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Not Wearing Your Kicks with Wayno
2 Playsin 16 hours
This week I am joined by Wayno, we touch on his early love for kicks. How he was able overcome his hardships and look fresh. Why he has always decided to do it himself. We also touch on his love for retro's, whats exciting about sneakers. How we use sneakers to connect to others We also touch on his journey through music and why he always been about sharing his point of view.
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Intro & Outro by Sango: https://www.instagram.com/sango_/
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Transcript
Nostalgia and Sneaker Exclusivity
00:00:00
Speaker
Years ago, rest in peace to my big bro, Clark Kent. Yo, rest in peace. I was having a conversation, got on a pair PEs today and I always loved, like i always loved exclusivity. Right. Like i used to buy sneakers, like when everybody would cop, like whatever came out, I would buy them, I'd put them in the closet. And my mom used to be like, yo, why are you putting, I'm like, cause I don't want to wear, I don't want to wear them when everybody else got them. Yo, I literally just had the conversation today about that too. And and then and then also, cause before sneakers wasn't, they wasn't holding them as sacred. Right. Yeah. You beat your sneakers up, you throw them in the garbage. Right. Or they throw them on top of the lights.
00:00:33
Speaker
So, I always was a kind of like reserve with spend. And and at I should have been buying back then because the resale prices was not as much as they is now. But I said to Clark Kent, said, yo, I want to buy such a, he said, listen, man, how many pairs of sneakers you got in your closet right now that you probably wore once or you don't really at all? I said, more than I could count. He says, then why not spend some real money on something that you like that you will actually wear? Or like if you want to wear all the time. I was like, I never thought of it like that. So that's, then I started saying, and then ain't gonna lie.
00:01:04
Speaker
I made a lot of money. i was it So I was like, yeah, i could do stuff like that. You know I mean? So yeah, I spent. Wait, hold on. No, no, no. Go back. He's telling you to wear the shoes that you still haven't worn shoes. Yeah, I didn't wear the shoes.
Introducing Wayno's Journey
00:01:22
Speaker
What's good everyone. Welcome back to my first kicks the podcast where I use sneakers as a through line to get to know the person in front of me. I'm your host Haas and this week I'm joined by none other than the legend Wayno. I'm home man i'm honored to be called a legend. Come on, you guys absolute legend. legend like I appreciate it. I appreciate it. What's up, guys? Like real quick, because I mean, we talked about this in the DMs, but like, you know, the rap power, the power rankings, you know, and what I really loved about the about your rise is that you've been doing it all yourself. Like, you know, like, you know, like,
00:01:54
Speaker
Pun. Pun intended. I get it. I get it. You know? But I think it's just like, you know, you being left off and we talked about it where it's just like you doing it on on your own accord and not behind like, you know, a ton of backing and stuff like that, which, you know, they it's crazy that a list compiled with actual media conglomerates and then they had like people who just have YouTube and streamers and it's just like...
00:02:17
Speaker
Does that make sense? I he i mean, honestly, bro, I'll tell you, like, I am not tripping over no list. Nah, nah, nah. Because, I mean, when I first started doing it independently, i was just trying to prove to myself that I could actually do it. You know, I jumped into the game at the top. complex and in Amazon Music and then working with a bunch of different brands and companies and that's cool, right? But once those situations change, I still have something to say. right So I wanted to you know see if I could do it and I actually been making it a thing now. So you know it went from an idea to an actual salary. yeah So you know I would just do it every all the time.
00:02:52
Speaker
Nah, yeah. I mean, it's beautiful, man. I mean, I remember when you first started jumping back on too. And then, you know, you had, you teasing the out of the out of out of the box. yeah And I was like, yo, you pulling out some old sneakers, bro? Crumble joints? Man, I got a lot, bro. I'm talking about my whole life probably revolves around sneakers, basketball, and music. And I mean, all of them are interchangeable because I remember like years of my life based on the sneaker, and then when I think about the sneaker, I think about the year, and I remember the championship, and I remember what album came
Sneakers and Memories Intertwined
00:03:27
Speaker
out. yeah You know what I mean? I remember one day I sat and I told my sister like every single NBA championship from 1990 up until like maybe a year two ago, and she was like, how do you remember that I'm like, it makes me feel like i'm a kid again. yeah So it's like when you it's like a trigger, right? like Triggers is not only for bad things, right? like yeah You get a good trigger, and I'm like, oh man, I get excited when I talk about sneakers, when I talk about music or ball, because those are the things that made me who I am today. Yeah. I mean, look, you talk about that, too. I think one of the the funniest things is, like, the smallest thing will bring you to be like, yo, I remember this sneaker that came out, y'all. And then and it creates this crazy story. I do that all the time. It's so bad. Like, bro, like, my wife be sick. I ain't going to she be sick of me, but, like, I be saying, like, I see these dudes that's on, um like, on IG, and they have this...
00:04:12
Speaker
this content that they say was like, when you watching a Marvel movie with somebody that knows too much. yeah I'm like that with the movies too. yeah But it's like with sneakers, yo, it'd be like one thing happened, i'd be like, yo, you see these? Yo, these came out, I was in seventh grade. Yo, i was doing this. I was playing for this basketball team. it It goes down a whole rabbit hole every time, but it's just something that brings me joy.
00:04:32
Speaker
Yo, man. I mean, that's what's beautiful about that. And, you know, finding people that you can actually talk to about it is also such a, like, a blessing because it's like, and I'm pretty sure you know this, like, I talked about before. It was a secret language, bro. Oh, what? Remember when you had to sneak that you was really into sneakers? Yeah. Well, I, hmm. Not like, I mean.
00:04:52
Speaker
i Well, it depends. i was going to outside of Jordan's, Rob Markman, The only reason why I can't say that bro is because like growing up in the areas I grew up in, yeah when dudes that was outside, like sneakers was so much a part of everything they did. It's like, um when I think about, like on my block they used to call ah Bo Jackson's the drug dealer sneaker. You know what I'm saying? like, cause everybody on my block that was getting money, they wore that sneaker. was kind of like synonymous. Yeah, yeah, the black and silver pair. I wore those last time I was in New York. I wouldn't i said I was on some get money issues. So I wore the orange and blues and the black and gray drinks. Like certain sneakers I'll wear because they'll bring something out of me mentally. I mean, if I got on a pair of sixes, best believe I feel like I'm about to win a ring. yeah yeah That's my mentality. Yeah. that's i mean, you're making me think about like, yeah, the instant classic fit. Charles Woodson, Raiders jersey with ah with the Bo Jackson. Probably like some garball jeans and stuff. Yeah, Bo Jackson. I mean, I remember it it's so many sneakers. And like, I could think of the T-Mac. Yeah.
00:06:00
Speaker
Rob Markman 1,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190,0190
00:06:03
Speaker
flight posit three s i went when to flight posit three i could never close them cause i got wide feet yeah so it's like dumb join but it was it went together order the kg flight posit tools yeah and i mean like i got the ob bf drink they don't even the so remember when it me you younger than me but um nike town used to do the nike ten exclusives yeah and they had the the Flight Positive 2's, the OBF ah KG drinks, official black family. I've been trying to find KG so he could sign these drinks for me. I can't even fit him, I still got them though. I just want him to sign them so can just prop them up somewhere. I mean KG, I know you listening. Hey, listen. yeah
00:06:41
Speaker
You know what mean? I was in every jersey, all of that cage. You feel me?
Supporting the Podcast
00:06:44
Speaker
Hit him up. But you're here to answer the question that I ask everybody each week, and that question is, what's your first case? What's that first pair of sneakers you absolutely needed to have? Before Wayno answers the question, I want to remind y'all to like, subscribe, and leave a comment if you're watching this on YouTube. And of course, if you're listening to this on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a five-star review and a comment. And if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts, I will read it at the end of the the next podcast. So please do that. And then, of course, i do, i need your help.
00:07:19
Speaker
Patreon.com, I got one tier, $5 tier, all the money from Patreon goes right back into the podcast. So please help out the podcast by joining Patreon at patreon.com slash myfirstkicks.
00:07:34
Speaker
All of this helps the podcast grow and helps me get more interesting guests, much like Wayno and other people that you are really interested in learning what their first kicks are. So let's jump into the question.
00:07:50
Speaker
The first pair of sneakers I absolutely needed to have.
First Sneaker Love and Collecting
00:07:54
Speaker
I felt like when I was in the third grade, there was sneakers. I didn't really care second and first grade. Second grade is when I started getting into basketball. Third grade, 1991. Yes, I'm showing my age.
00:08:10
Speaker
um Jordan 6 Infrared. Hey, let's go. I remember bro, when them joints was coming out, cause remember we only got four Jordans yeah a year a year. We only got four Jordans a year. And then the black and red joints didn't come out until around Easter time.
