time
working on the application for D.C. Fly-In. I took Ameerah to lunch today and we
discussed ways to improve my resume and how to best promote myself. After lunch I
went back to work on the D.C. Fly-In app for about an hour, followed by a meeting about
Innovation Indy. I had to leave early for a Doctor Appointment, so I left the office at
about 2:30.
36
When I arrived on Wednesday, I worked on a newsletter for EnterpriseCorp
recapping the Evening of Entrepreneurship. After sending the letter our for approval I
spent most of the morning working on the D.C. Fly-in app. I also wrote an invitation to a
tech city round table event coming up in July. After lunch I headed straight to an
Educators and Employers event which focused on HR employers speaking to Deans from
the University of Kentucky about how to best prepare students for the workforce. GLI
employees also discussed talent attraction and retention. While I was there, I took photos
of the event as well as documented the event on social media; mostly through Instagram
stories. The event ran the remainder of the day from 1:00-5:00.
Thursday morning Ameerah, Luke and I had a short marketing team meeting,
Following the meeting I finished the EnterpriseCorp newsletter and began working to edit
and publish a blogpost recapping the highlights of FAM Tour for the GLI website. After
working on the blog post I spent the rest of the day working on the app for D.C. Fly-in.
On Friday morning we had a full staff meeting, which GLI holds at the end of
every month to discuss the events from the previous month and look ahead to what is
coming to down the pike. After the hour-long meeting, when I returned to my desk, I
uploaded photos that I took from the previous events and uploaded albums to Facebook
and to the company shared drive. I also finished the blog post recapping the FAM Tour
event. After finishing the blog post Ameerah and I had a meeting with Phil at ESPN radio
about NBA2Lou. Phil is a leader for NBA2Lou and wanted to meet with Ameerah and I,
to discuss the best ways for GLI and NBA2Lou to co-brand and promote NBA2Lou’s
37
efforts. We came up with a lot of marketing ideas that I will be focusing on throughout
With the holiday on Thursday we had a short week which ended midday on
Wednesday. On Monday I made updates to the D.C. Fly-In app. After making the updates
I started working on an email invitation for an EnterpriseCorp event. I had a long meeting
with Ameerah to discuss upcoming projects and we worked to prioritize our work that
needed to be done. After the meeting I went back to my desk and uploaded all of our
upcoming projects into Basecamp. After uploading to Basecamp, I was finally able to
spend the rest of the afternoon finishing my audit of the website. Which is only the
On Tuesday morning I made updates to the D.C. Fly-In app. I then uploaded all of
the social media posts for the week into Buffer since no one would be in the office for the
rest of the week after 3:00 tomorrow. I then began to make a template for an email about
Innovation Indy. After lunch I read the trends that Ameerah had sent me and then
attended a meeting with Health Enterprise Network (HEN). We had a lengthy meeting
discussing what Luke and I would need to do since Vanessa, a HEN employee, is leaving
for a new job next week. We discussed their event in September and put together a lose
marketing plan for the upcoming event. Before going home I made a few more updates to
with Rebecca where we updated our making plan and put together a new idea for crowd
38
sourcing videos from investors to be displayed on the website. I am tasked with putting
together the guidelines and invitation to submit videos. Before leaving for the day I
finished the email invitation for the EnterpriseCorp event at the end of the month.
FAM tour. The email was a recap of the weekend’s events and what we as a city should
take away from the consultant’s impressions of Louisville. I then made edits to the
wrote and distributed an email concerning the Federal Agenda in preparation for D.C.
Fly-In. Ameerah and I had a brief meeting about the giveaway that we are holding for the
GLIDE trip which I then added to our schedule on basecamp. I spent much of the
afternoon finalizing the D.C. Fly-In app. Before I left for the day I spent about an hour
When I arrived on Tuesday morning I continued the work that I had started on the
TI update which occupied me through much of the morning. Ameerah and I gathered a
plethora of tech and community stories which I loaded into buffer for social media. Per
my meeting with Ameerah yesterday, I began creating the collateral for the Glide
Giveaway. I researched what would be necessary for our giveaway. i.e., landing page,
google form and graphics. In the afternoon I had a meeting with Ameerah and Sarah, the
sponsorship intern, about GLI’s incentives for members and how Sarah should discuss
them on her phone calls. I then reviewed the training videos that WordPress sent us for
our site, but they were not what we asked for. Therefore, I had lengthy meeting with
39
Ameerah to discuss how to fix the problem. We got on a call without WordPress team
On Wednesday morning I began designing the landing and the form for the
GLIDE trip Giveaway. This took up much of morning and into the afternoon. After lunch
I uploaded social media posts to Buffer and added ads to out Tech City website along
with other minor updates. Luke and I then had to drive across town to take a GLI
ambassador’s photo for our Ambassador Spotlight in the newsletter. When I got back, I
worked a little longer on the GLIDE form before heading home for the day.
Thursday morning was a little slow, so I spent some time working toward my
Google AdWords certificate. I was then tasked with working on the GLIDE Giveaway
news release to be distributed to investors and local media. I then realized that my ad
links for the Tech City website had not updated correctly and needed to be fixed. After a
quick huddle with Ameerah, Luke and I attended a meeting for Innovation Indy, another
event which I will need to design an app for through Eventmobi. After the meeting I
combed through the photos I had taken at FAM Tour and uploaded them to a Facebook
album. I left early today, around 4:30, to attend a networking event hosted by ESPN radio
and NBA2LOU. Dan Issel, the spokesman of NBA2LOU was in attendance as well as
On Friday I finalized the collateral for the GLIDE Giveaway as well as the press
release. I distributed all the information to investors as well as on social media. I then had
to spend some time teaching a few employees how to use Flickr, a photo app that we are
beginning to integrate the use of at GLI. After which I updated a word template for
Rebecca that she can use for the 2020 campaign updates. I ended up staying late on
40
Friday in a meeting with Ameerah in which we collected stories and events for the
On Monday I spent most of the day putting together the newsletter that Ameerah
and I outlined on Friday. It’s a lengthy process to gather all of the links and re-work the
Mailchimp site to fit the new model for the month so that took up a majority of my day.
In the afternoon I had a meeting with Ameerah in which we discussed a few things that
Shawna needed to be done including an update to the KPI Dashboard for July. I spent the
Tuesday morning I finished updating the KPI Dashboard for Shawna and got back
to work on the monthly newsletter. Every few months there is a community project
working on projects in the community that may affect one another. Ameerah is a member
and it was held today at GLI (the meeting rotates) and I was invited to join. It was really
interesting to listen to marketing leaders in our community and to hear what other people
are working outside of GLI. After the meeting I continued working on newsletter
followed by a few website updates. Before the end of the day I prepared social media for
Wednesday morning I finished the newsletter and sent it out to investors via
multiple announcements for social media and Ameerah and I drafted a press release to
41
On Thursday the Leadership team returned from the award ceremony in Long
beach and we had a small celebration for Chamber of the Year in the breakroom. After
the celebration, Ameerah, Luke and I had our marketing huddle followed by a meeting
for GLIDE updates. Before leaving the meeting Shawna gave me edits for the KPI
dashboard, which I revised for her. I spent the majority of the rest of the afternoon
working on the marketing PESO plan for the Chamber of the Year.
Monday was a battle. I spent the entire day updating the investor list to be
displayed on the TV monitors seen when entering the office. The task alone took me most
of the day, but the real struggle was figuring out how to display the updated PowerPoint
after our IT department had gone home for the day. I spent the last hour and half of the
afternoon working to display the new list correctly, which I finally figured out around
5:15. No one else in the office new how to do it either, so I was not as embarrassed as I
Tuesday morning I woke up early and attended our Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion event, which was hosted by Papa John’s. I took photos of the event and posted
social updates as well. The event itself was very interesting and I am glad that Ameerah
asked me to join her. A panel of Papa John’s employees discussed the situation that
happened with their owner and how they have learned and grown from it. When I
returned to the office I uploaded tech posts into buffer for the rest of the week, to be
displayed on social media. I noticed while at the DEI event that our camera was getting
full so I took then time to upload all the photos on the camera to the GLI shared drive on
42
the computer and categorize them by event. There were 2,700 photos in all, so it took a
while. I made a few updates from the website and began updating the Chamber of the
Year marketing plan. Before heading home Ameerah and had a meeting about the
meeting. It was a meeting with the whole “engagement” team including marketing and
events employees and managers. We discussed what we were working on and what was
most important going forward. It was mostly a meeting for the managers to understand
how they could best help us accomplish our upcoming goals. After the meeting I had
edits from Shawna on the KPI dashboard, which I updated for her before heading to a
meeting for Converge, an event being put on by Health Solutions Network (HEN) in mid-
September. The front woman for HEN and Converge left GLI last week, therefore our
marketing team is picking up the slack for the event. After the meeting I spent much of
the afternoon finishing the marketing plan for Chamber of the Year. Before leaving I
were working on and the importance of the projects coming down the pipeline. Most of
my morning after the meeting consisted of making updates to the website until I had a
meeting with Ameerah and the investor team to discuss investor marketing and
engagement. After the meeting I composed an email promoting both Innovation Tour and
GLIDE to be sent out to all GLI investors. After completing the email, I spent the rest of
43
Friday morning, we had our monthly full-staff meeting. After the meeting I spent
the remainder of the day working on the Media Kit for GLI. We are putting together an
updated media kit to be distributed to news outlets and organizations so that they have the
most up to date information about GLI including logos, leadership team info and history.
