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Jacques Slade
189 Plays2 years ago
This week we welcome Jacques Slade to the podcast to about his career in sneakers. How he paved the way for so many on YouTube. The difference in his takes on sneakers and where sneakers have taken him. Where he found his appreciation for sneakers. How much of a ground breaking moment sneaker being introduced to golf was. Plus much much more on this weeks episode!
Where to Find Jacques:
Socials: @kustoo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/KUSTOO
Support the pod by trying Magic Mind: https://magicmind.com/kickpod Use code kickpod20 on checkout!
Support the pod by downloading DROPS and COLLECT by SoleSavy: DROPS https://links.solesavy.com/myfirstkicks
COLLECT https://links.solesavy.com/myfirstkicks
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Music by Gordon Bombay: https://thegordonbombay.bandcamp.com/ (Cop something and tell him we sent ya!)
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
What's
Introduction to Jacques Slade
00:00:00
Speaker
good, everyone? Welcome back to my first kicks. This is episode 153, and this week we welcome Jacques Slade to the podcast. That's right, not a typo. This is legit. Shout out to Kari for helping making this happen. It's an absolute honor. Jacques has been one of the first people I've ever
00:00:28
Speaker
Admittedly watched on YouTube, especially when it came to sneakers his passion his love for it Just his insight and also his in-depth like Reviews of sneakers were something that once I found them I just could not put down ever and this is a monumental moment we talk about a
00:00:55
Speaker
Everything from how much of an inspiration he is to a lot of people on YouTube that do these new sneaker reviews that do these sneaker type content He talks about his process how he got to where he is just his his overall hustle in this game and how it exploded to what it is that he is now and what it is now and who he is now and
00:01:21
Speaker
It's just like a really cool full circle moment. It
Podcast History and Listener Engagement
00:01:24
Speaker
got to learn a lot about sneakers through him overall and and having a chance to actually learn about Jacques was a great moment and a pivotal moment for this podcast, I mean Shout out to everyone listening and if this is your first time listening to this podcast you have a lot of episodes to go and look back towards because this is a hundred and fifty three and
00:01:50
Speaker
Currently there are 143 episodes up. Some got deleted. I don't think I'll ever put them back up. So Joey Brands, I'm sorry if you're listening to this because episode one is definitely gone, but thank you for tuning in. And if you're new, I hope you're here for a long time because I have lots of stories to uncover. I want to say that's the word I'm going to, that's the phrase I'm going to use.
00:02:20
Speaker
And the word I'm gonna use, let's uncover these stories. Let's talk about people's stories. And if you have a My First Kicks story, you can write in myfirstkickspodatgmail.com. But
Career Transitions and Guest Appearances
00:02:32
Speaker
it's been a wild, wild week. I know last week I announced that I was going to do a live show with AB Sneaks, talking about Sneakers of the Year. I had to cancel that because I started a new job
00:02:49
Speaker
And it just the prep to get out of my old job or hand off my old job. My old work was a very long process. And I didn't put I should have put more time into the show itself and getting it ready. But it wasn't possible. So me 80 are going to reconvene and pick a different day. I don't know if it's going to be this coming week or it's going to be
00:03:17
Speaker
next like in January, but be on the lookout for that. It's going to be promoted on all socials. And if you haven't seen, please go watch my episode of The Inconsistent Pod with me and Rob Hayes. Rob Hayes interviews me and we have a hell of a chat. I mean, it's why he posted this clip that I wanted him to post, which is him talking about Lim Biscuit, Fred Durst and Fred Durst and
00:03:47
Speaker
the the Yankee fitted, but it's been going a little bit wild on the socials and I would love for it to just continue to go wild. So please be on the lookout for everything and anything that pertains to me and also to Jacques. So on to where you can find Jacques, you can find him on all social media as at Cousteau. That's K U S T O O.
00:04:15
Speaker
I'm pretty sure everybody that listens to this is already following him. And make sure you check out his YouTube. It's pivotal, pivotal content that is often copied, but always lacks the Jacques, the the the the meat, which is Jacques himself. And I love his content, so.