00:08:24
Speaker
And I remember when them joints came out and in my size, they, in 91, they was in suede. You what I mean? and grade school sizes, they was leather. and I'm saying so I remember getting those drinks and when I got those, oh man, bro, it was such a good time. That's why I bought, I actually ended up buying a pair later on. I found a pair of 91s and it was so crazy because the guy who restored them for me, we did a collab post and so many people didn't like that I spent my money, my hard earned money on something I really wanted and got it restored. What? Why?
00:08:58
Speaker
I think that people Most people, and I'm not saying this as a bragging point, but I know that you know from a financial standpoint, and I'm not bragging, like um I live ah ah past the average person. So most people can't fathom you doing some shit. I buy a pair of sneakers from 1991. They're not garbage, they're dead stock. But the bottoms is deteriorating, it's complete garbage.
00:09:23
Speaker
Why in the world? And I even question myself. Why in the world would I then go buy another pair sneakers just for the bottom and then pay somebody hundreds of dollars and pay for shipping so that they could fix the sneaker and I still haven't worn it?
00:09:37
Speaker
It sounds like, it sounds ludicrous, right? But at the same time, to me, sneakers is like art. right So it's like, yeah, I i might wear my 91s and then when I wear them, nobody's going to know. They're not going to be like, it's like that meme. But you know. I know. yeah But it's my money. The people is on my ass. I'm talking about like, bro, you'd have thought I stole from like the the kids funding that paid for these shits, bro. It was crazy. It was really going up on me. That is wild. I don't know. I mean, it is. i mean, let's definitely talk about it because like soul swapping, like,
00:10:09
Speaker
Yes, all right. You bought a brand, you bought a- An absolute brand new shoe. And it has to be, because it's a see-through bottom, right? It's like- Yeah, well, I bought the Jordan MVP. It was the six, seven, eight. So it was- Oh, okay. They put the sixes, the sevens, and eights together, but it had the six bottom. Yeah, You know, and was like the only, unless I'm buying a used pair sixes, which still might, I mean, I did pay, damn, I paid like 100 something. I paid like 120 for drinks. Them six, seven, eights. And then you paid on top to get him. I paid $2,300 for the six. Then paid $100 something. Wait, what? That's crazy.
00:10:47
Speaker
ah hundred so wait what ah crazy i paid for a pair eBay. It was a birthday gift to myself. yeah And then um I just didn't do anything with it. And I said, I want to wear them one day. So i bought a pair at six, seven, eights.
00:11:02
Speaker
And then I went through a lot of different people who did repairs. right yeah And I found this one dude. He's in Buffalo, um Restore Kicks. Yeah, yeah. He's a legend. Yeah, yeah. He's really dope. And I paid, he was $600.
00:11:15
Speaker
and it was like a hundred for shipping because I had to put insurance. my insurance is like $3,000. I'm like, yo, nah, if these get lost, I need my three bands back. So yeah, that probably cost me around like, all together maybe $3,100. Yo, you, all right.
00:11:29
Speaker
ah well i'm go tell you Yeah, it's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. but you Think it back, bro. Come on. You're looking at yourself like- no No, So here's the thing. ah Years ago, rest in peace to my big bro, DJ Clark Kent. Yo, rest in peace.
00:11:46
Speaker
I was having a conversation, I got on a pair P.E's today and I always loved, like i always loved exclusivity. right like I used to buy sneakers, like when everybody would cop, like whatever came out, I would buy them, I'd put them in a closet. And my mom used to be like, yo, why are you putting, I'm because I don't want to wear them when everybody else got them on. Yo, i literally just had the conversation today about that too. And then also, because before sneakers wasn't, they wasn't holding them as sacred. right yeah You beat your sneakers up, you throw them in the garbage. right Or they throw them on top of the lights. So,
00:12:16
Speaker
I always was kind of like reserved with spending. I should have been buying back then because the resale prices was not as much as they is now. yeah But I said to Clark Kent, said, yo, I want to buy such and such. He said, listen, man, how many pairs sneakers you got in your closet right now that you probably wore once or you don't really wear at all? I said, more than I could count. He says, then why not spend some real money on something that you like that you will actually wear? Or like if you want to wear it all the time. I was like, I never thought of it like that. So that's, then I started saying, and then ain't gonna lie,
00:12:45
Speaker
I made a lot of money in my hand. You know what saying? I was like, yeah, i could do stuff like that. You know I So yeah, I spent- Wait, hold on. No, no, no. Go back. He's telling you to wear the shoes. You still haven't worn the shoes. Yeah, didn't wear the shoes. I still haven't worn You should've be wearing them today, bro.
00:13:01
Speaker
I was scared, bro. Yo, I ain't gonna lie. Like, all right. So when I was, you know mean? You was talking about, said, yo, what am I going to bring out? And i I was thinking about stuff I didn't have or stuff that I had that I really love. yeah Like at first I had on like the true blues from 2016.
00:13:16
Speaker
And then I was y'all can wear these because they about to retro them. But then I was like, Then I had some Joe Fresh goods I wanted to wear. Shouts out to my dog Joe Fresh goods. You know what I mean? And Salai Bumberry, excuse me, I got gas mulching all over this. I'm keeping it in. But um I was like, all right, let me just do the origins because even these, bro, caught these for a great price. Yeah. I mean, it's still with some money, but I caught it for a great price in comparison to what they sell for. And I was like, you know what? I never wore these, so let me just break them out.
00:13:44
Speaker
Like I started thinking of everything that could go wrong. Because I had my Oregon 14s. And I was like- Yeah, you just got those, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. had my Oregon 14s and I was like, yo, what if somebody go in my hotel room when I'm gone and steal my shit? I started thinking of everything bad. That's why that's why i i when I fly, hu sneakers is in the carry on. That's it. I don't i don't i don't pack them away anymore.
00:14:08
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I pack these away. But I was like, you know, also, I don't want to live in fear. know what mean? ain't want to live in When it comes to that, I'm living in fear, bro. Yeah, man.
00:14:18
Speaker
i don't know I don't know if this is like a really bad habit and I don't know if I should be saying this on here, but ah I do see it as like, yo, rainy day fund, they going on eBay. oh yeah So, but like, if I'm not getting my money back for these, yeah like if I, when I went to Compass Con, I had, i had doing bracket eights on me, literally, you know, listening good you know, was was crazy. This is going to sound insane.
00:14:42
Speaker
um I just brought a bag. Cause I knew it was gonna buy stuff, right? So I checked the bag and then I brought a duffel with me cause I knew people were gonna be like, yo, hook it up, blah, blah, And I was gonna have a ton of stuff with me. Just in the bag in the carry on.
00:14:55
Speaker
Going back at eights. That's it? That's it. Rob Markman, yeah you're a lunatic just like me. Hey man, listen, we got our methods. I think that everybody who loves sneakers has some crazy method of how they do some sort of form of they collecting or preserving. yeah i mean like i have yeah I got mad stuff from when I was a teenager. I can't even fit it. I just like to look at it.
00:15:15
Speaker
i was just looking at it last because I was looking through stuff. I seen like I got the the Valentine's Day, um, A-Max 95. The red drinks, they got heart on the tongue. I can't even wear them. You know what I mean? They all fell apart and all that, but I just like seeing them. Like, you know what I'm One of my homeboys, he does something where he kind of like,
00:15:33
Speaker
he puts the soul through some sort of process where kind of sculpts it. So you could just have it as like an art piece. That's interesting. I've never seen that. Yeah, he got some shit. I was like, whoa. So where are you from originally?
00:15:46
Speaker
I'm from the Bronx. Right. You know what I mean? It's so funny because people... like they I seen somebody recently, he was well, you know, he never said, I always say I'm from the Bronx, because I'm a Bronx kid at heart. yeah But I grew up in the Bronx, Uptown, 228th Street between Carpenton and Lowry. But also my dad's from South Bronx, so I spent a lot of time on Boston Road and Bronx River Projects, because my family's from there. I spent a lot of time all, well, but predominantly the Bronx and Harlem, but I moved to Harlem when I was around like 12. And I lived in Harlem from the time was 12 like maybe 33. You know what I mean? So I'm from Harlem. Yeah, yeah, Shout out Harlem. I love Harlem, man. Listen, Harlem taught me a lot about just style and presence. You me? mean, that's what I wanted to touch on. Like, How, like who, who was inspiring you and like when, when did you start really? I mean, cause you said you got into sneakers at of a young age. yeah so So you tapped in already from the jump. So like, how did, how did Harlem really shape, you know?