Monday morning, I finished the website updates that I had been working on last
week. We ordered a Chamber of the Year banner which I drove and picked up. When I
returned, I got back to work on the media kit. Included in the kit are bios of everyone on
the leadership. Rebecca, however, does not have a bio. Therefore, I used her resume to
write a bio for her and added it to the media kit. After lunch I continued to work on the
A large part of our Chamber of the Year marketing plan revolves around swag we
can purchase commemorating the award. Therefore, Tuesday morning I worked to gather
ideas from my co-workers on the types of things they would like to see around the office
and as giveaways that we could order. I then spent some time reading a CBRE report that
Ameerah had sent me, which mentioned Louisville as a top up and coming city for the
future of Tech. I then worked on a media advisory for HEN announcing Converge and
the sale of tickets for the event next month. After re-crafting and editing the media
advisory from the original that had been sent to me I uploaded social media posts into
buffer for the rest of the week. Ameerah and I had a quick meeting to discuss the media
44
On Tuesday night a troll commented on a post from our CEO Kent’s LinkedIn,
essentially talking poorly about Louisville’s innovation and growth, which was then seen
and written about by Business First, a newspaper covering Louisville businesses and
happenings. Rather that arguing with the man on linked in, Ameerah and spent
Wednesday morning crafting an article for LinkedIn recognizing the success happening
around the tech economy in Louisville and posted it from Kent’s personal account. The
post attracted a lot of positive engagement with over 300 “likes”. I then spent time
updating the GLIDE website. The event sold out and I updated the site to include who
will be attending the event in September. I also updated a few other parts of the website
as well as long I was in WordPress. We had our weekly meeting to discuss HEN and the
Converge event, many of the updates don’t concern me, but I still attend to discuss any
marketing/creative services updates. After the meeting I spent the remainder of the day
Thursday, I spent most of the day working on the media kit; updating leadership
team bios so that they are all in the same format, as well as an in-depth copy-edit. I also
worked with Samuel on the design of the kit, which he will be making in Adobe. I had a
meeting with Morgan and Samuel mid-day to discuss an infographic she needs from us
for innovation Tour. She handed us a 10-page document that I need to cut down to two
pages. Before leaving on Thursday I created a photo album on Facebook for the DEI
On Friday morning Ameerah and I had a meeting about the VOGT awards.
Usually the EnterpriseCorp team handles everything for the awards, but seeing that they
are being absorbed by another company, Ameerah and I needing to pick up the missing
45
pieces. She explained to me the event and we worked to put together a plan and highlight
dates we would need to get marketing out for the awards. I then took headshots of our
new employees, Samuel and Morgan, and added them to our Meet the Team site. I then
spent the rest of the day racing to finish the media kit so that it could be approved by the
leadership team.
received feedback on throughout last week. I contacted a few vendors for quotes just to
get a ballpark on a few items. I then spent some time uploading social posts into buffer
for the week before working on adding the media kit to the website. While I was doing
so, Ameerah informed me that Kent had a meeting with Business First, in which he
would discuss GLI moving forward after the Chamber of the Year announcement and we
would give out our first media kit. She invited me to join them at the Business first office,
so I joined and watched Kent’s interview. After the interview Ameerah, Samuel and I had
a meeting about Chamber of the Year swag and what we would move forward with. We
decided we needed to move quickly on hats and stickers, because that’s what we will be
giving out at the small celebration in a few weeks. After the meeting I began contacting
I spent much of Tuesday morning working on the Top Investor update that will be
sent out tomorrow morning. Ameerah sent me the basics and I put together the email that
is sent out to all of our top investors. While waiting on feedback about TI update from the
leadership team I began working on the mobile app for innovation tour. Because the TI
46
after work putting together edits from the leadership team so that I could send it out in
time
After making a few more edits to the TI update, I sent it out Wednesday morning
and continued working to get the media kit on the website, a more arduous task than I
expected… Kent had another meeting with Business first this morning, however this one
was more about Kent and his time at GLI. I sat in on the interview with Ameerah and
actually learned a few things I did not previously know about the company. After the
interview Ameerah and I discussed the swag we still needed to order and I worked on
getting together laptop sticker proofs together to be given out at the party. We had a
meeting at the end of the day with Kent and a few other members of the leadership team
to discuss the party. Kent did not like the hat we planned to order and I was advised to
find a new vendor. Before leaving for the night I put together the agenda for the
marketing huddle tomorrow morning. On the way home I called a new vendor and
On Thursday morning I was in contact with the new hat vendor and we got
together a proof that Kent and the rest of the team approved so that I could move forward
with the order. In our marketing huddle we mostly discussed the collateral needed for the
two upcoming Chamber of the Year celebrations, as well as Innovation Tour, which takes
place in two weeks. I then wrote an email for Connie, in HR, about our Health Solutions
afternoon working on cutting down the 10 pages of info that Morgan needs for
Innovation tour. I also worked on the app for innovation tour as well.
47
On Friday I got the media kit up on GLI’s website. Sam and I had a meeting with
Ameerah about the infographic that Morgan needs for innovation tour and I spent the rest
of the day working on the app and the sheet for Morgan.
I spent a little time Monday morning gathering information to complete the white
paper for morning and Innovation tour, before shifting my focus to the newsletter which
will go out on Wednesday. I also used a little bit of my free time in the morning to
research hats to order for the Chamber of the Year party next week. I spent the majority
of the day going back and forth between working on the newsletter and the app for
Innovation tour. I worked on the graphics for the home screen of the app as well as
loaded in attendee information for the trip. With trip happening this weekend, I need to
prepare the app so that that attendees can access it before they leave on Sunday. In the
Tuesday morning I worked on the newsletter, which became a longer process than
expected, considering the leadership team wanted to make a lot of changes to content,
which they usually do not. This takes a lot of patience and back and forth between
Ameerah and I, and the leadership team. However in the afternoon I found time to work
on the app, which I am getting close to finishing, other than Sam and me making progress
on the white page. In the afternoon Jessie needed to send out an email pertaining to
barriers to work with a survey for those receiving the email. After being sent the survey I
day at work researching sticker manufactures so that I can get stickers designed for the
48
Wednesday morning I spent a few hours completing the app, other than the white
page, for Innovation Tour. Sam and I had a meeting to discuss the graphics that he would
creating for the piece to match the text I would be writing. After the meeting I spent the
remainder of the day finishing and cleaning up the newsletter, which would be distributed
at the end of the day. We also had our weekly meeting for Converge, which is now only a
month away.
Thursday was very heavily consumed by creating the white page with Sam. We
took Morgan’s 11-page document and cut it down to a 4 page info-graphic which would
be displayed on the Innovation tour app. However, first thing in the morning we had our
weekly marketing team huddle. We discussed Innovation tour as well the orders we need
to make for Chamber of the Year materials. After the huddle we began work on the white
page, only to be halted because of the meeting we had to discuss GLIDE. GLIDE is the
biggest event of the year and is getting close, as soon as we finish with Innovation Tour, I
will be working almost exclusively on GLIDE. Sam and I finished the page for the app
before the end of the day and began creating a design for Chamber of the Year T-shirts.
Friday was spent making edits and updates to the Innovation Tour app. With the
event happening in two days I was making sure everything was set for the trip, pertaining
to the app. Mid-day though, I was pulled away from desk to assist the investment team to
attend a ribbon counting and document it for social media. The investment team was thin
today, so I had the opportunity to step in and help, which was a neat experience. After
returning to my desk in the afternoon, Ameerah informed me that the Marketing and
Communications Manager position was officially open and I was encouraged to apply.
Before leaving I finished updating the app and spoke to Ameerah about the open position.