00:04:39
Speaker
Please give him a follow. Also, all his links will be in the description of this podcast so that you don't have to look around. But if you wanna follow your boy, follow me at who is Haas, who is Haas on all social medias as who is Haas. Follow the podcast at my first kicks pod on all social medias. Follow the podcast on TikTok at my first kicks. And please, please, please subscribe
00:05:07
Speaker
like this video if you're watching it on youtube right now and if you're not watching please go to youtube and put in my first kicks and follow and subscribe and like everything that's there i don't know why i've said follow but sure follow it subscribe hit that subscribe button hit the thumbs up for your boys as cp the franchise would say but
00:05:37
Speaker
On to this week's guest, Jock Slade. Hey,
First Meeting and Admiration for Jacques
00:05:42
Speaker
Cousteau, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me, man. Appreciate being here. No, man, this is a gigantic honor. You're not gonna remember this, so I saved this just for when we started recording, but last year at ComplexCon, I asked you to jump on an episode of my podcast, and you said, yeah, you gave me one of these, and then you just walked away.
00:06:03
Speaker
Oh, oh, I apologize. I apologize for that. No, it's all good. I was like, so I used to have if he and Wadway used to be the co-host on this podcast. And when he was on, I was like, can you please get Jacques on? I was like, because he worked with you on something.
00:06:28
Speaker
I think it was fresh stock. I think he said that maybe you did something on fresh stock with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was like, you're one of like, ever since I started, I was like, I want to talk to Jacques so bad. And like, you know, I've been watching videos since you started and yeah, like, so super huge honor. But for people who are listening, don't know who you are, which I highly doubt. How about you introduce yourself?
Jacques' Sneaker Journey
00:06:58
Speaker
I'm Jacques Slade. I am a creator on the internet. I started out unboxing sneakers and doing sneaker reviews way back in 2010 when I was working at Kicks on Fire. And I started doing it on my own in 2013 and since then.
00:07:16
Speaker
It's expanded into a bunch of different things. I've been able to do stuff on TV. I've been able to fly around the world. I've been able to host stuff for the Olympics. I've been able to work with the PGA Tour. I've been able to work with a bunch of different brands. It's just been a really amazing, amazing journey. And I feel like there's a lot more to it and a lot more to do. So it's an exciting place right now. No, yeah.
00:07:46
Speaker
Every week I did or I don't know. Did you really I forgot the name of the show that you were doing every week that the weakest sneakers Yes that so I have to I'll be straight up with you I have to stop watching a lot of content because I end up bringing it into the podcast So it kind of skews a lot of my yeah, so I'll I'll go through like I'll let I'll let them like
00:08:11
Speaker
build up and then I'll be like, all right, now I'm gonna run through them. I don't have, I don't have to record like four episodes. And so yeah, I'll be good. But I mean, I was loving your, your just being like up to date with the sneakers. Cause like it was reminiscent. I mean, you taught, we talked about Russ, you have to book right behind you. I also have the book right behind me too. But you know, uh, and I'm pretty sure you remember quick strike and
00:08:34
Speaker
quick strike was like we talked about on his episode and it's such of like a pivotal moment of like when you thought like I thought that you know there's more to sneakers than just staying out on the lines and getting stuff like you know you know he really opened the door for that and you also opened the door for that because when you started doing your videos on YouTube a lot of people I feel like you influenced a lot of people you know
00:09:01
Speaker
Well, thank you. Thank you. There were there were a lot of us doing it back then. And I was I was just I was one of the few back then. And so obviously we know now there's a lot more. But it's really it's really exciting to be to be a part of the world and be a part of like the world building, I guess you could say feels like I was part of like the like you compare it to Marvel. I was like one of the Iron Man like the early Iron Man to kind of help build the world for
00:09:28
Speaker
Yeah, you were you were the Robert Downey to But you're here to answer the question that ask everybody each week and that question is what's your first kicks? What's that first-person because you absolutely needed to have?
00:09:44
Speaker
So the first pair that I absolutely needed to have, there was a couple of pairs that I wanted before this pair, but the pair that I absolutely needed to have was the Air Max 95. I remember, in the neon Air Max 95, I remember
00:10:00
Speaker
I was in the mall, walking past the store. I don't know. I don't remember if it was a Foot Locker or some other random sneaker store at the time. But I walked past, and I saw the corner of my eye, and it literally stopped me in my tracks. Like, oh, what? Wait, what was that kind of thing? And so that's the first sneaker that I had that sort of visceral reaction to.
00:10:26
Speaker
And I have a pair now as much as I love you at that moment, I probably haven't worn a pair in like 10 years or something like that. But at that time at that moment, it struck me as like, this is incredible. I need a pair of these. How do I save up to get some?
00:10:43
Speaker
For the listeners, let me read a little, I'm gonna read the 2020 reissue just to give the listeners a little background on the shoe, if they're not familiar. I mean, it's one of my favorite 95s, minus the stash 95s. Those are my legit favorite 95s, but I will never own one of those. I could probably get one of these. The 2020 reissue of the Nike Air Max 95 OG Neon brings back the iconic original colorway of the Retro Runner.