00:16:40
Speaker
Well, my, um my upbringing, like the first person that was really, was my guy brother, his name, Thomas. We, I love directly Chris G from in the Bronx, but he always had sneakers. So I used to take his sneakers. I remember he had like the Andre Agassi, uh, Nike Air Tech Challenge 4.
00:16:55
Speaker
four Yeah. Lava? Not Lava. Oh my God. Yeah. He was size six. I was like in fourth
Harlem's Influence on Style
00:17:00
Speaker
grade. I was size three and a half. I took drinks to school, flopping. Flopping crazy, but I had them drinks.
00:17:06
Speaker
Rob Markman, when moved Harlem, Harlem, well, my aunt moved to Harlem first. And then used to spend a lot of time at my aunt house. Because at the time when my aunt was living in Harlem, I lived in Maryland for one year. So every time we would come back home, I'd be in Harlem at my aunt's house. But also my grandfather lived in Harlem. So I spent summers in Harlem. But when my aunt lived down there, she lived in a...
00:17:29
Speaker
an area that like with Mace's, right? Mace is from over there. So it's real flashy over there. It's a lot going on and shit. So I used to, that's when I started seeing more outfits with the, but my dad was always into some shit too as far as fashion and sneakers and stuff. But it was, it's so many people. I mean, for me, I say like my teenage years, cause I've been sneakers my whole life. yeah But my teenage years, bro, it probably was like just rappers. You know mean? First person, Mace. I say Mace all the time, bro. Because Mace was somebody that when I was a kid, everybody wanted to be like him to some sort of extent. Whether you was wearing your hat like him, you was talking slow. I had friends that started talking slow because Mace talked slow. That ass, bro, it's crazy. But yeah, Harlem, specifically the West Side, there's so many people that I just grew up seeing, wearing stuff. You know what I mean? Yeah, mean, look, I went to school, I went to high school down in Union Square. I went to Washington Irving. I saw like a lot of Harlem kids. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I went to Martin Luther King. You the second guess I had on that went to Martin Luther King. It was just recently.
00:18:33
Speaker
um Who was i saying? Went to trying to think. Was it Alfred's friend? was that it without Was it Liam Neson? Yeah, but I think so. Yeah, I think you're right. for yeah he I think he younger it than me.
00:18:48
Speaker
yeah I think he younger than me. But yeah, I went i went to King. and And that's why I ain't gonna front. like so right, sixth grade, I was still fifth. of Kindergarten up through sixth, I was in the Bronx. Moved to Maryland for one year.
00:19:01
Speaker
Seventh, came back in eighth. And, um, you lucky didn't come back with that Maryland accent, bro. I hate it. Nah, bro. Living in Maryland, it still bothers me today when I think about it. Cause it was a rough year. I had a whole school year with one friend oh being in the seventh grade. You know I mean? Like it was hard to be social out there because no kids out there like me. Cause they, they was calling me country cause I was from New York. I'm like, what the fuck? Like that don't make sense. But, um, when I came back to New York in the eighth grade,
00:19:28
Speaker
we was we moved into the shelter because my mom was trying to get us together and all that. We didn't have a place to to stay at, so we moved into the shelter. But my dad made sure I had everything. Bro, I had the Griffey's. That was the year, because I came back in 95. That was 95, summer of 95, we moved back to New York. We moved in 94 and then came back in 95. Always the only one year. yeah But I had, like I remember the it was the, that year I had those, I had some Rodmans, the lower top Darwin joints. I had the um The Griffey's, the Royal Blue drinks that they just retro, they retro 100 times. Nobody cares but people that was born in the eighty s
00:20:00
Speaker
I had those. Markman, they still go platinum my studio. I bought them, they really just came out. I had the Uptempos, the bubble, the big bubble drinks. I had those. I had a few, I had some gems, bro. that that I got best dressed in the eighth grade, because I had all the sneakers, bro. I mad sneakers. My dad made sure I was laced that whole time. We was in the shelter and shit. I mean, that's crazy for you to be best dressed and living in a shelter though. Yeah, i nobody knew. Like my friends my friends didn't know though, because I was really embarrassed i mean yeah about it. Because we also came from that joking era. Like the joking era, man, I be saying all the time, if I was a kid and this, I'd have been wilding. night Especially on mothers, like what? yeah Mothers today? We'd been wilding when we was kids. yeah but um
00:20:42
Speaker
you know ah when When I was in the shelter, didn't tell nobody, because I was on 174th and Cortona Park North, so it was like kind of out the way. But then also, like when I would have friends pull up, I would like lie and say i lived in the building right there. So we'd play ball in park. I'd wait until they started playing ball. I'd run, change my clothes, come back out. You know what I mean? I'm not afraid ashamed to talk about it now, but when I was in the shelter, I was like, nah, I got to be flying.
00:21:11
Speaker
I didn't have a choice. I wasn't responsible for myself at that time. Nah, yeah, but it's also just like that, the social currency of it too. You know, like I feel like, you know, obviously your mom's doing her best that she can. Your parents are doing the best that they can and then it's just like, You're not seeing, like, their job is always to shelter you from the real hardships, right? Especially as you're growing up. So, like, for you to be, like, you know, the self-awareness of being, like, nah, nah, nah, I gotta, let me at least put this. Because I started caring about, because know it was? was, like, around seventh grade is when it was, like,
00:21:43
Speaker
Oh, girls see me now. So it was like, if girls see me, yo, girls, they cared about your sneakers. Like when I was that young, it wasn't about nothing else but just, I couldn't survive today because now these kids need Balenciagas and they need all types of crazy stuff. They need $1,500 jeans. I couldn't survive. But back when I was younger, I just remember, that's how I met my wife. from sneakers. You know what I'm saying? Like her friend asking me where got a pair of Force Ones from because I had a pair of Force Ones that nobody had. Oh yeah, which one?
00:22:14
Speaker
It was the Miz. They had the Miz but the around that Easter in 90... 596, it was like the red joints, the joints the red check. I had the joints with the blue check. They had them in this Jean Star in the Bronx. You know i mean? So when I had them, I don't know if Jean Star had just got them early or something, bro, but they didn't come out for like another two months. oh so and And they wasn't charging. You know, they used to charge extra for shit back in the day. Like, yo, if you want it early, you could... And it wasn't crazy. it was like, if you... Jordan's was a buck 20.
00:22:43
Speaker
twenty you had to pay a buck 50, maybe a buck 60, get them two weeks early. yeah you know Then it was like, I just bought em retail and I had these Air Force Ones and everybody's like, yo, where'd you get them joints? So it just drew a lot of attention. Yo, I mean, that's but that's the the power, bro. Yeah, that's the wow power, bro. You can't have that now, to be honest. It's hard to have that now. Yeah, because people look at so many other variables of why they even want to speak with a person. For myself, bro, first thing I do when I meet anybody, I look at they feet. yeah And I'm not...
00:23:13
Speaker
I do judge people. No, you got it. God is not your only judge. i yeah yeah Yes, yes, yes. I say I do judge people as well. Like, I'm not afraid to say I'm not afraid because your sneakers, because look, if you got on a good pair sneakers, but your joints is cooked, it shows me that you don't really give a damn about how people see that about you. Now, if you got on a pair good sneaks and you fit trash, that means that you probably just wanted a nice pair sneakers or somebody might have gifted them to you or something. But if you put it together well and you might got on a certain tee or certain hat, I'm like, oh, I they know what they doing. You what I mean? that's just how, like, sneakers is the one thing that makes me still feel like I'm a kid. You know what I mean? So it's like, I always stay, I don't feel like we're too old, we'll ever be too old to love things that we love. Rob Markman Hey, I mean, look, we talk about it. We've seen, and seen a lot of conversation about like, you know, when do you grow out of- Rob Markman Never. Rob Markman Never. What? My my grandkids is going to be like, yo, what? Same, same. But like, it's the,
00:24:14
Speaker
I don't know if it's just like, you know, we need more people that really, you know, appreciate culture, you know, and want to share the culture in that. Because I do think it's like, and I mean, growing up in New York, I feel like we we we see culture a lot. So it's like, when you see people that don't really have a lot of it, they yeah kind of just be like, whatever about it. Yeah, yeah but it's because culture is a big thing because sneakers mean something different when you're New York. Mm hmm.