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Week 12 Field Notes
With GLIDE one week away the focus for everyone in the office this week is
getting prepared for the trip, which means for me ensuring signage is ordered and
accurate, working on the app, drafting social media posts to be loaded for the trip, as well
as a social media script for Rebecca to use while on the trip. I am also creating the
On Tuesday I spent most of the day working on the app; loading in attendee info as well
as agenda updates. It is not hard work, but it is time consuming. After working on the app
much of the morning I spent the afternoon putting together the PowerPoint presentations.
There are four in total throughout GLIDE. For the presentations I needed to create
sponsorship slides, slides featuring takeaways from past GLIDE trips, and miscellaneous
would be ready for my meeting with Sydney which we had at 11:00. After finishing the
slides and my meeting with Sydney I left to pick up the signs that I had ordered. Upon
returning I got to work on the social media posts that I had begun drafting last week. I
took time to skim through the agenda and pinpoint places that GLI could tweet for
optimum engagement. This included not only posts that I would schedule pre-trip, but I
also spent time highlighting areas for Rebecca that would be good to capture while she is
on the trip. I used the remainder of my day doing tasks for Sydney and Shawna that they
needed done before they leave for San Francisco tomorrow. I also officially accepted a
50
Thursday morning, we had our weekly marketing huddle, in which we discussed
GLIDE and ordering more swag to commemorate our Chamber of the Year victory. I
collected the rest of the shirt sizes I needed from co-workers and placed an order for T-
shirts that we can wear to our celebration on the 17th. After getting the shirts ordered, I
returned to the GLIDE headspace and worked to complete the app as fully as I can (I
foresee that there will be more updates coming in throughout the weekend and for the
duration of the trip). I also completed the social schedule before leaving for the day. I will
not be working on Friday as I am leaving town and will return on Tuesday as a full-time
employee.
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Evaluation
52
Self-Evaluation
school. Because I was coming into the position so fresh, I figured my best option was to
immediately jump in and display my work ethic, rather than rely on my technical skills. I
was staying late and helping with various projects throughout the office in hopes that my
superiors would not notice my lack of experience in the field. However, in the time that I
As an intern I was thrust into a difficult, yet exciting situation. The Marketing and
Communications manager- Marie, who has been working at GLI for 8 years left for
maternity leave my second week as an intern, and I was essentially filling in for her, in
her absence. A responsibility I was not sure I was ready for, seeing as the only other
marketing employee was the Director- Ameerah. In Marie’s absence I took control of a
majority of her daily tasks including event marketing, press release writing/editing,
newsletter construction and many other duties. I was working over 40 hours a week to
make up for Marie being gone, but I did not mind the hours, as I was gaining so much
valuable experience.
I did not expect to enjoy my time at GLI as much as I did. Not only was I gaining
necessary experience in my field, I was also making important connections around the
city of Louisville and connecting with my co-workers and superiors. As my time at GLI
began to wind down Marie announced that she would only be returning part time, which
53
meant her position as Marketing and Communications Manager would need to be filled. I
was encouraged by Ameerah to apply and received and accepted a full time offer from
GLI in mid-September.
54
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Creswell, J. W. (2009). Mapping the field of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed
Cunningham, C. (2008). You are what’s on your feet: men and the sneaker
http://services.library.drexel.edu/static_files/dsmr/v1issue1.html
Diversi, M. (2006). Street kids in Nikes: In search of humanization through the culture of
doi:10.1177/1532708605285623
paradox-in-economics-definition-examples.html
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Kellner, D. (1996). Sports, media culture, and race: Some reflections on Michael
McGarrigle, L. (2018, January 16). Statement sneakers are the new status symbols:
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sneakers-buy-online/
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from https://www.livescience.com/33324-purple-royal-color.html
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shoes.pdf
O’Connor, W. (2014, March 16). How sneaker culture conquered the world. Retrieved
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Proulx, N. (2018, January 05). Are you a sneaker head? Retrieved from
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Rakestraw, A. (2017, July 11). Why the state of sneaker collabs is worse than ever.
worst/
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culture-competition-or-community/
Reisinger, A. (2016, February 17). Ranking every Air Jordan sneaker 1-XX9. Retrieved
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jordan-sneaker-1-xx9
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Sommer, J. (2017, December 21). Converse treads carefully in updating well-worn
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Sykes, M. D. (2017, June 22). How do NBA shoe deals work? Retrieved from
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under-armour-guide
Telander, R. (1990). Who's to blame as kids kill kids over Nike's Air Jordans? Retrieved
in-americas-cities-kids-are-killing-kids-over-sneakers-and-other-sports-apparel-
favored-by-drug-dealers-whos-to-blame
Welty, M. (2016). The sad truth about violence at sneaker stores. Retrieved December 8,
store-violence
Wilson, B., & Sparks, r. (1996). “It’s gotta be the shoes”: Youth, race and sneaker
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economy-2016-5
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APPENDIX
Transcripts
ME: How did you get into sneakers? How did that become a thing for you that you knew
you liked?
SUBJECT 1: Yeah, yeah. Good. Yeah. I'm a fellow sneaker head and you now, big, big
fan of the culture. So, for me, I mean, I'm an 80s kid, right? So, So I grew up in an era
where, like, retro toys, comic books, you know, like the early sort of popularity of video
games and particularly athletes were making a very different splash on the scene of pop
culture because of, you know, because marketing and, you know, companies like Nike
really started to take off in the 80s, obviously, and so, you know, that's where I developed
my sort of bond or appreciation for high end sneakers, which obviously as a very young
person, as an early teenager, I couldn't necessarily afford myself right? Because I didn't
have a job when I was in middle school, but, you know, sort of, you know, saved money,
allowance, mow lawns, do chores around the house, save birthday money. Strive for
some success in my report card so my parents would buy me the latest, you know,
I remember in eighth grade graduation for middle school when we were you
know, there's a formal event or ceremony and everybody you know, the other guys, are
wearing suits in, in terrible looking outfits and such. You know, I was forced to wear that
stuff. But instead of buying penny loafers, or some horrible pair of dress shoes that I
would never wear again, I convinced my parents to buy me a new pair of Air Revolutions
58
from Nike. Which were pretty new on the scene at that point. So, yes, it's always been
kind of a thing as, you know, I finished school 20 years ago and went off into the
corporate world working in journalism and in media you know, I haven't always had the
chance. It hasn't always been “appropriate” for me to rock you know, Jordan’s or Air
Max or, you know, something that kind of speaks more to my personality and my
connection back into sneaker culture, but, you know, I, obviously, that's a part of me,
after work on weekends, holidays. And then I find ways, you know, as I've grown more
comfortable and confident with my career, to, you know, kind of weave in those
opportunities. Like for example, you know, It would look funny if I wore my normal
attire in the office today. You know, a sport coat and a button up shirt, and some jeans
with, you know, some very loud, you know, retros or some something like really unique,
but I could wear some low top like all black Jordan’s. Casual shoes anyway, they're just
ME: So is that is that something you're still doing… How old are you? I'm sorry.
SUBJECT 1: 44
ME: And it's still something you care a lot about and are making efforts to do? Like, you
said it is not when you are in the office or when you're not at work, but you're still
SUBJECT 1: Yeah, the answer is yes, but again, it's sort of in small doses, and where the
opportunities makes sense. For example… it's a little unique for me, I’m in a new role.
I'm leading a news operation in Seattle, Washington and I just got here about a month and
a half ago. So it may be a little early for me to break out my you know, whatever…
something interesting from the closet. So, you know, I think like in a year, whenever
59
things are more comfortable that might be more appropriate. But, like, I'm going to a
conference this weekend for the Society of Professional Journalists. And I'll be wearing
like jeans and a button up shirt, and, you know, my Jordan, Black Cement Threes, right?
I'm going to be comfortable I'm going to be stylish. I'm not going to sort of make a
statement in terms of the business impact. I'm there to contribute some dialogue. And I
that is sort of really reflect that. But more importantly, Jordan, for me more relevant, I
should say maybe not important, but more relevant to me, is, I'm a parent and I have four
kids. My youngest is three, he just turned three and he has a ridiculous sneaker collection.
So I was buying shoes for Maddox before he was born, I was buying, you know, go by
the Nike outlet, find deals online, I follow the right Instagram accounts. He has more than
100 pairs of Jordan’s alone. You can you can obviously, you know, toddler shoes, they're
much cuter first of all because of the size, they're just adorable. Second of all they’re
much more affordable rather than paying $175, $220, $225 and up for men sizes for us,
you can get many of those same versions for a fraction of that, you know, maybe, you
know, $50 sometimes, you know, they’re on sale for $30. At the outlets, you might, you
might grab some Retros for $20. So, so I've been collecting his shoe for a long, long time.