00:11:10
Speaker
the first model in the vaunted Air Max lineup to feature visible four-foot air cushioning. Designed by Sergio Lozano, the sneaker's unique appearance is inspired by human anatomy, highlighted by graduated side panels that mimic the look of striated muscle fibers. The laces and neon eyelids, meanwhile,
00:11:37
Speaker
call to, there's so many commas in here. Meanwhile, call to a mind of rib cage. I don't know why it says it that way. Reflective detailing at the tongue and heel tab provides added visibility and low light conditions.
00:11:54
Speaker
Yeah, it's a crazy design. It felt so out of the box back then. Now, it obviously feels normal. But back then, it felt so different and so unique that it was just one of those things that just stopped you. It's almost like, I don't know, when you're a kid and you see that BMX bike that you really want, it just kind of had that kind of moment for me. But it was a pair of sneakers.
00:12:19
Speaker
When you see that huffy, you're like huffy that huffy that I mean, where'd you grow up originally? Because I grew up in LA for those that don't know about California, but the valley for those that know about LA. And like, I mean, the during that time, I guess how big was sneakers during that time when you were growing up in the valley? Um, it was
00:12:48
Speaker
I mean, it was pretty big just because most of the people that I hung around played basketball. And sneakers are just kind of a natural extension of basketball, even no matter what grade level you are. It always feels like sneakers are a part of the basketball conversation. So all the people that I hung with played basketball. All of my friends played ball. My older cousins played basketball.
00:13:14
Speaker
all his friends played basketball. So I was kind of, I was basically surrounded by basketball. And so that helped. I think that we all talked, they all talked about sneakers or what they were wearing or what they were playing in or what we were playing in. Like that always kind of became, that was always a part of the conversation. Were you able to play ball or? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I played, I played ball through high school, played varsity in high school. I wasn't good enough to play in college. I still play every once in a while.
00:13:41
Speaker
Not many people on here have said, I played varsity ball, so. That's funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I play ball. I mean, I still play every once in a while. It's hands down my favorite sport. I know I do a ton of golf stuff now, but if I could play basketball the rest of my life, I would play basketball the rest of my life. No, I mean, one thing I love about, and it's what got me towards like, you know, wear tester content, like,
00:14:11
Speaker
It was always that you, you looked into models and for their functions, you know? And so a lot of that, like, I mean, that's, you influenced my buying in terms of just like, okay, if I'm going to buy a basketball sneaker, all right, I need to do like legit research on this.
00:14:28
Speaker
It's like, I mean, you want to get better, like, and that's part you feel like that's part of the equation, especially when you play balls, like, okay, just have more air, it's just going to be more cushion, it's just gonna help me cut better. You know, I'm only I'm only 510, 510, 511 on a good day. So it wasn't like, I needed like impact protection, but I needed something that could help me move quick, because I was smaller, you know what I mean? So it was like, that's kind of the vibe. I mean, I want to see you
00:14:52
Speaker
Jock just like yamming on somebody just like in the court. I Don't know if I can still dunk Probably last time I dunk was probably like three or four years ago. You still got it. You still got bunnies. It's all right See I feel like I probably I feel like I probably still could put on some tatems You just gotta put on some tatems and then they say you're good to go. Yeah, where did GT jump or something? a little extra boost or something
00:15:20
Speaker
I was obsessed with those for a good bit. I think in 2021, they started pushing them really heavy on Instagram. And I was like, I think I got to do it. I think I got to do it. I never pulled the trigger on it because they were always $250. And I was like, this is too much. That expensive. I don't know what Nike was thinking. I have a pair. I found a random pair on eBay for like half price.
00:15:47
Speaker
I still haven't played in them. They, I think they're in my storage unit. I don't even think they're in the room now. I think they're in my storage unit. There you go. You pull out the zoom GTs. You take a video of you dunking. We'll post it on the Instagram and then we go. Oh man. What was your first job in order for you to buy? Well, what was your first job in general? Gosh, my first.
00:16:10
Speaker
job? Well, I guess technically, my first job was working with my uncle. My uncle is an electrician, and he used to make me and my cousin go work with him on the weekends. So I guess technically, that was my first job. My first like non family job was I was working at the park. I worked at a work that I think at Pacoima Park, it was a summer job worked at Pacoima Park and you know, help
00:16:34
Speaker
help run like the summer camp stuff. Oh, yeah. That's dope. And then I mean, I don't know if you were like super into sneakers during that time, but like, were you copping kicks? Were you looking for what's coming out? What I was what? 14. So I didn't have like, I didn't have money to be like, spending on sneakers back then. Oh, no, I wouldn't. I wouldn't copy.