00:24:37
Speaker
I think that everybody in poverty can relate to the fact of wanting to have something nice. yeah right Because when you have something nice, that's the only way you feel seen, especially as a kid. Because I wasn't the kid that had the sneakers all the time. yeah now i mean like I said this before one of my... um my podcast that I had prior, like my mom's bought me a pair Rugged Outbacks from Payless. I remember drawing the Timbaland sign on them shits. And then got caught. It was so bad for me. You know what I mean? like yeah As a child, I could think like that was one of the only things that was probably depressing me is not having some sneakers. yeah You know what I'm saying? So it was like, I feel like now also my own childhood trauma has made me overcompensate yeah same for everything I've never had. So I just bought all this shit and I just look i just look at it like, wow, i actually got it. andm like
00:25:22
Speaker
Okay. You know what saying? No, yeah. I mean, now it's even, I mean, I get, and I'm pretty sure you've been in this situation too, where it's just like, my closet look crazy right now. Yeah, bro. And it's like, well, you got a room. Yeah, I got a room. It's it's kind of, but the thing about it is, it's like, i have a room, but that's not why I keep my sneakers. And then I got another room in my basement that's not like built out. And I'm like, oh I want to build this room because it's a bedroom. Yeah. But I'm like, I have to put my sneakers in a storage room because i can't,
00:25:53
Speaker
I can't just put my sneakers anywhere. yeah So it's is it's very difficult. yeah i mean But the the way my dumb brain thinks is like, oh, you want more places to store your sneakers? Make more money and buy a bigger house. Even though my house is humongous. You know what I mean? is It's crazy. It's crazy. My house is humongous. I still don't got space. I still don't got space for my sneakers, bro. like it It's crazy. Oh man. um So like growing up and and when did you really like, you know, take us starting to really find your yeah your love for music and and everything? Music, up that was really early too. Like, I mean, my first, I said this before, like my first song I could say i loved as a kid was probably Walk This Way by Run DMC at Aerosmith. And then like,
00:26:35
Speaker
Salt-N-Pepa, you see all this stuff with Max B and Big Daddy Kane. Like but when I was like young, I was mad that I was in Dark Skin because Big Daddy Kane Dark Skin. Like I wanted to be Big Daddy Kane I was a kid. You know what I mean? So between him and Michael Jordan. I mean, I was so mad and my dad is Dark Skin. used to like, why not me? But nah, bro, honestly, I've had a love for music since I was young. I mean, my mom used to tell me how when I was a baby, she used to play Phil Collins and stuff. And then my grandmother When I was a kid, I thought there was Atari games, but she had a lot of 8-tracks and she had a lot of vinyl, a big vinyl collection. So I grew up in a music household, not like nobody worked in music, but yeah like my grandmother had a bar in my house. Like we had like a, she had like a makeshift bar that like fit like into a whole corner. Rob Markman 1,0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
00:27:29
Speaker
and i grew up in the bronx and this is when like hip hop is becoming a thing. I was going to 82. You what I'm saying? So all early 90s, man, everything. i I grew up in like music. I was kind of destined for it, not knowing. Rob Markman, mean, yo, that's seeing like what you've been able to do within music has been super inspiring. So to just like- Rob Markman, Thank you, because there's so many people that think I never did anything. It's so funny.
00:27:55
Speaker
Rob Markman, Everybody's always like quick to- Rob Markman, I don't care. Rob Markman, I've gotten paid, so I don't care. It doesn't bother me. But I mean, but look, it's just like, I mean, even hearing from bro, like just the early beginnings, like for you to even, you know, live the life that you're living now, like that's super inspiring from the jump. Like if if people want to hate, people going always just hate. Yeah. i mean, I'm not one of those people that think like, I got to go through my worst to get to my best. So I got to have haters in order to feel like I'm succeeding. But like, yeah I understand that like, if you got people in heaven to tomorrow, to they would complain about the brightness. so Yeah. It's just, that's got just how human that's how human beings are, bro. They're gonna have to have something to complain about. so yeah you know I don't work to to create for people to complain. I work for the people that support.
00:28:39
Speaker
You know what mean? Yeah. mean, even just speaking about creating, because we touched on you starting channels. Channels. Channels. Yeah, couple of drinks. Yeah, exactly. But being a creator, because I always love talking about just the idea of it. Because a lot of people definitely are misconstrued of what it is now. They think just you get in front of freaking camera and- And just go. Yeah, no real- It's a lot of work. Yeah. It's a lot of work.
00:29:07
Speaker
I think people don't understand how much you have to think and speak. yeah you know It's like um to not repeat yourself, to not have the same take, to not feel the same way about everything. um And then also come up with your own ideas to support things or to talk about things that you may not like. That shit is not easy, bro. And it takes a lot from you. And even from the standpoint, what I'm building out with the sneaker space, it's like,
00:29:33
Speaker
i looked at it cause i'm not one of them people that's gonna talk about the toe box in that leather i don' yeah like i never bought sneakers because i was like oh well you know this is premium leather as opposed to it like no that's not what i ever got into it for ah i grew up want to match my sneakers with my clothes and love the fact that my favorite basketball player had on a pair of sneakers i wanted yeah like pennies like and not the foams like there's so many other Like we need a retro to air ups. Yeah. You what I mean? With the one in the back. We need the retro to air ups, the white and silvers with the 33 for the Scottie Pippen. Like these are things that there is a niche market that people care about. And I'm the difficult, not difficulty, but the the space I'm figuring out and creating is.
00:30:15
Speaker
how do I make it more about culture and not just the sneaker? Yeah. Because the sneaker can get boring sometimes. Right. It's just the sneaker. Yeah. I mean, now we live in this world where it's like a lot of a lot of the people that create sneaker content are mainly just come by their sneaker. Yeah. And it's like a little bit, and i'm maybe might get haters off of this one, but like it's a little bit too commoditized. Like there's no like, yes, there are some people that are just, you know, they're telling the story. um Yes, there's some people that are just kind to, ah just literally just telling you literally what the sneaker's about yeah and then then you're like and you can buy it now here and I'm just like yeah it's like
00:30:52
Speaker
Rob Markman, All right, Markman, That's cool, but that ain't really move. And I'm not knocking the hustle because brands is paying a lot of money to people who can garner some sort of level of attention. But like I just look at it from the standpoint, and I'm i'm also saying this to the people who do want to create, there's no right time, there's no perfect way to do it.
00:31:11
Speaker
I just been dealing with the the aspect of it's like, shit, I've been so stuck on I do it myself for so long and then also launching Come Home With Me, know, when I sit down and speak with people. And I'm like, all right. Rob Markman, Great interview series. Rob Markman, Thank you. Thank it's like, all right, when I have this next space that I move into, I just want to make sure that I make the audience comfortable. Because I want to be comfortable doing what it is I'm doing. So it's just like between that and editing because I edit all my own stuff, you know what I mean? Except for Come Home With I don't edit that. But like, you know, I edit all I do with myself. Rob Markman, That's crazy that you do that. Every day, bro. I got a whole setup in my crib. So it's like something happens, I just go in my, oh, it works. Hey, what's up, y'all? You know what mean? It's that easy for me, you know what I'm saying? But it's a lot of work. Yeah.
00:31:54
Speaker
I mean, when it comes to, because you've been in within working within media for a very long time. I mean, you know, you've done dope shit. Like fucking, you know, you did the, the what's the Amazon show where they, where where it's like the concert and stuff. and Oh, camp I did Camp Flogna. Yeah, that's what it was. I've done Dreamville. Yeah, I've done Dreamville, Camp Flogna, in Vegas. Which is, I want to talk about that because it's just like, that just seems mad hard. Like, but yo it's cause you don't have you don't have the itch to be like, yo, I want to go watch motherfuckers perform.
00:32:23
Speaker
Nah. I don't care. I'm not going to say I don't care. Let me say cause I want to i still want to get booked. I'm not saying I don't care. It's just that, bro, um talking has always been easy for me. Like talking is like the easiest space for me to not only communicate, but express. yeah And, um,
00:32:43
Speaker
And sometimes, there's been times where I've gotten jittery about it, but like I have people who also like give me game. right like I ask questions. like i'm not the Bro, I'm not the guy, i'm forty I'll be 44 this year.
00:32:56
Speaker
I'm not the guy that sees somebody that's 25 doing something that I like and and be like, I would never ask. him No, I'm going to ask, yo, bro, how you, you know i mean And I get game from people. So what I love about the space that I'm in, especially doing like the Camp Flognards, the Dreamvilles and all that that is,
00:33:12
Speaker
there's this opportunity for me to be like, kind of be an OG, but also be tapped in enough.
Bridging Generations in Sneaker Culture
00:33:19
Speaker
Because I got, ah my kids is 24, 18, and 14. So be tapped in enough to know what they listening to. And when I see, I see Lazer Dim, yo, what's up? And he's like,
00:33:28
Speaker
We're just all in the front. You know what I mean? like i I be in tune because I knew what it was it once was like to be that young person. yeah So like when it comes to doing ah the um doing the the festivals, it's just fun, bro. I get to work with a great staff, which is Amazon. They really, really great people.