So he wears some, you know, high end stuff. And then others, I don't even have time he
grows out of them before he can even wear them, but I keep them, they are out on display
So, people's heads explode when they come by and visit about how many shoes
he has, and of course he doesn't care, he’s a toddler. But I'm trying to instill these values
early on. And, you know, I say he wears a lot of Nike shirts and a lot of hoops jerseys,
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NFL jerseys, and it's kind of our thing. So, I'm able to Channel the sneaker culture and
sort of the latest releases and I'm not always selfishly thinking about scoring some for me
but I’m thinking its gonna look even better for him and the cool thing is when you're, you
know when you're the parent on this stuff and the kids foot is always growing, at least it
will be for a few years, I just grab stuff that like, like I said I'm buying stuff before he
was even born. I'll buy something that you know he'll be wearing high school. Because
ME: Wow. So who has more pairs of shoes right now you or Maddox?
SUBJECT 1: Definitely him, cause like I said, he could get 4 or 5 pairs right now for the
price of one that I would get. But its cool. We can both wear our Space Jam’s. We both
have Air Max Silver Bullets. Again, he is too young, where he doesn’t care, which is
good. He can’t say I only want to wear whatever, you know, he may be into a totally
different style in a few years, but for now he doesn’t really have a choice.
SUBJECT 1: Hahah it’s okay, he's got some cool adidas. A good example is I got him,
you know, the early edition Kendrick Lamar Adidas’ at Foot Action and with like
discounts, and they were on the clearance rack, sort of tucked away, these things were
like 16 bucks.
SUBJECT 1: Yeah, you could get really good stuff for him and it's very cool.
ME: So how many how many pairs do you have right now? Just sneakers not including
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SUBJECT 1: For just sneakers I have 75. My rotation of what actually where, is probably
10. A vast majority of my high-end sneakers; I just stock them away. I just have them on
display in a custom closet. That's a very heated debate with sneakerheads; rock or stock.
My two best friends, we’re all sneakerheads from back in that era, when we grew
up in the late 80s, and we're all divided like, you know, My buddy Sean, he sells. He
turns a lot of profit. He does a lot of the draws and he has great luck at that stuff. He has
the eye for getting some limited-edition stuff, and then he'll triple up for a really good
profit. My friend Scott, he buys all the same stuff that we like, the same style, and he
wears everything. As soon as they arrive in the mail, he wears them that afternoon. Me,
I'm different. I don't sell anything, but also I don’t rock my stuff, I kind of like keep them
for a few years and then break them out like five years after they dropped. So right now,
my rotation, is like about 10 to 12 that I wear pretty regularly. The others, Kind of sit and
I like to admire.
ME: Have you always been that way? Or is that something that's kind of started
when Nike drops something that I really love. You know, we’re all anxious for the Bred
4’s to come out, so, you know, its a little unclear as to how limited that's going to be, but
in a perfect world I’ll get at least two pairs in my size. One to wear immediately, and one
to put away. And then I have to get Maddox one or two pairs. So like, when the BC3s
(Jordan Black Cement 3’s) came out in 2018, I bought five pair. I bought two for me, two
for Madox one for toddler, one for big kids, and then I bought one for my older son who's
kind of a little into sneakers, but he's into other types of fashion too. So if it's a release I
62
love and I can, you know cause sometimes it's hard to even get one pair that fits, I'll get
more than one like the Tinkers, the Tinker Hatfield that came out, the three that came out
last year. I bought two of them instantly because I love them and so you know one to
rock and one the stock. But I couldn't do that when I was in my early 20s because, you
know, I could barely pay rent. That’s what happens when you’re not making that much
money.
ME: So you have about 75 pairs right now, is that more than you've ever had or have you
SUBJECT 1: No, it is more than I have ever had because I don’t get rid of them. I mean,
only time I get rid of shoes are when I wear them down and then, you know, it's time to
chuck them. I don't want like beat up shoes being an eye for my collection, but if they’re
really nice I don't wear them, so you know I keep getting more, which my wife isn’t the
biggest fan of. But I think most guys I know, that have a vice, they have hobbies they
have a passion and they're not always legal but, I think you know sneakers in many ways
SUBJECT 1: Yeah, like a decade ago it was really hot like, professionals in particular
used them to kind of brag a bit and be really celebratory over sporting different watches
every couple days, things to match their outfits, whatever I mean that they could get
pretty high end obviously in terms of the big designers and name brands and such. And
the rarity. I don't know maybe that's gone down because things like smart watches are
now pretty popular as a utility that you wear every day that you don't really switch out of
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it. I know I wear my Apple watch every day. So anyway, I think I think that's kind of
ME: Is there is there one sneaker that kind of not necessarily is not your favorite or what
you think is the best looking, I'll ask you that in a minute. But, is there a sneaker that
when you see it, it just kind of takes you back and is one that you're always kind of
thinking about, one you always of want to have that makes you think of a time or
memory or place or a person, something that just stands out to you every time you see it?
about 8th grade graduation. Everyone was wearing really dorky Penny Loafers and
Oxfords, and here I come strutting down the aisle in black, white and gray Nike Air
Revolutions. That was the moment for me and that brings back a lot of vivid memories.
So that was fun, but I would say it kind of starts with the Air Jordan 1right? Like you
know, I'm old enough where I can remember in ‘85 when the NBA was cracking down
and Nike fired up their famous campaign and it became all the rage and I remember
going into like sporting goods stores, because their weren't… I mean, like, Foot Locker
was around but like there weren’t sneaker stores. You went and got your kicks from
sporting good’s stores like Big Five or like mom and pop shops. They sold sneakers next
to like hockey sticks and like soccer balls and I remember all the Nike posters of the
Jordan 1, and “banned” and so those are those are probably the two most vivid examples
for me.
ME: So kind of going off that what is your favorite right nowWhat do you like to wear?
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SUBJECT 1: So my thing I mean like, personally, it's when you talk to a sneakerhead
you can always have an immediate connection. I'm like okay, what's your favorite style?
My favorite styles have always been in order Jordan’s 3, 4 and 11 so almost instantly if I
see somebody sporting Jordan’s 3, 4 or 11, I admire him already and have some instant
respect.
You know, like, Hey, you know, like, this person has some sensibilities. This guy is
grounded, and I’m already connected to them. My current favorite still is the 2016 Space
Jam, which I just think we're so different, the box, you know, maybe it's me, but the smell
is different. And the sort of allure with the movie and, now we got the new movie coming
out next year. And so anyway, I love the Space Jam 2016. I get a little, actually with
those shoes that were so limited and so sort of rare and special. I get a little perturbed
when I see people just wearing them and scuffing them and getting them dirty. Which is
very, it's a very strange feeling right like, that is the fundamental reason why people buy
shoes… to wear them and get use out of them. But you start getting to that level where
they're pieces of art, and they should be respected in a way that they should be in a glass
case not you know, walking through puddles or getting gum stuck underneath them.
ME: Isn't that so interesting, especially with Jordan’s for example. I play a lot of
basketball and you see guys wearing certain shoes on the court and getting them creased
and scuffed and stepped on and it just hurts watching that happen sometimes. it's
something you would for example never put on and always keep clean and you see
someone to beat them up on the basketball court, but that's what they were made for!
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SUBJECT 1: Yeah, yeah, they are. You could argue that lot of the Jordan’s, a lot of the
like newer Jordan’s, from the last five years, probably aren't even really good quality
basketball shoes. Like it's more of the style, the casual, like going to the mall or going to
a club or people going to work and it's a good look, but they're not necessarily the ones
you see NBA guys sporting. It's just it's not the same, they don't have the same durability
or the stability and the ankle support. Yeah and you're right like especially for a
playground like why would you wear that when guys are going to be stomping all over
and you're going to get them scuffed and they instantly lose their luster and their value?
So you see other typed of shoe. I have some other shoes that I like, I am a fan of other
shoes. They are mostly Nike, but like I'm a big Paul George guy for example. Paul
George went to my alma mater, Fresno State, so I got to see him play in school, and he's
come out with some limited edition Fresno State shoes which of course I own. So yeah,
ME: You kind of touched on this earlier, but you're at the point in your life where you
don't really need to worry about moving money around saving money or borrowing
money to make these purchases anymore, but was there a point where buying sneakers
was really important and you didn't have the money to be doing it as much as you did?
How did you kind of tackle that? Were you making sure you saved up for a release you
knew was coming out, or were you borrowing money, or moving money, anything like
that?