00:16:59
Speaker
So then what was the moment that pulled you back in? And you're like, you're like, all right, because I because if the 90 fives was like the taste you got, you know, you got a little bit on the plate right there. And it's not like you're, you're instantly pulled into sneaker culture then. So like, what was it? What was that moment? Um,
00:17:19
Speaker
I think it kind of happened over time, because I remember when I was younger, one of my cousin's friends had a pair of Jordan Fours, and he played ball in them, and he kind of beat them up a little bit, and he was done with them, and he gave them to me. So that was my first, like, oh, okay, this is dope. But then obviously talking about sneakers, and seeing other people have sneakers.
00:17:42
Speaker
seeing people, you know, your friends play in sneakers and then the 95s and then the 11s all caught my attention in like the Converse Weapon. I had a pair of Converse Weapons I remember when I was really young. I remember I had a pair of those. So I think it was all kind of happening over time. And then like,
00:18:03
Speaker
The passion really picked back up when I started working in sneakers back in 2009. I was doing it and buying stuff here and there, but nothing crazy. But then 2009, when I started working in sneakers, I was immersed in it. You just couldn't get away from it. And I think that's when things... I shouldn't say. I think that's when things really ramped up. Was it
00:18:25
Speaker
Did you pick up the job, or were you like, oh, I'm going to, I'm getting into sneakers.
Transition to Sneaker Blogging
00:18:30
Speaker
Like, I'm going to work. I just kind of picked up the job. So my homegirl, Jazz, she was working for Kicks on Fire already. And shout out Jazz. Yeah, shout out Jazz. She was like, you like sneakers. And you can write. She was like, you should do this. You should do this. And I was like, I don't know if that's like, I don't want to be talking about sneakers all the time. Like, I love them. Because it was like, that's kind of like my thing. You know what I mean?
00:18:55
Speaker
like when you it's it's even like even now it's weird like to have sneakers be like my job it like it almost feels like i'm sharing a part of myself with the world like i like and back then i was kind of like i don't know like you know if that's the thing um you're like this is for me this is this is just for me my own personal way to express myself like that was like just how i expressed myself personally and so then i started writing about him
00:19:25
Speaker
And, you know, over time, it's just like, all right, well, this is this is my job now. And then, you know, it kind of became became a career as it is now. And so things just change. No, I mean, yeah, you posted on Twitter your your email. Yeah. It's a nice case. It's funny because I had Don Will on and he talked about his time and nice kicks as well. And it's crazy to see how far like the beginning people that started
00:19:55
Speaker
nice tips have gone, you know, I mean, it's and it's the trajectories. It's so different. You know, Jazaree is doing like crazy stuff with sneakers now, you know, activations and releasing sneakers, creating her own sneaker. You're continuously putting out amazing content and, you know, you're doing like
00:20:14
Speaker
I mean, you've done like charities and you've done like, you know, a ton of stuff. I mean, and then you got Don Will DJing for Jill Scott. Like it's interesting because like we all like all we all started at Kicks on Fire and it just went a bunch of different different directions. Wow. I mean, it's beautiful, you know. So like
00:20:44
Speaker
The early times of like, when you were just doing that and you were working at kicks on fire, I mean, that's like when I started getting like super heavy into like, you know, being online a little too much during that time. But did you expect or did you think that sneakers were ever going to be into the main, come into the mainstream while you were doing it?
00:21:07
Speaker
No, not at all. I never thought it would be what it is today. I guess I kind of hoped that it would be because
00:21:17
Speaker
As I, as I, as I got more into like the professional world of sneakers, you kind of saw how people looked at sneakers and like the negative connotation kind of attached to it. So at that point, I think it kind of switched for me a little bit. It was like, like, I want people to understand why we love these things so much, like the tech, the style, the look, the way they make us feel, the way they allow us to express ourselves. I wanted people to be able to experience that portion of it. So I hoped that it would grow to the point where it is now.
00:21:50
Speaker
But now seeing how it got here, that is obviously not how you want to see it get here. It's almost like having a genie and you have three wishes. And you're like, I wish that everyone would love sneakers just as much as I do. And then they make it happen, but there's ramification. But you're like, wait, wait, wait. That's not what I meant. That's not what I meant. That's not what I meant. But it is what it is.