00:33:44
Speaker
They pay very well, too. Rob Markman, hit me up. Markman, for real. Not real sure, but nah, but they just, they're really good. I like working with good people. Like was saying offline, I like kindness. like being kind environments. I don't want to be around a BS. Rob Markman, for real. I mean, when you're in any industry, I will say, you will have to deal with a lot of deals. Rob Markman, you it. People always say, is music cutthroat? I'm like, I'm pretty sure it's cutthroat owning a Chick-fil-A too.
00:34:11
Speaker
I'm pretty sure it's some, the upper management type shit in the Chick-fil-A business sort of franchise business too. It's just, I don't work in there. Man, mean, the toughest thing, and I don't know if you definitely could shed light on this, is like the building of relationships, right? Like, it's like,
00:34:29
Speaker
I don't know. I talk to a lot of people and I mean, I'm the same way with you where just like i I always like I'm trying to be like a sponge as much as I can. I can, you know, bestow and and also take in as well. It's like true. Like what I like to live by, like live towards because um that's the only way you can grow. Like yeah if you just if you're just a curmudgeon and you just be like, no, I know it's right. And that's it. You're yeah you' done, man. Yeah. mean, you just like we're building relationships, bro. It's like it's kind of.
00:34:56
Speaker
it It kind of relates back to like how i was when I was younger. like When I was in high school, bro, was cool with every gang. like Every gang. like All of them, like they used to be trying to recruit me to something like, yo, you should be down with that. like Because I just was a person that I didn't let where a person was into or where they was from deter me from just having a conversation. yeah and And I think like, especially in the music industry and just like in entertainment, you know, sometimes people like the, oh, I draw the line or like, not oh, like I'm not, um'm I'm only on this, I'm only on that. It's like, nah, bro, like none of these people going to be at my funeral. So I don't, I don't be tripping. That's such a bar deal. Bro, I don't be tripping. I'd be like, yo, like, I just be cool with who are cool with me. And and I build relationships genuinely. That's how I've gotten a lot of
00:35:43
Speaker
things like, you know somebody asked me like, yo, how the hell did you work for QC? I'm like, I built a relationship with Pete through social media. yeah Like literally we started talking on Instagram and that led to me getting a big position at his company and building relationships at that company and doing some dope stuff while I was there. So was like, you know, you can't be afraid to just be open to meeting people and just kicking it. Like everything, and also everything ain't gotta be about what we can get out of one another. Rob Markman, please. All of us, like, yo, please stop trying to run down on me. Yo, we got to work. No, we don't. We could just be cool. Like, yo, we could really just be don't have work. Rob Markman, just have a quick conversation, bro. bro, I was one of my homeboys he an artist.
00:36:21
Speaker
And I was telling him how somebody wanted me to um manage them. was a producer at the time. And I told him, like, yo, bro, like, Like things wasn't, like we was cool. And then I started managing him and then I started to see how like lackadaisical the dude was and like how he wasn't responsive. And then I say, oh bro, we should just be friends because like if I manage you and like you're not doing the stuff that I'm requiring you to do so I could do what I need to do, I'm not going to like you. You know what mean? And I like being your friend. So let's just be friends. like, all right. And we never made no money together, but we still cool. Right. Everybody's, I mean, yo, it's crazy because especially within sneakers,
00:36:58
Speaker
you know everybody complains about transactional relationships and i'll be like you know bro i've been doing this for i don't know now doing the podcast for five years and stuff like that like you can you could smell who's coming for you just for that the opportunity for and yeah and it's like it's like it's like it how do you like the the massaging of it to where you can be like yo it doesn't have to just be like this yeah and you it's so crazy because like i never had no like I never had no sneaker plug.
00:37:28
Speaker
When I was at Complex, bro, I used to be getting crazy. I had the i had the Travis Scott. I don't even think they had seen the Travis Scott Fores in person. And I had them, drink they like, how you get them? It's like, who the plug? I'm like, money. yeah yeah My plug is money. yeah If I got the money, i will find it. You feel me? So it's like, for myself, I just look at it from the aspect of, like if it's something that you want or want to get, like you should be able to get that. But what you can get out of a person shouldn't and determine your relationship with them or not. You know what I mean? Whether it's sneakers, music, anything in the time. Friendship. Friendship, yeah man. It's like that ain't what it's about. Now I also am, like, cause that's another thing. Don't keep saying let's do something and then you don't don't do anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Keep saying let's do something. It's like stop talking about it. Yo man, I mean this, yo.
00:38:16
Speaker
Shoot, I could go off for like a crazy tangent at this point. Like, it's just, it's just, when it comes to sneakers though, like, and it's crazy that you say you never had a plug. That's crazy. I've never had a plug. Cause so when I was, when I first started buying sneakers for myself, yeah I was like 14.
00:38:32
Speaker
fourteen Okay. No, like my mom, I, I had my ways of making money and my dad never questioned my mom. If he seen me or something new, And then my mom never questioned my dad because my dad lived in the Bronx. We lived in Harlem. They didn't see each other. but They don't speak to each other. yeah So my mom used to be bugging because used to be the sneaker store on 116th between Lexington and 3rd owned by this Italian dude named Frank.
00:38:55
Speaker
And Frank, when he would get sneakers, he would call my house. yeah Hey, could you tell Wayne, like, we got a pair Jordans for him. You know what mean? Like, he could put them on layer weight. Because used to put stuff on layer weight. okay. Yeah, yeah. But I had that relationship with the person I was buying from.
00:39:10
Speaker
So I will always, like, I never had, like, one person I get my shit from. It's like, yo, what you got? What you got? What you got? And and especially now, it's not, I used to really enjoy going to the store. Same.
00:39:21
Speaker
And copping. And then, like, I also came up in Harlem when they built House of Hoops. yeah That is a great- Oh, I got a story. We can sell stories on Yeah, bro. Bro. It's about stories. All right, so you see how All right, now they just retro the 3D Kobe 6s, nobody cares. Yeah, yeah.
00:39:39
Speaker
Nobody cares. 2012, think maybe 2013. twenty twelve i think it is maybe twenty thirteen I find out, i used to be on sneaker news every day. I also was a kid like, bro, I've been buying sneakers. though I was buying stuff off of eBay when it was dial-up. Markman Rob know what I'm saying? I was buying stuff off of this site called Vintage USA. It was like eBay. like I used to get a lot. That's why I learned what the word dead stock was back then. Shoe Trends. i used to be on the Nike talk forums, all of that. Rob So I was like heavy on the internet when I was a teenager. Rob Markman So I used to be on, in the blog era, I was on every, I was on Sneaker News every day. Sneaker Talk, Sneaker News, Soul Collective. I was on everything every day. R&P Soul Collective, bro. Yo, what? Crazy. So I found out that they was dropping the 3D Colby's. So i go I go to House of Hoops.
00:40:23
Speaker
I had to go to work that day, but I go to House of Hoops. Rob Markman, it's a line. Line wasn't crazy. There was some dude in front of me when like two other the dudes came and stood on the side of him.
00:40:35
Speaker
That's cool, but when we get up here, they're not in. You know what I mean? We don't know. Mind you, them Kobe's, I remember he might've went on, it wasn't Jay Leno, he probably went on, Jimmy Kimmel, one of them shows. Yeah, I think it was somebody's show. It was somebody's show. Was it Conan? It might have been Conan. I can't remember, but he showed the 3D drink. That's when that shit mattered. And he had the glasses. Yeah, the glasses. But I'm like, bro, I've been buying Kobe's when VIM was putting them on sale for $30.
00:41:01
Speaker
So I was from the ones to, I got the Hirachi 2K5 Blackout Kobe. Fire. what mean? Still right now in my crib. Uh-huh. Rob Markman, I need the next pair. Rob Markman, Yeah, we need the next pair. Because they just dropped the 2K4s, nobody buying them, I love it. Because I'm waiting for them drinks to go on sale so can get every pair. But anyway, we get up to the line. It's this one dude that used to be the manager in the, we used to call him Marbury because he's like, look, slept with Marbury.
00:41:26
Speaker
He counted, he like, 14, I was the 15th person. He like, it's over. I said, nah. I was like, nah. He went to close the door. I walked in there. i was like, nah. I'm like, yo, y'all not.
00:41:37
Speaker
So the dude like, so it was these three dudes. It's some suburb niggas, man. Like, they had me tight. They they said it. So I put my bag down. They thought i wanted to fight. I ain't want to fight. I'm just like, nah, bro. Like, we not doing that.
00:41:49
Speaker
So it was only, what'd I say, 14 pairs. So the dude Marbury, he goes to the back. He sees me going back and forth with the dudes.
00:42:00
Speaker
He say, yo, He looked at me said, what you wear? A 10 and a half, right? I'm like, yeah. He like, yo, 10 and a half for him. Everybody in there was tight. Yo, yo they all turned around. They was like, yo, how'd he get the 10 and a half? So I get up there, I get the 10 and a half.