SUBJECT 1: I mean, look, the reality is Jordan, that you know, once you have your full
time career and you have a family to support, you have a limited amount of money, most
people have a limited amount of funds to, to be able to do, “fun things”, right? So, it's
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really just a matter of, for me in the last 10 years of being a sneakerhead has just meant
making sacrifices, you just make choices. You can either can either go on more boy’s
trips like to Las Vegas, or to Atlantic City or to other fun adventures, and I might spend a
couple thousand dollars for that weekend. Or I take fewer of those trips and have that
money available for that part of the year to go splurge and go shopping. It might mean
that I go, you know, we go to the movies a lot more and I buy other things, or I put that
I want to be clear that I've never been at a point where money wasn't an issue and
I could just buy whatever shoes I wanted. There's been a ton of shoes that I've had to pass
up because, you know, I just don't have a couple hundred bucks that I could justify
having to have, just to have another pair sitting in my closet, because we've got some big
thing that we're really saving for; big family vacation. That's not really fair to my wife
who also works and she saves and she doesn't have a shoe addiction like a I do. She is a
pretty thrifty person. So, I feel bad. Not that she makes me feel bad, but I do feel bad
when the Nike delivery boxes are on porch twice a week and she doesn’t do that. It really
Since I’ve arrived in Seattle a month and a half ago, I haven’t purchased any
shoes in this month and a half. I’ve been so busy with work and we're buying a house
here so we're pretty focused on where that money needs to go. That being said, I'm
definitely going to get those Jordan 4 Bred’s in two or three weeks when they drop,
because those are probably going to be the release of the year. Yeah, those must haves.
Same with the Bred 11’s in November, there's a few big ones this year, but I'm kind of
taking it easy.
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But the other part of it is, that with the advent of the Internet, you can get any
pair you want now. You might have to spend a lot more if you missed the window when
it comes out and you’re not paying retail, but you can go to like StockX or you can go on
eBay or wherever. You can find anything. You know, it's just a matter of it's going to set
you back a ton. But, you know, back when, sneaker culture was exploding like when the
famous, you know, when the Jeff Staple Pigeon’s dropped in New York and, and there
was a riot because you had to be there. Like, you literally have to be there to score one of
those and people got trampled. And then Nike changed the way they did their draws, and
everything changed. But now it's like a lot less pressure. You don’t have to be there when
the doors open, and you don’t have to be one of the first in line. You can score this stuff
off your phone, you can know a guy and he'll be your plug. All of these consignment
That's the other cool thing is I travel quite a bit for work, and it's fun to go to new
cities. And then I instantly seek out where the sneaker shops are and, you know, every
citie’s got like a little different style or something that they're famous for. Seattle has
really good ones, I’ve been exploring. But you know if I visit New Orleans or Miami or
you know obviously New York is the capital for so much of this stuff or LA. Wherever
you go its kind of a fun thing or pursuit to go kill some time. Check out a new city,
sometimes you get good deals I usually am shopping for the toddler. Again, prices are
ME: You mentioned that now you can get anything online, which can be more expensive.
Do you ever do that? What's the most you think you have spent on a shoe?
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SUBJECT 1: The most I’ve spent? Let me think… Well, I mean look, I would say, when
I spent about 1000 bucks on the Nike Black Cement 3s last year, when I bought five
pairs; three adults and two kids. That was a hefty setback, but it is my all-time favorite
Jordan. So, I felt like I had to. I didn’t really have a choice hahah. So yeah, I mean like
that was one day really. And that was pretty, a pretty big hit. But, you know, I'm still
wearing my first pair from that relase and I have another pair tucked away for a couple
ME: Yeah, I do love that shoe. I don't wear mine a lot but it's one that I look up at, like
I've got a little display as well in my room, it is just one of those where I look up at it and
it's like man, that is just such a pretty shoe. It is a dang near perfect shoe.
SUBJECT 1: When I started to get into shoes at a really young age and have carried that
with me, I think one of the really interesting things about guys and fashion about athletic
shoes in particular, because I think it does serve as kind of an interesting indicator about
who that person is, before you even really hear them speak. And that's obviously not
always the case. Somebody could have really expensive taste, and, you know,
inexpensive shoes. I'm not saying it's always the case. But, again, I talked about when
somebody is wearing like, my favorite style that I have this instant bond. I find that, you
know, if somebody is wearing like generic shoes that might be an indicator of sort of a
lack of creativity, or the other thing that I found is, based on where people are from their
culture or, you know, for example; I've lived in some big cities and you'll see people
wearing European style sneakers, and you wouldn't know, by their face, they look like
anybody else. But you can tell that is somebody who comes from like, Eastern Europe,
from Italy or the UK or something, or same thing with, you know, Asia and some of the
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shoe, sort of the popular shoes in that area. I've always found that it's kind of cool like
you can, you can read someone. I always like to look at someone shoes when they walk
in the room, I sort of start down and work my way up. And sometimes people call me out
on that like why are you sizing that person up? They just have a cool pair of shoes and
that caught my eye first and then if I can I like to look at some of the signature, I think
that's always interesting too. But you cant always easily see that, but you can always see
ME: You kind of, you got to live through that era, where it was just getting really popular
where you had to go and wait outside of a store to get a shoe in line or go somewhere to
actually find a shoe rather than online. Do you kind of miss that era? Or are you happy
with the way that it's progressed with the technology and everything?
SUBJECT 1: No, its way better now, like the accessibility. I mean, you know, like, you
know, who has time to like, spend the night outside a store, you know, drive like 100
miles I mean, it's way more convenient. So it's, it's just the nature of the web, It's better
now.
ME: Okay, because I'm, I'm 24. And so, obviously, when I was really young it eas like
that, but at that point, I wasn't old enough to kind of be into it. And so I always kind of
SUBJECT 1: Yeah, it probably does brings back those nostalgic memories for some, but
I am a person of convenience. Maybe it’s because I have a lot of kids, I’ve had a bunch of
jobs, I wear a lot of hats. I don’t have that kind of time in my life. I wish I did, but that’s
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Subject 2: 23: New York City
SUBJECT 2: I mean not to be cliché or anything. But I definitely think that Michael
Jordan is the reason that sneakers are so big. And then he started the culture, because I
don’t think that was any real hype behind any sneakers until the Jordan 1 came out.
I feel like the first shoe that I was really feelin, was like, when the SB dunks came
out. I know it was right when I started skate boarding, like 5th or 6th grade, and Home
Skate Shop was right down the street from my house and my mom didn’t let me go to
Bardstown road at the time, she was nervous for me to ride my bike on it. I remember my
grandma took me to Home Skate Shop for my brother’s birthday. It was my non-birthday
present cause she felt bad that I wasn’t getting anything, and Max was getting all these
Before that I had a lot of converse, I guess I was a converse guy. But I really
didn’t start getting into real sneakers until I saw Regan had the first Yeezys and I was
like… holy shit, these are sick. Remember when they first came out everyone though
they were so ugly? I saw the Moonrocks then I saw the Oxford tans in person one time at
Oneness in Lexington and it was like, these are so sick. And so, I obviously couldn’t
afford them in college so, I got an Ali Express pair. I told people they were fake, but
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other people would like, turn their heads and be like holy shit. I knew how real fakes
were, but It was before people realized how real fakes were. They’re the first shoes that
really put fakes on the map, I think. They’ve been selling fake Jordan’s forever, but I
ME: You have gotten a lot more into actually wearing your sneakers rather than selling
them since you got to New York. Correct me if I’m wrong but you seem to be more into
SUBJECT 2: Yeah, so I think in college it was a turning point when I really started
following DJs and stuff. They all kind of a similar style and I started thinking, I’m not
gonna dress like this frat guy my whole life. I guess people to do that, but I liked the way
the DJs looked. Chucks were getting hot again, and I remember seeing a few pictures of
Drew from the Chainsmokers, right when the Fear of God Vans came out and I was like,
those are the coolest shoes I’ve ever seen. And they’re so not, but I still think they are my
So, I saw that and thought it was so sweet. I was just so tired of seeing like,
Khakis and Sperrys and Wallabies and duck boots. And I remember I was just laying in
bed after my brain messed up and thought I need to change up my style a little bit. And
that’s in college when I started wearing tighter pants and wearing more fitted T-shirts.
Honestly because I started losing weight too and I didn’t look as fat when I was wearing
them. And that’s when I started, not just the sneaker thing, but really changing my style
in general. That when I started looking at Instagrams, and going on reddit, and looking at
streetwear stuff and that’s how I got into Supreme too, but that’s a different story really.