00:22:16
Speaker
That's what happens when Will Smith is the genie for you. That is what happens when Will Smith is the genie. I want my genie to be zen bad. Go back to zen bad. So like in that time, you're in
00:22:33
Speaker
the craziness of sneakers becoming going into the mainstream and were you collecting heavily at that time? Or were you just like, you know what, I'm gonna just stick to only getting free pairs. I mean, not assuming that you got a ton of free pairs, but I know there are people who wrote and they were like, yo,
00:22:54
Speaker
I got these and I'm keeping them like, you know, but what was it for you? It was a mix of the two. I mean, obviously I got free pairs to review, but I've always been buying pairs on my own because like for more often than not, the brands don't necessarily send you what you want. They send you what they want you to have. So, you know, if there's something that I wanted, I had to get those myself.
00:23:22
Speaker
Yeah, the I mean, listen, I've I've gotten free nothing so far. So I'm just doing this out of the love. But so that's what it's all about. But during that time, I mean, 2009. And then how long were you at? Kicks on fire till I was there till 2013, 2013.
00:23:42
Speaker
Ooh, I mean, imagine if you stayed till 2016, because I was just talking about the galaxy foam posit and how that just went, but since you dropped out and then you did, well dropped out, I don't know why I use that word, but since you left Kicks on Fire and you started, you know, doing the YouTubes at that moment, like that landscape of,
00:24:06
Speaker
sneaker content was so brand new. So what what inspired you to be like, yo, this is what I'm gonna do.
00:24:14
Speaker
Well, I actually started YouTube when I was at Kicks on Fire. So back in March of 2010, I started doing videos for Kicks on Fire of what I call the Kicks on Fire Weekly Review.
YouTube Beginnings and Community Building
00:24:31
Speaker
So that kind of that wet my appetite for the YouTube stuff. And back then, I was watching a lot of like
00:24:40
Speaker
tech stuff heavy, like phone reviews, camera reviews, and stuff like that, because I was teaching myself how to edit, so all that was kind of adjacent to what I was doing on YouTube. And so I was inspired by those guys, like Marques Brownlee back then, Jonathan Morrison,
00:25:03
Speaker
Unboxed therapy Like Philip DeFranco like all of these like he's not a camera reviewer But like that although like people in that world I just seen like all of those people in that world I was watching them and like oh maybe Let me try and do this in the sneaker. I never knew it would be what it is Those are the people that I was watching and those are the people I was trying to emulate
00:25:25
Speaker
And I mean, shoot, you did that. You did that. That's that's that's the I mean, because it's funny because I was recently watching MKVHD review the Tesla truck. And, you know, Marquez has such a it's such a specific like way he does his his reviews or he does his content. And, you know, it's MKVHD and anybody else
00:25:53
Speaker
that does something similar that they were like, Oh, they're just stealing from Marquez at this point. Now, right. I feel like that I come across a lot of people stealing from your style as well. Oh, I will say it's fine. Well, I'll say this. I'm happy that I was able to inspire folks and that because that's really what it's about. I talk about it a lot.
00:26:19
Speaker
I just want to show like I'm just opening the door, right? Yeah, there should be there should be people after me that do more and better things than I have ever done or could have ever imagined and like that's that's what it's all about. So I do I didn't expect but I knew people would come after me that did things similar to the what I did because I mean, that's what I did. I copied tech people, but I just made it about sneakers. And then
00:26:50
Speaker
The larger question on top of that was, you know, I feel like your content definitely builds community. So how was it when you were first starting and how were you received in terms of just being like, yo, I'm doing, you know, sneaker content, but tech textile and quote unquote, but it's super informative. You know, you're still getting a lot of into the real nitty gritty storytelling on top of
00:27:12
Speaker
Well, I was bridging this into a larger question.
00:27:18
Speaker
you know, technique and technique, tech, technical, technology, technology, the tech of the shoe. But like, I also think that, you know, sneer culture comes with a lot of community. And, you know, during that time, 2009 sneer culture was like, everything was about community and like, and, and it build out to 2013. I think that's when
00:27:42
Speaker
I wanna say like 2010, 2011 is like forums were crazy during that time. Like everybody was on it. So I'm very curious of how did your content also, you know, play into, you know, these people that were just like, oh, sneaker culture.
00:27:58
Speaker
Yeah. So for me, I knew that I couldn't compete with nice kicks and sneaker news and kicks on fire in the typical blog world. And that's what really had me really focused on YouTube. So my original idea was, I'm going to create a video version of the blogs. And that's how I approached it.