00:42:14
Speaker
he He pulled me side. He like, yo, you the only person that come in here and buy Kobe's and wear them. He like, I i've watched you buy from the foot from the threes, because yeah, House of Hoops started around twos. I think the twos started when they made House of Hoops. That was 07.
00:42:29
Speaker
He like, you the only person, he like, everybody that come here buying to sell them, you the only person I ever seen walk back in with a pair you had. So I bought a 10 and a half and some dude was like, yo, bro, he like, I don't wear 10, I wear 10 and a half. Do you wear 10? I'm like, yeah. He like, I said, huh? I don't need the receipt. I'm wearing these. swap them just like that. You know what mean? But it's like, the dude gave me the sneakers based on seeing me rock my sneaks. You feel me? And I got a lot of instances like that.
00:42:54
Speaker
as I mean, yo, see, I have a bad track record on 125th, so I can't. You got in fights over there? Nah, nah. Oh, I got another one too, but go ahead. I think I've told this story before, but like South Beach, LeBrons, nines. That was nasty. Elites.
00:43:09
Speaker
That was nasty. I went up there, Jimmy Jazz. So first drop I went to was Street, House of Hoops. first drop i went to was thirty fourth street house of hoops X that.
00:43:19
Speaker
And I saw the cause i saw the the line, how long that was. Gone. Went to went across to Foot Locker. Gone. I was like, all right. Hopping on the one. Make it up there. Go to Jimmy Jazz.
00:43:32
Speaker
Line's not crazy. Yeah. Line's not crazy. So I'm like, maybe I got a chance, right? It's like maybe like eight of us in there. they do you know I don't know if you ever shopped at Jimmy Jazz. Yeah, of course, bro. know. I'm just saying they did the half go the half gate.
00:43:47
Speaker
yeah Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah. They be doing that little bullshit. Bro. i was like, so I didn't know they were started letting people in already, but the half gate means I was like, fuck. So I go to the back and then back to the line and they're like, ah you know, oh, you know, i think we we sold out. but This big, big reseller comes up and he goes,
00:44:08
Speaker
Yo, if I don't get a pair, no one gets a pair. And he starts banging on the gate. yeah Done. was like, I'm going home. I didn't get them. I was cooked for those, bro. Man, yo. But see, they used to try to use them. lot of them dudes is bitches. They used to try to use them loud, intimidating tactics, bro. What bugged me out was because, see, like,
00:44:27
Speaker
Years prior, I never dealt with none of this because it wasn't like that. Also, just Foot Locker, with all the people that worked at Foot Locker in the hood, when they used to have the half off, they could have bring a Rico up on them right now.
00:44:40
Speaker
They was going crazy. Yo, bro, I um i remember my man, his moms, and his brother all worked at Foot Locker. when them Doom phone pizzas came out, bro, they probably made enough money to buy a house, bro. I'm talking about off the 50.
00:44:55
Speaker
Because I remember I got the 50, but I had got the the LeBron 25 and 5s, which they need to retro those. But um this is how crazy things work. 2012 Galaxy Pack. I go to 2 Fifth, right?
00:45:08
Speaker
Go to 2 Fifth. Line is bonkers. The news is out there, everything. I go to walk up. I'm trying to see who on the line that I could finagle the bagel. So I walk up.
00:45:21
Speaker
Yo, it was this white lady, yo. She started banging on the glass. She's like, you, you, get to the back of the You not get, like she just started going crazy on me. I'm like, what the fuck I do? yeah Whatever. Get on the line.
00:45:33
Speaker
I bought a, what did I get? I got the Kobe Galaxies and I got the KD4. Cool. This 2012. Fast forward 2018. this is twenty twelve fast forward twenty eighteen I had this artist I'm working with named TJ Porter, he from Harlem.
00:45:49
Speaker
So my man is the head of marketing on the East Coast for Foot Locker. So we trying to figure out things to do. One of the things we do, we did an activation with is when the Concours came out, yeah the 45s.
00:46:01
Speaker
a like yo i said He said, I want to give a hundred away. I said, let's give them away to kids that's doing good and Harlem. You know what I mean? It's cool. They show their report card, they get a pair. We gave away a hundred pairs. We end up back in Milbank. Milbank is ah it's a boys and girls club, but it's Nike heavy. um Kobe got interviewed in there. Remember that time when Zion Williamson did that dunk and all the kids jumped with him? yeah It was in there. oh that's fine So I go there.
00:46:24
Speaker
Who do I see? The lady from Foot Locker. Bro, i'm look I'm staring at her. know this lady from somewhere. And then i said, oh shit. I said, i said let me ask you a question.
00:46:35
Speaker
I said, was you at the the Galaxy release back in 2012? And she was like, yeah, I was there. And I said, do you remember banging on the glass and telling somebody to get to the back the line. She's like, yeah, I do remember that. It was a crazy day. I said, that was me. She was like, mind you, she worked like I'm working with her with Foot Lock and she's working with my artist, you know what I mean? But it was dope. It was cool. That's a crazy moment, bro. was super dope. But it's like, it's just sneakers, they evoke I think right now what I don't like is like, and it happened during the time we speaking about between the early 2010s up until around like 2017, 2019.
00:47:14
Speaker
Especially after the Verge who did the 10. Like it just, it was really... The love was there, but it wasn't. yeah Because, I mean, let's keep it 100, bro. People done probably changed their lives and put some of eight kids through school, through reselling. yeah And I get it you know i mean? It's a hustle whatever, but it just was a feeling that we had to get excited to be able to know that we was going to get something. Because it's stuff that I be wanting to get or have wanted to get.
00:47:39
Speaker
I'm like, why are y'all buying this? Like y'all don't care. But like when Kobe did the fade to Black Pack, I remember going to KIF trying to get a pair and it was all these dudes out there and they trying to bully all of these dudes. I'm like, man, you can't bully me. You know i mean? It's like, I just was like, yo, bro, all of this and y'all don't give a damn about this. y'all don't- Rob Markman, Jr.: You just trying to make 50 bucks. That's it. 20 times. You know what I mean? And then the messed up part about it is, you know, you had the people that was working at the stores backdooring. So they could get a little $15 off the 50 that they bought. It's just, you know, it is what it is. It's just, I mean, the... I don't think the the culture itself, because everybody, this is my thing, where it's just like, there's way too many videos on ah Instagram where they're just like, sneaker culture's dead, sneaker culture's dead. And you can't say something is dead if you were never really part of it. yeah Right? Like you can only, just because you were making money off of it, yeah doesn't mean that you were actively part of it. Yeah, now it's dead, you know? And i think just like the way, like stuff like, I mean, obviously I have to accredit myself for bringing the conversations into this again, because, um you know, for a hot minute, like even when you said, a lot of these conversations were done. Everybody just, all they did was complain about not being able to get something or not, oh, why? Oh, how come I'm striking out on sneakers? It's just like, I hate sneakers. Yeah. yeah But at the at the end of the day, though, it's just like what really brought us together. It was us being able to have the conversations that way that lead to other avenues where it connect for us. when We talk about video games. we talk about all the other things that really, you know, connect us, you know. um And so.
00:49:15
Speaker
When it comes to like just sneaker culture in general, right? I just think it's just, we got to bring the love back to it, right? You know, like you just talk about how much you love like retros and and like stuff that needs to come back, right? Like Professor School, a perfect perfect example of his, like, you know, he's- I love you, he's dope. He bring out sneakers I've never seen in my life, right? But it's just like, you know,
00:49:35
Speaker
I may not like it. like I might not be that person for the ninety stuff because I grew up on loving the tech, of like loving the new tech. yeah right so like big One of my big inspirations Russ Bankston. He was always very like, yo, you when he wrote about the Kobe system. and like you know So like for me, my brain is going that way. yeah right But I have appreciation for somebody that loves sneakers as much as I do, just in a different way. yeah And I think there's way too much the way the internet is and hot take culture is all big on like, I need to oppose you in order to get my point across. yeah And it's like, that's not how you have fun. Bro, I ain't gonna lie. I don't even be privy to a lot of that stuff because I don't be paying into these. Like when I see stuff like that, just be like, because for myself,
00:50:17
Speaker
This stuff that matters to me that don't matter to nobody. yeah yeah like i went i you know I went hard to find a pair of Nike flight schools. this You know how when like you get signed to Nike, they give
Evolution of Sneaker Culture
00:50:29
Speaker
you the... um like when you get you You're going to get your signature, like what they just did with- Wemby? Kade Cunningham. And Wemby. They made them the faces of GT. yeah yeah right And then they did it with Kyrie with the Hyper Rev, and then he got the Hyper Dunk, and then he got his Kyrie 1.