So, I started looking at this sneakers reddit and I was seeing all these shoes. Then the first
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shoe I got was an all-black NMD. Right when the NMD hype was huge. Like GRs
(General Releases) were selling on Ebay for like, $50 over retail. So my first one was the
all-black NMD, the mesh one. And then after that my buddy Grant who was reselling saw
that I was getting into it through Twitter. He started helping me figure out shoes and what
to get and what actually resells. So, that’s when I started getting into Yeezys. That’s
when they were so hot in the streets. When every release was guaranteed a couple
hundred bucks a pair. I was one of the only people that when the Belugas first came out, I
was like, these are fuckin sweet. Everyone hated the, because they were so different from
When Boost came out, that was when I really got into it. I couldn’t make any
money at the time because I couldn’t work, but I realized this was an easy way to make
money. At first that’s literally what it was, but then my first pair of Zebras came in and I
was like oh fuck… so I put them on my feet and looked down and I was like oh my
god… then 11 more came in! and I was like oh shit. I remember wearing them to class
one day and like 20-30 people tapped their friend when I walked by or said something to
me like “holy shit how did you get those” and I was like I’m just cooking baby I don’t
know. I think that’s one of the reasons. It’s an easy thing to look at. For me I just stare at
people’s feet all the time walking around NY. I don’t know if that’s just a me thing, but
people at work or people who are not sneakerheads, when I wear like my Kith
that’s one of the main reasons why people like to wear, like not only the expensive ones,
like I have random shoes that aren’t expensive. I have New Balances that I got for like
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Maybe its an attention thing; it probably is, but I don’t know where it came from.
I guess its’ just if you’re wearing something loud on your feet that’s the first thing
someone notices. When I wear my Sean Wotherspoon’s I guess its like statement, I don’t
know. I don’t look it at like that, I just saw them and thought they were awesome.
ME: People who know, know. And there are even some shoes that people who don’t
know see them and can just tell there is something about it that is special
SUBJECT 2: Yeah, and also, this is so petty, but I think it is a statement that people that
have a lot of money can afford a thousand-dollar shoe and are going to want to flex it. So,
I think that’s one of the main reason that people are into it. It’s a simple flex. And it’s not
too over the top, like you’re not wearing a Gucci jacket or something. It’s just a pair of
ME: So, it was really the selling that lead you into the lifestyle of it rather than the other
way around?
SUBJECT 2: I think that what I realized was that with reselling is that I could get the
shoes that l liked, and essentially, they’re free. At first, I was like, there is no way I’m
gonna keep any of this. I looked at the Zebras and that’s $1300. I paid $200 for them and
they’re reselling for $1500. Then I put them on my feet, and I was like, good god I have
to keep these. And I didn’t wear them for a while. I sold 11 pairs to a kid I new from a
sneaker group on twitter. I see it as an investment. If a shoe that comes out that I like I
can wear and even I can get resell if their worn and I keep them nice. First I saw the
money and then fashion. At first it was just Yeezy and Adidas, cause that’s what I knew.
My first non-Adidas shoe was the Fear of God Vans. I paid a hefty price for being in
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ME: Is that the most you’ve spent on a single pair?
SUBJECT 2: No. I saw both guys from The Chainsmokers wearing them and then I saw
this youtuber wearing them. I saw it on my Instagram explore feed sitting courtside at the
Oracle Arena and thought they were sick. They were reselling for $600-$800 at that point
and I got a worn pair on GOAT for $400 or something. And they were basically brand
new. And I walked outside and got a grass stain on them the first time that I wore them.
And then that led me to get a fake pair cause I knew I would destroy them. They were
clearly fake, but I was like whatever, I like them, it’s worth it to pay like $100 for these
shoes I can beat up. And I can’t even wear them anymore because they’re so destroyed.
And then I got the pure boost Y3’s which were some of my favorite shoes I ever had and
those were going for stupid money. I found a deal on them. The fakes were so obviously
fake that I knew I wasn’t getting a fake pair. So I got them in college for probably $300,
and then I wore them maybe two times and they hurt my feet. But I saw that I could resell
ME: What is the most you have spent on a single pair of shoes?
SUBJECT 2: I bought the All Hallows Eve Blazer for like $550.
SUBJECT 2: Yeah, I wear them a lot actually. My really hyped ones I only wear to work
and stuff, I don’t wear them out, so I don’t ruin them. I paid around the same for the Sean
Wotherspoon’s too. I buy them all a little bit used. You can save so much money. The All
Hallows Eve came with all the laces, they didn’t smell at all, they were basically brand
new. So, I paid like $550 for both of those pairs used. Actually, right after I sold my
Zebras I made a big purchase. I bought the Sneakers and Stuff Ultraboost Tee Times. I
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paid a lot for those. I think $800. And the Woodward Ultraboosts. Those were my grails,
then I saw them in person, and I was like… they’re just white and black Ultraboosts so I
didn’t hold on to them for too long. That’s when Boost was so hyped. Those are the ones
I spent the most on. I bought those two back to back together for like $1500 and I was
just like oh my god… I was so hyped for them to come in. especially the Woodward’s. I
don’t know, there also shoes that aren’t really hype that I love. Like the react 87s, I love
SUBJECT 2: 14 pairs.
SUBJECT 2: Just sneakers, probably about 20 at time. Granted I’ve had some that I’ve
kept some in closet that I never wore. But yeah, probably like 20. And I’ll occasionally
wear, like my all white Yeezys, but I destroyed them so they’re still here, but I don’t
really wear them. My normal rotations in my NMD white Glitch Camos, my Blazer’s,
both of my Vans, Wotherspoon’s, and I wear a pair called common projects a lot, but I
SUBJECT 2: I have one pair of high-top Chucks, one pair of low-top Chucks and Chelsea
boots usually. Unless its like a day thing where I know I’m not gonna be in like a dirty
basement of a bar. I’ll wear like a Blazer or a Wotherspoon, but it makes me a little
ME: You said what first got you into sneakers was skate boarding and Nike SBs, do you
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SUBJECT 2: I love the way they look, but I don’t really like the way they look on my
feet. I love that they can get pretty wacky, a lot of crazy designs. The shoes I cant stand is
the basketball shoes off the court. I probably will get the SB Off-white collab though. But
that’s why like NMDs and stuff, cause they’re so sleek, and not puffy like SB’s.
I usually only wore like black and white shoes or gray, because they go
with anything. But once I started wearing less colorful clothes I started realizing you can
wear any colorful shoes with it. I think my style changing has definitely helped with
getting to wear crazier color shoes. Getting into sneakers has gotten me into high fashion.
SUBJECT 2: That’s why hypebeasts is such a big thing right now for kids. It’s a way to
prove they’re rich. People just waste so much money to look the part
everybody knows Jordan’s, so probably I think I had my first pair of Jordan’s when I was
little, like 1, 2 or 3. I think I was a one year old when I got my first pair of Jordan’s. I still
ME: So at that time it was your parents getting you into it and jump starting it for you?
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SUBJECT 3: Yeah pretty much, but what is crazy now is I wouldn’t even buy a pair of
Jordan’s right now probably. And its crazy, I have changed to a different style of like
SUBJECT 3: I really like Adidas, vans, I like, yeah pretty much I really like vans right
ME: Do you collect sneakers or do you just get them when you need a new pair?
SUBJECT 3: Yeah, mine is more like, I usually get em when I need em, or if I really like
em I’m like okay, I gotta have those, but I don’t collect, not like that.
ME: When it comes to adidas are you more into Yeezy or the boost kinda thing?
SUBJECT 3: I like the boosts, but I’m definitely gonna get me a pair of Yeezy’s.
ME: if you had a fashion style how would you describe that? What are you wearing when
you go out?
SUBJECT 3: I would say I wear a lot of button-ups, but they’re like with crazy colors and
I like jean jackets. I love jackets. I would say it is kind of like… you know how
Westbrook dresses? Not that eccentric, but its kinda like that.
ME: Do you have, or have you had in the past, any shoes that you gave personal value to?
Something that when you see that shoe it sparks a memory or means something to you.
SUBJECT 3: That’s a good question. I don’t have a pair of Jordan 11’s, but I have always
wanted them, I don’t know why, but I have always wanted 11’s. Either some Space Jams
or some Concords, but not really. I just think of my basketball shoes and if I see them I’ll
be like oh I used to play in them back when I was in high school or something. So like
the hyper dunks, or the crazy light Adidas when those first came out.
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ME: What are you playing in right now?
SUBJECT 3: I’m playing in the Black History Month Kyrie’s. the comfort is amazing.