00:28:22
Speaker
using all like the style and shooting styles of like the tech stuff, I was like, okay, I'll just make a video version of the blogs. And luckily, because I had done the time at kicks on fire, people recognize my face kind of thing. And so
00:28:39
Speaker
It continued to build and grow. I got really lucky. I was in a really lucky place because I had written before, because I was doing videos for Kicks on Fire when I started doing on my own. I already had a little bit of a community. I didn't know it back then, but there was already a community that was following me.
00:28:58
Speaker
still messing with me, basically. And so it allowed me to continue to grow. Like I was getting support from complex and soul collector back then. And even even nice kicks and kicks on fire every once in a while, they would show love. And it really helped me. It really helped me grow because, you know, they allowed the content to come out because it was it was pretty unique back then. I know I had to jump back in here to talk about Magic Mind.
00:29:27
Speaker
Magic Mind is back helping me like they did last week and for the foreseeable future every week with my mornings with their super helpful nootropics. You've got ingredients like L-theanine, which is also found in matcha and I love me a matcha. They also have ashwagandha in it to help decrease that stress. And it helps with dealing with your anxiety on the
00:29:57
Speaker
regular. There's also Lion's Mane in it, which is all about focusing. Now, if you're like me, which I'm pretty sure a lot of my listeners are, we work and also do stuff after. And magic mind helps you become productive while not causing a heavy crash. And this is, I mean this, like I'm able to drink a magic mind in the morning.
00:30:26
Speaker
and not feel like I'm going to fall asleep in the middle of the day. And I think that is the most helpful thing Magic Mind has helped me with, especially during the recording of this podcast. It's even helping me in the recording of every podcast because I'm trying to continue to keep Magic Mind in my everyday life.
00:30:55
Speaker
And what's really interesting is that now I'm starting to see Magic Mind pop up in little stores. Like I mentioned last week, I saw it in California when I went to just a local coffee shop. I wanted a oat milk latte and they had like a special oat milk latte with like lavender in it. And Magic Mind was in the fridge there and I had to like stop my friends and be like, yo, Magic Mind, you got to try this out. It's great.
00:31:23
Speaker
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00:31:53
Speaker
If you want to just jump right in and have a great Magic Mind morning or Magic Mind type of morning, use my link, use my link, magicmind.com slash kickpod and use the code KICKPOD20 for 50% off of your first subscription for the next 10 days. That's right. If you use my code KICKPOD20 and subscribe to Magic Mind,
00:32:24
Speaker
you will get 50% off. It's an amazing offer. Please jump on it. And also, you get this one of a kind guarantee if you aren't feeling the magic, because you know I'm feeling the magic. You see how amped I am right now. I'm feeling the magic. But Magic Mind offers a 60 day money back guarantee if you're not feeling it. And I'll be honest, I want you to give it a shot.
00:32:53
Speaker
and I want you to give it a shot today because it's really good and I really enjoy Magic Mind. So if you are inclined to join me and you want to give it a shot, go to magicmind.com slash kickpod and use my code KICKPOD20 at checkout and join me and Magic Mind today. Yeah, I mean, super unique in my opinion.
00:33:23
Speaker
You know, I mean, we're now, cause it's, it's hard to, it's hard to explain, especially for like younger listeners that were listening to this, like the way that we, the way that we live in this sneaker atmosphere now, it wasn't, it wasn't like this at all. You know, like we were, we were waiting for your videos and being like, okay, this is what's coming out. Like, you know, that that's where we were at. Like, you know, waiting for, you know, bullets.
00:33:50
Speaker
to be like, yo, this is the shoe. Check it out. You know, people like that. This was so much smaller back then, too. Like we were getting, you know, a lot of us were only getting like five, 10,000 views or something like that and would be excited about, you know what I mean? Like that was the pinnacle of things where where. So I definitely want to know where have in that time frame, especially starting your page, where has sneakers have taken you?