00:50:45
Speaker
KD had the flight school. Bro, I went so crazy for years trying to find peers at a flight school. And they not even dead stock. I just wanted to have them. You know what mean? Or the Nike blue chip. It's stuff like that. Like those P.E.s that you used to get in House of Hoops, which I'd be like, damn, we was really spoiled. Because they was really giving us everything with the P.E.s. And I loved them drinks. They was giving us everything with the P.E.s and people just stopped. I feel like all of the other stuff messed it up for that type stuff. Because what I learned is like,
00:51:15
Speaker
with accounts, if you want to have whatever's the premium, you got to be able to sell whatever's the bullshit. And I'm just like, bro, it's enough for everybody to get. know saying? it' It's really enough for everybody to get, but the way, the the route that people be taking, like I just seen people fighting over vans. Like y'all don't care about no vans. You know what I mean? don't care about none of that shit. but But if y'all hear about some hype or hear that one person is, like if you get this pair is going to do this for you, then Like the just just look at this- um The Swatch AP?
00:51:46
Speaker
Bro, they nobody paid attention to Swatch and Audemars both putting out statement, well Swatch put out a statement saying, this is not limited not limited. Everybody's gonna be able to get one.
00:51:56
Speaker
And people still bought it for a ridiculous price just to say they had it. And also, and also people were reselling. Yeah, reselling, that's what I'm saying. But like there was one one jewelry store that bought one. I watched the video and it could be fake. It probably was. Dude sold it for like five bands.
00:52:11
Speaker
If you bought one of those, you bought a plastic watch for $5,000, bro, you out of your mind because if it break, you can't even fix it. You know what I'm saying? You can't open that up. It's not made for that, but it's just, we live in this society where everybody, I mean, everybody always wanted to be first, but it's just kind of like just over amplified right now. It's really nasty. Nah, yeah. The way that the... don't know. I watched this video on like... It's the reason why the internet's like this because it's first take.
00:52:38
Speaker
Because ESPN first take. Why? Because... So, when first take first came on the internet... I mean, first came on ESPN, there wasn't ever this like combative... Oh, yeah, combative. Yeah, Combative sports conversation, right? And because it blew up so fast and everybody was tuning in... It turned everybody into a debater. Yeah. Everybody into like...
00:52:59
Speaker
Like yo, I hear somebody in corporate America say the I be like, man, what the fuck? Yo, as I swear, used to be on my, I'll never forget this, bro. be on my blog one time. hu And Paulie drove by and the dude said, yo, the cops. I said, nigga, you don't do nothing. What you mean the cops? Like, what you? But that's at people's mentality, right? It's like that everybody wants to feel like they're a part of something. yeah regardless if that's the sneaker culture or you picking Drake over Kendrick, you're OV the whole or K-Bot. It's just crazy, bro. like you can't There's not in ah a level of appreciation for both things anymore. It's like, bro, I remember when I was a kid and Big and Pac was going at it. I mean, as a kid, I was 13. I didn't know how serious it was, but I knew that like for my friends, we wasn't saying,
00:53:39
Speaker
we ain't We don't like Tupac. We was like, yeah let's hear what he got to say. was like, oh, Big said this, oh shit, okay. But we wasn't like picking one over the other. Like we were never going to support one another. Even when like when Jay and Nas, when I was 18, it was like, nobody was like, oh, nah, we I ain't listening to Nas, yo. I ain't listening to Jay. was like, oh yeah, Jay says something, Nas whooped his ass, all right, cool. like Now it's like you, it's with everything though. It's like you gotta pick this or that, that this. It's like, this is weird.
00:54:06
Speaker
I don't, yeah. don't know. Culturally, it's just weird. I'm pretty sure, don't know, like your comments probably looking a little crazy too with that or nah. With what? Like when you post a video that's like. Oh yeah, they think like, like, like if I say it's crazy, like man DJ Head, I just did an episode on it.
00:54:20
Speaker
He said that he remixed, um, or he edited, too hard for the radio Drake song because he diss Mustard on there. but I'm like, yo, bro, I was at Camp Flogna hosting in 2024. I seen Mustard that night. He told me, he's like, it's going to be a movie.
00:54:36
Speaker
He diss Drake on his set. why he can't wow So why he can dress, diss him on his set and he produce not like us won five Grammys of it, but Drake can't diss him.
Internet, Hype, and Genuine Interest
00:54:45
Speaker
like yeah And i don't I don't know Drake. i mean I'm not from Toronto. I've only been there one time. i don't think I'm ever going back because I don't think I'm welcome. No, what happened? I just, people is too sensitive. like People is just too sensitive. And I'm just saying it's like, yeah, it's like, so I did that episode and I was saying, yo, you know, like,
00:55:01
Speaker
oh man, they done got the way no, they paying him. I'm like, well shit, tell send me where the invoice is at. I would love to get paid to just talk about this shit. I'll take an hour on the check real quick. Yeah, like i just to talk about, yeah, send PG Lang to send me a check. to I would love that. Not really, but I'm just talking shit. But it's like people, they really build these alliances in their mind, know what mean, that they carry on in life. And it's just wild. Hey, I mean, look, it's prevalent within sneakers. People be like, you know, Nike over everything. yeah you know No. Like, no. Like, shell toes is my top five. Yeah?
00:55:33
Speaker
Absolutely. that's I mean, like you said, you grew up on... Run DMC, bro. Like, run DMC, bro. When I seen them, they they had they had no shoelaces hu in their sneakers. And I was like, five years old. I was like...
00:55:46
Speaker
Oh, this look dope. You know what I'm saying? Like I love, and crisscross, like they was wearing, they closed backwards. I wore my clothes backwards before and everything, but they they had on the joints. Like, no, it's not just, na no, now I'm not going to here act like Nike's not my favorite brand. It is. yeah But I love Adidas as well. You know i mean? i love Reebok too. I was a brand ambassador for Reebok.
00:56:06
Speaker
Oh, snap. Yeah. During the vlog era. We're going to have to... Episode two. We're going to have to... Because we jumped around lot. But I do think it's just like, you know, the whole brand loyalist. I'm always... I'm a big proponent like, yo, it's your money. You work hard for it. You should be able to buy whatever you want to buy. And so...
00:56:24
Speaker
If you like, you shouldn't be like, people shouldn't be dictating how you spend your money. And that's probably the biggest rule I learned after being such a elitist for Nike SB and being like, it's only SB's bro. All the time? Yeah. dumes Dooms is up there. I have to say, i have to take, they're like, there's like, if I had the list, I'd be zero. Right? I would have to be like, you know, because I don't think I can ever get a pair. So that's a zero. With with the dooms? Yeah. Okay. And then I'd be like, ah tweet SBs. That's number one. Okay. Because I own those. Okay. And then Huff SBs, Floms. Yeah. I can give you that. Yeah.
00:57:02
Speaker
I want a pair of bloody gums so bad. Oh, wow. Bro, and I can't find them dead stock. I want bloody gums, Pee Wee Hermans. I had those. I killed those. Pee Wee Hermans? Yeah, so sad. Yo, I want the Ryu joints. Yeah. They try to charge too much now. I remember, what was was this the skate store they used to sell all that shit?
00:57:19
Speaker
Blades? Blades. Yeah. they They had a Blades on 96. I remember i went over there. Y'all don't come to Blades, bro? But yeah, the Ryu joints, the Chun-Li joints. I said Pee-Wee Herman's. Impossible, but Freddy Krueger's is like, that's just an amazing- I think, to be honest, I think there's way too many fakes out there. it's too many fakes. Because they're like, yo, there's only 10 pairs. Why is there 40 pairs? Yeah, this just to um I've been at-
00:57:59
Speaker
Air Force Ones? Insane. like mean Insane. You could put that up against certain Jordan runs. Like, for real.
00:58:16
Speaker
real. Yeah, man. ah So, we're towards the end of the podcast and there's a little visualization. i want you think back to young Wano. He's about to get the box of the...
Impact of First Jordans
00:58:24
Speaker
What was the first... Oh, the Jordan Sixers. Yeah, Jordan Sixers. My bad. yeah I usually never flub it. My bad. But now you're older you, behind your younger self. What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box?
00:58:43
Speaker
What would I tell my youngest self about the open that pill, Jordan Sixers back in 1991?
00:58:50
Speaker
You have no idea what you went for. That's what killed, that's what man, that drove me off. That's the first hit. Yeah, bro. like Like my mom showed me pictures of stuff that she he bought me as a baby, but I'm talking about like that. When I said I wanted that, bro, it just, man.