ME: There are certain sneaker that have a culture value about them. They are something
that everybody wants. What do you think it is that makes the 11 a shoe like that?
SUBJECT 3: I don’t know man. I really feel like it’s just the design of it. And to me, it’s
the best-looking Jordan. And I think a lot of people believe that it’s the best-looking
ME: That’s what is so interesting to me. Why is the 11 so mythic when the 9 for example
SUBJECT 3: You know there are certain retros that are on a higher pedestal than other
ones. I don’t know what it is, but it just happens to be like that with the culture, I don’t
know
ME: When you were growing up was your style like what it is now, or you trying to
SUBJECT 3: Yeah I tried to follow and be with the hype, and tried to get shoes when
they released and stuff, but after a while I was like, man I’m really doing to much
sometimes (Laughs). When you gotta wake up right when it releases and you gotta buy it.
ME: What is the most you think you have ever spent on a pair of shoes?
SUBJECT 3: It was I think, $220 on some J’s, I think it was the 3s. I’m not sure which
ones though.
ME: When you’re making purchases are you following releases online and know you are
going to buy something, or do you just pass by a shoe in the window and now I need to
get that?
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SUBJECT 3: I usually see stuff that I like on social media. And then I’m like okay, I
might have to get that shoe when it comes out. Then I’ll go to the mall and look at it in
person and then I’ll make my decision. Cause I wear a 14, so they usually don’t have that
in stores anyway. So I have to order mine online. I’ll go to the store, see what the style
looks like in person, and then I’ll go home and order it.
ME: Do you consider yourself a person that follows the trends, or do you just try to do
SUBJECT 3: I like to do my own thing and its funny, cause when I dress up and stuff I
start getting my teammates to wear Vans and stuff cause they see those do look good. I
start getting them to get on the Vans train. I feel like I like my own style.
Subject 4: Atlanta, GA
ME: Wade gave me your number and said you were into sneakers?
SUBJECT 4: Man, I would say right now, probably well over 70, I would guess.
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SUBJECT 4: Well my foot hasn’t grown since 11th grade in high school so, I guess it
started then.
ME: What would you say got you into sneakers, and that culture and collecting?
SUBJECT 4: Well definitely my older cousin was a sneakerhead. He’s from NY and he’s
a big sneakerhead so, I guess he really got me into it and then I just really loved hooping
in different pairs of basketball shoes. Seeing how different ones felt and wearing different
ones, so I kind of just started getting more and more shoes and trying different things.
SUBJECT 4: Right now I’m playing in the Kyries, but I actually just got a pair of
Westbrook’s new All-Star ones he wore. I haven’t worn them yet, but I’m gonna start
wearing those.
ME: Do you remember the first shoe that really go you into sneakers?
SUBJECT 4: The Haurraches, the ones that Deron Williams had for the Utah Jazz, I
loved those shoes, that’s what might have gotten the ball rolling.
ME: Did you start wearing them yourself cause you saw him wearing them?
SUBJECT 4: I saw him wearing them, and they were the same colors as my school
colors, so I said perfect and I loved the style of it and he was a great player.
SUBJECT 4: Playing wise I prefer to wear low top shoes, so usually I tend to gravitate
toward those. And I do really like the PG 2s as well. Those are most comfortable to play
in.
ME: Is most of the stuff you’re buying meant to be worn on court or are you buying for
fashion too?
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SUBJECT 4: Yeah for sure, my favorite Jordan’s are probably the 3s. I don’t like to
really hoop in Jordan’s. I don’t consider retros and classic as playing shoes. I like to wear
ME: What are some of your favorites that you’re wearing off the court?
SUBJECT 4: The Cement 3s, the retro 11’s are probably my favorites, I’ve got the red
ones, I’ve got the UNC lows, those actually might be my favorites.
SUBJECT 4: I spent $800 on Louis Vuitton’s, I don’t know if that counts as sneakers
(laughs)
ME: Do you save money or move money around to be able to afford sneakers?
SUBJECT 4: No, if I don’t have it, I’m not gonna get it. I only spend what I’m
ME: When you see releases coming up are you planning to make purchases or are you
more in the mindset when you see something you like you get it?
SUBJECT 4: I’m not really camping outside or watching releases, I’m more like, if I’m
ME: you seem like you’re more of a Nike/Jordan guy, is that correct?
SUBJECT 4: Yeah for sure. I did have a pair of the Harden 2s actually, but those are the
ME: What do you think about the style that’s popular now? Such as the vans and the
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SUBJECT 4: I’ve never really been a big vans guys, I do have one pair, but I don’t wear
them that often. But I do like wearing Air Max’s kinda that category. I love the
Vapormax, I do have a couple pairs of those. I’m not a big vans guy though
SUBJECT 4: It was just growing up. Both of my parents are from NY and he’s still up
there and we would go during the summer. I would just see his collection. He has a room
full of shoe boxes and that planted the seed in my head. He got me into basketball as
ME: Being from Atlanta, and now being in Raleigh is it tougher to keep up with the
SUBJECT 4: The malls and places I am close to here don’t have as big of a selection as
SUBJECT 4: Well I’ve always been a hooper, so I wear a lot of joggers and stuff like
ME: When you put your outfit together do you start with the sneakers or does that come
last?
SUBJECT 4: Yeah I usually pick the shoes first and then put it together from there.
ME: I know you mentioned the haurraches earlier, but is there another shoe that really
SUBJECT 4: Yeah, actually the Carmelo’s, the 1.5s. that’s probably the first shoe that my
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SUBJECT 4: I actually found one a couple years ago. I found a pair. It wasn’t the same
SUBJECT 4: I’ve played pickup in them, but not any meaningful games or anything. But
SUBJECT 4: I was thinking about getting into that, because I do have so many pairs that
I don’t wear, but especially in college I was just giving shoes away to my friends and
Subject 5: Raleigh, NC
ME: Do you remember first getting into sneakers and how that happened for you?
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SUBJECT 5: Yeah, It really started early with my mom. She would get me all the Jordans
that would come out when I was younger, as well as my other siblings as well. My two
younger sisters at the time so, we would all have the matching Jordans and everything.
That would be something, a little thing she would just do, she was always trying to do
ME: Do you remember the first pair she got you that made you think “this is the one”
SUBJECT 5: I think it was the Jordan 8’s. I don’t remember what they were called at the
time, but I think they’re called Aqua’s now. But they’re the Jordan 8’s; the black,
turquoise and purple ones. At the time back then, that’s the main ones I remember from
back when I was younger. And of course the 11’s, but the 8’s are really the first ones that
ME: How many pairs would you say that you own now, or what was the most that you
SUBJECT 5: Probably the most I’ve owned at one time would be I’d say around 70.
Maybe 70 pairs of shoes. Cause I would say I play in my shoes, so some exclusives that I
have out here I have on the court, but I like to wear them off the court and I’ll transfer
ME: Do you ever find yourself saving money or moving money around to be able to
afford sneakers, or are you just purchasing when you have the extra money?
SUBJECT 5: I might move a couple coins here and there depending on the release and
depending on how exclusive it is. I’ll move a few dollars around to make sure I got those.
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SUBJECT 5: The last release that I bought is the Jordan Concord 11. But I’m going to the
consignment shops and stuff and picking up new all the time.
SUBJECT 5: Yeah I’ve got a couple guys, but I wear a size 14, so it’s hard for me to be
trading a lot. But I’ve got a couple guys that I trade with and they’re basketball players of
course.
ME: Do you have a brand that you’re loyal too or does that not matter to you?
SUBJECT 5: I more so lean toward Nike’s and Jordan’s. On court purposes, more so
Nike’s, but a couple pair of Jordans that I play in. Really though, 11’s are the only
Jordans that I play in that are most comfortable for me. Outside of those I keep
everything else outside the court. I might throw some 12s on every now and then, but for
ME: Do you have many memories attached to a certain style or certain shoe. Something
ME: Yeah
SUBJECT 5: Man let me tell you the truth. I’ve been trying to find these kicks for a
minute too. In high school I used to play in the all black Charles Barkley’s. I forget what
exactly they was called, but they were a specific Charles Barkley shoe and I went to the
Dominican Republic about 3 or 4 years ago for a tour and one of my teammates actually
had those pair of shoes and when I put those shoes on, I promise you, I felt like I was
right back in high school. It was just a whole feeling, cause you know, there was a team
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thing behind it. I got a whole bunch of guys on my team into them so everybody else got
them. So that’s probably my best memory with a specific shoe. They were special.
SUBJECT 5: No man, not in a size 14. I’ve seen a couple in other sizes, but not in a 14. I
ME: When it comes to fashion do you build your style around your shoes or do the shoes
SUBJECT 5: I’m going with shoe I wanna wear first, and then outfit after that.