00:34:19
Speaker
I mean like what do you mean by that? Like you're like I'm talking about like just from like 2009 to I want to say like 14 15 maybe 16 like where have like where did you get into like some crazy events during that time because you were writing about sneakers
00:34:42
Speaker
Um, you know, I didn't get into I wouldn't say I got yeah Well, I got into some cool thing like a lot most of it was like just them Like I was on really cool seating lists as opposed to like me going to events But I think like I went to a couple of all-star weekends because of sneakers Um back then I got invited to like launch events for like kd and the brawn and
00:35:06
Speaker
Derrick Rose and like all of those guys like I got invited to a lot of those like launch events and got a chance to talk to those guys or Got to interview Kobe Got to interview KD at interview Dwayne Wade like all of those were part of that those early years that helped kind of form for my channel mm-hmm and Like did that make your appreciation for sneakers stronger, or was it just like you know? Next thing on to the next thing
00:35:36
Speaker
I think it definitely made my appreciation for sneaker stronger because like at some of those like launch events I got to actually sit down with the designer of the shoe and like really learn about every little thing about a lot of these shoes and that makes a world of difference you know what I mean like it's one thing to be like
00:35:55
Speaker
to see what they tell you on the Nike news or the PR releases. But it's another thing to sit down with the designer and have a conversation because then you really get the nitty gritty and you really get the thought process behind how some of this stuff works. And that just helps me as a storyteller and as a reviewer because it provides me with the tools to really explain to you guys, the community,
00:36:22
Speaker
some of the things that Nike won't necessarily say, but I can say them. I mean, that's wild once because I don't know any sneaker designers at all. So that's that's like I said, your your content was always like super helpful in that aspect of of learning about functionality at like a like a tech level, you know. And it's it's interesting
00:36:48
Speaker
Because now we're at this point, you know, we're at this point where now we're getting early looks of stuff and it's all just do should we care? Why were people caring? I'm very curious of just like, you know, now that the way we see content has been put being pushed out now, what gives you the
00:37:10
Speaker
the motivation to make the content that you do currently. I mean, you know, you do the look inside sneakers closet video, you know, the the sneakers release in every week video, but like what keeps you motivated. One, I love when I love creating.
00:37:28
Speaker
I
Sneaker Insights and Cultural Passion
00:37:28
Speaker
think that's just a natural part of who I am and it's why I gravitated towards you to just the creative side of me. But also, I mean, I still love sneakers. Like I still legitimately love sneakers and I love the process. I love the styles. I love the tech. Like I still that's still a passion point for me.
00:37:45
Speaker
And to be able to share that information is dope. I'm in a very privileged position, and I don't take it for granted. So I use what I know and share what I know to hopefully inform someone else of help them make a better buying decision.
00:38:06
Speaker
I'm always I'm always preach on here. Just you know, I think that the biggest thing about sneakers is that we we enjoy excess, right? It's like, we can't get enough. It's like, I buy one. I'm already thinking about all right, but this shoes coming out next week. I got to get that too. You know, over over like this, the
00:38:28
Speaker
over like the length of time of you collecting, have you seen or felt like sneakers were being appreciated correctly or were you, like, was there, I mean, towards you yourself, you know, like, were you, or were you also getting into the habit of like, okay, I'm not appreciating these sneakers. And so like, I got to take a step back. Yeah, I often, so part of it is, I don't know if I would be, if I would feel that,
00:38:56
Speaker
I feel that way and I don't. The reason I say that I don't is because this is my job. So I have to know about sneakers. I have to know what's coming out. I have to be able to tell people about it. But at the same time, do I need to have every single thing?
00:39:12
Speaker
I don't need to have every single thing because I have so many here. I have shoes here that I've probably worn one time and I've had for 10, 15 years kind of thing. Why don't I just wear those? You know what I mean? And to be honest, I wear probably
00:39:32
Speaker
five to seven pair of sneakers that I really, really wear. And everything else just kind of is like special occasion. Like, oh, I'm going to a sneaker van. Okay, let me pull something out. Oh, I'm going to do something on TV. Okay, let me pull something out. You're over there with the archives and you're like, Yeah, but it's like my everyday wear. Yeah, like everyday wear is like the
00:39:58
Speaker
the Adidas 4D, um, ultra boost, some, some Samba's, um, the, uh, the all star Jordan ones from New Orleans. I forgot what they're called. Um, Oh, I don't know. Not the gold ones. No, like the iridescent ones from New Orleans. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know you talk about, um, the reimagined ones. I've been wearing those a lot. Um, what else have I been wearing? Um,
00:40:29
Speaker
The Jordan MA2. That was, when that dropped, I was telling people, y'all gotta cop this one. I don't know, that model was just like, it always called, I don't know why it called for me. I never bought a pair, but I was like, these are dope. These are gonna be Sleeper Sneaker of the Year. Like I was telling people, telling people all that about the MA2. Yeah, they've turned into like my,
00:40:54
Speaker
Like, you go into the store, put those on. You can do some yard work, put those on. They've turned into, like, the mine are trashed. But, like, they're comfy, and I wear them a lot. And the other thing I wear, like, if I'm going, like, trying to, like, dress something up a little bit, I'll either wear, like, the Sakai waffle. Like, I have an all-black pair of the Sakai waffles. Or I'll wear the John Elliott LeBrons. And, like, those are the sneakers, probably, that I wear more than anything else that's
00:41:22
Speaker
I mean, that's a bigger rotation than me. It's me, it's literally that shoe right there. Right there. The J-tip Sauconies because they don't have a box and I just like I can't like if the shoe is out, I'm going to put it on like that type of situation. And then it's the general purpose Tom Sacks like I'm just switching between those two.