00:59:10
Speaker
That Jordan 6, it did something to me, man. For real. I've never owned a pair infrared sixes that didn't have Nike yet. I got the the 2000s, and the 2019s. And I just bought the, you know, the salesman sandwich. I don't know what I'm ever going to wear though. I'm going to wear them though. You got to wear many people got them on right now. I can't rock them. I got to wait. Maybe next year. Next year. Next year this time I'm going to break them out. Yeah, break them out. You back on the potty, you bring them out. Let's do it. Let everybody where to find you, bro. Oh man, we ain't no one one out on everything. Even on PS5 if you want that smoke. You know what I'm saying? Wayno119 on YouTube, come home with me.
00:59:46
Speaker
And also, out the box with Wayno on YouTube. Yes, we are starting the sneaker content. I'm so excited to show y'all not only um the the collection, but just, because my collection is going to continue to grow. But the storytelling, man, it's going to be heavy on the storytelling. so Yeah, if you into that, pull up. Nah, yeah. I've seen a little bit, like when he was first starting it, it's very dope. So whenever you start posting again and stuff, I'll definitely share it on my page as well. So we do a little, you know, get a little collaboration going. Yeah, yeah, send these clips. Wait, what the dude said? What'd he say? Let's work? What is it? Is it let's work? We got to work, man. We got to do something right here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know where find me, who is Haas on social media. Follow the podcast at My First Kicks Pod.
Listener Engagement and Support
01:00:30
Speaker
Hit me up, info at myfirstkicks.com.
01:00:32
Speaker
ah Hit me with your My First Kicks story. We'd love to read it to a guest. Hit up the Patreon, please. $5, one tier. No ads on your your videos. You get to, you get to ah I guess, talk to me. I don't know. i talk to everybody. It don't really matter. ah So hit it hit that up, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks.
01:00:50
Speaker
I'm about to kick it to myself to do the outro. Peace. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode with Wayno. Man, this was a great episode. i got to really chop it up with Wayno. I've been following him for a hot minute. Funny thing, we talked about it before the episode, but we didn't put it into the episode. But he was actually supposed to this podcast a while ago, like two years ago. And this was during the Zoom era of the podcast. and I reached out. And we talked about it before the podcast because he was like, oh, it was when you were asking people to do it over Zoom. I would have never done it. I was like, that makes sense. So, you know, him coming back around or him, you know, pulling up to do the podcast in person was super fun. ah He reached out a while ago when he was in town and I couldn't make it happen, but he really wanted to do the podcast. And I love that. I think.
01:01:43
Speaker
What's so dope about this was i still remember the days where i was struggling to find a guest. I was struggling to get the podcast off the ground. And I kind of threw my hands up in the air and was like, yeah, I don't know if this is for me, but.
01:02:00
Speaker
I knew that my message and and the stories I wanted to talk about or hear from from people that I were talking was talking to within Sneakers and within the community was something that I feel and will always feel as like the base as to why I do this or why I continue to put out an episode every week or why I continue to ask people to do this podcast. Because I think it's like a breath of fresh air when it comes to just the idea of what sneakers are and sneakers do and how much we have ah bestowed sneakers within our you know everyday
01:02:43
Speaker
Life like, you know, obviously some people that listen to this aren't people that are constantly, you know, thinking about sneakers much like me or like Wayno, where we would just get really granular about, you know, a random shoe that dropped it night and in the 90s or a random shoe that that dropped in 2000s and.
01:03:02
Speaker
And that's dope because it's like, you know, the premise behind this was that I always thought that everybody has like at least one pair that they absolutely needed. And so whenever I come back or introduce the show to somebody where that I've met in ah at like a random show or something like that. Like, I love that I can continuously say that over and over again and never get tired about it or never get tired of explaining it or never get never get tired of, you know, wanting to get more people to talk about the show or to check out the show, because that's when it starts really getting frustrating, right? When you're just constantly feeling like you're banging your head against the wall, you're talking to a wall and
01:03:46
Speaker
you aren't able to get your message across or you're you're not able to kind of grow. And so, you know, the past like five, six years is all always going to be, i mean, I'm always going to look back at it and look at all the hurdles I jumped and all the the moments I've been able to to capture or the moments I've been able to share or even just like have a chance to really just explore something that I've loved for years and years and years. Even when I couldn't even really partake in it sometimes because money was tight or, you know, i kind of like shifted away from, you know, sneakers for a little bit because, you know, priorities and making sure I was like, you know, going graduate school or make sure I'm doing you know well in my job or making sure, you know, my family's right. Like a lot of these things are part of the process into when you finally, you know, go after your goal of becoming whatever you want it to be.
01:04:49
Speaker
That is is like valuable skills that you have to really sink in and you really have to, you know, use all the the steps that took you to get to where you are now, which is pursuing whatever you're pursuing.
01:05:04
Speaker
Like you really have to take into account for that stuff. ah And. ah Take take into account that this stuff is what got you to where you are now. And so, you know, I've had a couple of guests on here that told me either no in the beginning or told me like they wouldn't do like they're they're busy at the time or, you know, some people not interested and I bring it back to just the moments where just, you know, persevering through that and continuously trying to make this happen. And I'm continuously like I'm still considered very, very, very small. I've had bigger podcast host on my podcast. And I've also had extremely interesting people as well that I've been huge fans of for years. And, you know, as I continuously try to grow this because I'm going to keep putting this out.
01:05:56
Speaker
And you just learn. You have to keep learning. And I'm forever grateful to have the ability to hear these stories and to hear, you know, what people...
01:06:09
Speaker
you know, use as like their motivation to keep going and or even, you know, what keeps them so excited about whatever they're into. And these are valuable things that I continuously love that I'm able to bring out of people.
01:06:28
Speaker
you know i talk about just i be I just said, you know talking about how I introduced the show to to people at shows and stuff like that, i just recently went and saw Devin Walker's My Favorite Lyrics live here in Brooklyn, and it was very fun. And you know I got to hang out with him a little bit after, and I got to meet some people, some comedians, and i told them about the show.
01:06:51
Speaker
They were very interested, and they instantly told me their first kicks. And that's just dope. like The fact that like. I may not know this person from, you know, whatever hole in the wall whatever. or I just met this person like two seconds ago, but like the soon as I tell them, oh, yeah, I do this podcast.
01:07:11
Speaker
It's called my first kicks. Everybody instantly wants to tell me their first kicks. And I I. I so excited whenever somebody comes up to me and tells me that. And so forever grateful for this opportunity and forever grateful for anybody that been here from the beginning or even, you know, you're just tuning in just now. I appreciate y'all. But, of course, you know we got to do the Patreon shout-out so you can to you too can become a patron by signing up for patreon.com slash myfirstkicks and then you get a shout-out at the end of an episode, much like all the people that I'm about to shout-out now. So don't forget...
01:07:52
Speaker
Become a patron at patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. So let's start it off. We got Sean Hates You. We got AD Sneaks. We got Adam Butler. We got Ross Adams. We got Adam Neustadter. We got Brett. We got Plox.
01:08:06
Speaker
Shout out to Plox for a very nice comment he left on last week's episode on the Patreon. And you can read that by signing up for Patreon. So do that up. We got Derek Lipkin.
01:08:17
Speaker
We have Samia Grandpierre. We have Jordan Kaiser. And we have, I said Derek Hawkins. Yeah.
01:08:29
Speaker
I think I got everybody this time. And I did this off of my memory. But if I miss you, comment comment and tell me you missed me. I'm sorry. Because i i just I shouldn't have cut myself off. I should just listed all the names. um I'm very grateful for everybody who, you know, continues to put their $5 in to the Patreon and help me get in the studio and help me, you know, do this thing that I really love. Forever grateful. And of course, you know, I've i've been plugging this. I plugged it last week.
01:09:04
Speaker
If you're new here, i have a shirt. It's my first kicks shirt. I would pull it out right now, but. It's under, it's dirty. It isn't a hamper. But I have a My First Kick shirt.
01:09:16
Speaker
If you are interested in seeing what it looks like, I might i might put it about and the bottom right here. But if you are interested in copping this shirt, $40 plus shipping if you're not in New York or local.
01:09:31
Speaker
$40, hit me up info at MyFirstKicks or shoot me a DM at the MyFirstKicksPod Instagram and I will hook you up. I have a full size run from small all the way up to double XL.
01:09:44
Speaker
ah I recently gave one away of an XL. So you got you know, you got to do a little trade in here and there for merch. You know what I mean? But I would really appreciate if If y'all take this box off my hand, because I would love to get rid of it. And I would love to make more merch, but support the podcast, help your boy out.
01:10:07
Speaker
And if you want to keep checking out more of this podcast, check out these two episodes here. Subscribe. Don't forget to subscribe. And you know what we say each week, wear your kicks.
01:10:18
Speaker
Peace.