ME: When you’re playing in certain shoes are you still wearing those shoes off the court?
SUBJECT 5: No, I make sure I have shoes only for on court purposes. Gotta keep the
ME: How often would you say you’re buying new pairs?
SUBJECT 5: I’m probably getting right now I would say about 4 pair a month. I’ve been
really getting back into to lately. Making sure my shoes are top notch.
SUBJECT 5: My favorite ones I’m wearing right now would probably be my Yeezy
350’s. They’re the most comfortable for me, so when I’m off the court that’s what I’m in.
SUBJECT 5: Let me ask you this question. You say you’re into shoes. You know who PJ
tucker is right? So you know he’s form Raleigh. That’s one of my guys, one of my big
brothers type of thing. Me and him were always bonding over all these things. A lot of it
is inspiration from seeing PJ doing what he’s doing. Just watching him do is thing as the
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Subject 6: 23: Myrtle Beach, SC.
ME: I know that you're into sneakers and have been for a little bit, but what drew you to
kind of collect them and what drew you to the sneaker culture?
SUBJECT 6: Okay. I mean, even whenever I was like a little kid, like, probably second
grade, third grade, I would always have like new sneakers. And they weren’t anything
thing cool, but like, I was like the first person to wear Vans at my school, so everyone got
them and then like, I don't know, my hometown, like Myrtle is kind of boring, and like a
whole tourist trap. So like all my friends kind of just like rocked, whatever we sold at the
store, stuff like beach Ts and like, board shorts, stuff like that. And I would always try
and stand out and be different. So like, I would get my mom to take me like journeys and
get some Adidas shoes or something like, I remember I had like Sambas one year and
then like, all my friends bought a pair of Sambas that month. And then I copped a pair of
Van’s, and then they all got their Vans. And then like it just kind of it continued that way
that I always like wanted a shoe that was different than everyone else. And I never really
messed with flip flops. And that's all we really sold. I would just go get my mom to hook
it up. I remember I had my first pair of Jordan’s in like sixth grade. And that was like the
year after I started in public school and everyone was like who is this nerdy looking
Jewish kid rocking Jordan. That's how I made all my friends that weren't Jewish. And
then after that I started making money at the store. And I was like, there's a lot of other
shoes I can buy, that are much cooler than these ones I’m getting at Rack Room and
Journey’s. So now I can just go on the web and buy as many as I can. That's become a
problem.
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ME: Trust me, I hear you with that. Do you find yourself spending more than you should
on shoes? Or are you kind of keeping it in an acceptable level? Are you getting to the
SUBJECT 6: I think like, two years ago, maybe a year ago, I was buying maybe a pair
month or two pairs a month and that like just kind of drained my bank account because I
started going from like buying hundred dollar shoes to like $220 every drop. And I would
look out for every drop. And I was like I gotta have these since they’re dropping. I would
always try to get them. And if I got them I always say like I would sell them and I would
never sell them because I would like them too much. But I think this month actually, is
kind of my breaking point. Because I started having some more financial responsibilities.
I’ve got like house payments, got all my utilities and things like that going on. Trying to
save up some money. And I think last month I bought three pairs of shoes and I'm kind of
SUBJECT 6: Yeah, for sure. For sure it happens. But I'll probably stop for a good \
month or two and then see what see what happens after that.
ME: What is the most you've spent on a single pair you think?
SUBJECT 6: The most I spent on a single pair… was not actually, even for myself, I
bought it for my cousin for his birthday. Because he was always like, looking at my
shoes. And then I bought him a pair of Off-White low top Vulcans. And they're I got
them for like $325. So yeah probably like $325 is the most I have paid ever, but for
myself personally, I think the last pair of shoes I got, also a pair of Off-White’s, but the
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high tops were $270 in the end. But yeah, but yeah, those are probably the most
ME: Do you have any shoes that you own now or owned when you were younger that
you really want to get again? Or Is there a shoe that when you see it makes you back to
when you were younger? Something that you kind of always loved and maybe never had
SUBJECT 6: For sure. back in the day, I was always the type of guy that was always
rocking Adidas, and just the shell toe Adidas, I used to have like, two pairs of them or
three pairs of them when I was younger. And then they came back and style, so I bought
a pair. And then like every girl that was wearing a jean jacket had a pair of them and I
was like I can’t wear these anymore. So I still have them in my closet. I look at him every
now and then and debate where I'm going before I put them on.
ME: It's that shoe that every girl that ever went abroad loves.
SUBJECT 6: It definitely ruined the shoe and in a way that I don't want to wear it, but I
ME: It's funny, we see it as ruining the shoe. But I mean, Adidas couldn't have asked for
anything else. if you if you know the history of that shoe it got popular because RUN-
SUBJECT 6: But it's still like something where you had some of those people that were
rocking it still and wearing it every now and then. And I remember I was in like, third or
fourth grade and my mom got me a pair because my dad wore them back in the day. So
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ME: What do you think it is about a shoe like that for you that gives it personal value?
Do you think it's just an idea of it being something that you were into when you're
SUBJECT 6: It was probably that, I don't know, it's probably that shoe really got me into
Adidas. Like I was always playing soccer whenever I was younger, and like no one else
really had like, I mean, they're always rocking, like just random cleats that you would
find at like Walmart or something. But like I would always kind of sneak in with my
mom and try to like, get myself some really cool pair of Adidas like cleats and stuff. And
I think those shoes really just made me move on from wearing like, the random brands to
like trying to get name brand shoes and like, I don't know, it kind of stuck with me.
Because my uncle is in Israel, and people probably don't really know this, but Israel's,
like very behind on trends. Like, I remember whenever, like 50 cent dropped a song. I
was eight years old and I had already listened it two years ago.
And I went to Israel, and that's all they listened to so I remember the shell toes came out,
I would say like a year later, all my cousins came from Israel and they were still rocking
them.
It's just like kind of the culture behind it. Like how they blew up. It was just, I don't
know, it's just like, that got me into like really wanting to get more and more shoes, I
would say
ME: What is your favorite shoe that exists? What is your holy grail?
SUBJECT 6: Holy grail, like in terms of like collector, or like, my favorite shoe that I
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SUBJECT 6: All right, well my favorite collector… I don't know, they're really not even
worth that much. But I really like my supreme Nike that came out, the SBs. Yeah. Yeah.
Those ones I feel like are very low key but like, very, very cool. Yeah, yeah. they have
that aspect. And people like to look at them. But I have a pair of those. And I just bought
a pair of the Supreme tailwinds that I like a lot. And I don't know, I used to really, really
appreciate the fact that I had a pair of Yeezy’s. I think that's kind of gone down the drain
ME: Yeah, I was kind of the same way when I had my Blue Tints.
SUBJECT 6: Exactly. Like my friend offered me like, he offered me some money for my
Yeezy’s I had in my closet because like, I haven't been wearing them, I wore them like
twice. And yet, he was like, yo, let me get them. I ruined mine. I was like, Okay, well,
yeah, I'm definitely fine with selling these. But I would never sell my SBs. And I have
these Nike ACG boots that I'm a real big fan of. I haven't seen anyone… Anyone at least
in Myrtle wear them. Every time I wear him out people are like, damn, where the fuck
did you get those? Like, I've never seen those. And then the ones that were the most are
probably like, Air Max 95’s or 97’s. I go between the 95 in the 97’s and the Adidas in
NMDs. People don't really wear them anymore and if they do they're like not the cool
SUBJECT 6: My fashion style is probably, like a lot of black white and gray. Like jeans I
always just I don't even, I don't know when I could tell you I had a blue pair of blue
jeans. I wear a lot of, you know those jeans that they're calling moto jeans? I like those,
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those are pretty much the only types of jeans I wear now. And a lot of like plain black
T’s, plain white T's and very minimalistic logos if they have anything on them. And then
shoes, shoes are probably the one spot that I like color on and change up the style.
ME: Would you say when you're putting an outfit together do you start with the
SUBJECT 6: Come last, but I would say I take more time picking out the shoe I'm gonna
wear with outfit rather than like what t shirt I'm wearing. I put more focus on the shoe.
SUBJECT 6: 40. I started working and then I started getting money and I was like damn,
I need more shoes. I think I got jealous after I saw those boxes whenever you were
ME: You're getting close. I was up to about 60 at one point, but I'm back down to like,
low 50s right now. I'm kind of at the point where I'm like, get one, get rid of one.
SUBJECT 6: The worst problem I have now is I got a huge closet. So literally my whole
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