00:41:43
Speaker
Oh, that's good. Like I wore those because I have the white pair and I wore them to this Danny Brown concert I went to a couple of days ago and I was just like, no, I shouldn't have done that. Now they're like, they got stepped on and stuff. Yeah, the but it's it's the rotation of like, I mean, I had
00:42:07
Speaker
I Morgan sneaker room is this guy on tech talk. I don't know if you're familiar. Maybe you are. But he has, I think he's at 600 pairs. And I'm just like, what are you doing? Like, I had him on the podcast this past week. I'm like, at one point, we're gonna be like, all right, I'm good. I don't need to buy for next, you know, a year or so. And he's like, you know, I hear that. But
00:42:32
Speaker
I ain't going to stop. I was just like, what's going on with you, bro? I mean, there's stuff that comes out when you want it.
00:42:42
Speaker
I, I've actually been good this last month because I want the fear threes. So, but I'm like, okay, they're sitting. Okay. Hey, you know what? You don't have to spend 220 or whatever it is. Just chill. Just wait. Yeah. You might, you know, you might get them from 180, you might get them from 150. Same thing. Like I want the, uh, the midnight Navy threes that are coming out. Is it this week? Next week, next week. Yeah. Three's that are coming out next week. I'm like, all right.
00:43:08
Speaker
maybe he's gonna sit like the fear threes like don't rush don't rush and buy and just chill just just just chill cool back cool cool out don't rush but at the same time it's like I should propagate him and I can tell the story about him but I was like maybe I'll just wait because you know if nobody's checking for him what's the point of doing content about him if nobody's checking for him yeah I mean it's interesting
00:43:27
Speaker
like the fear threes. I mean, I don't know if it's just maybe it's just like a down year down end of the year for Jordan, or something like that, but, or it's maybe just I think me, we are oversaturated at this point, but
00:43:42
Speaker
The fear threes, they weren't like out of the fear pack and everybody I've spoken to have agreed with me out of this whole fear pack. It's either the fives or the fours. And I've never heard of you would be like, Oh, I need the threes when it, when they first came out, I had the fives when they first dropped and I have the fours, I have the fours.
00:44:01
Speaker
So yeah, I feel like I thought that I thought I bought the fives and I never wore them. And I was just like, these are just rotting away in my closet. I'm going to have to. Oh, no, I wore I wore the fours so much that they squeak now. So I can't wear them anymore.
00:44:17
Speaker
I tried to do the little baby powder thing because they put baby powder in them to stop them squeaking and they still squeak. Inside the air bubble is loose, the glue came loose. I've never heard that trick in my life. Yeah, they put baby powder underneath the insole and they stop them when they're squeaking, but it didn't help mine. I think mine is like the actual, I think the actual bubble is loose or something.
00:44:45
Speaker
I mean, look, everything's getting re-retroed. As Russ said, a retro of a retro is coming soon. So we're at that point there. What did I just see? They're retro-ing the olive, not the olives, the Oreo, the Oreo 8s. They're trying to bring back like Lunar, like the Nike Lunar, what's it called?
00:45:12
Speaker
lunar, lunar Rome, I think it's called. Oh, interesting. It's something. What is it? Now I gotta think about it. Let me look it up. But they have it in like this alabaster.
00:45:27
Speaker
Um And it's it's not a it's called the nike lunar rome and it's not like uh, it's not a actual Retro, but it's like a retro style of lunar with like an old bottom. It's interesting But it's like it's like a mix of retro sneakers that they're making trying to make a new sneaker. It's it's it's weird
00:45:49
Speaker
But I like it at the same time because that 2012, 2013 time in sneakers when like Lunar was everything. Everything. Free sneaker like that look. I like that look. And so this just kind of makes me feel like, oh, OK. I remember that style and the old look of it's like, oh, all right. Yeah. I mean, I remember it was like they did that new model. It was a running shoe. I bought it was the blue shoe. They did when they had that.
00:46:18
Speaker
Remember when Nike had the workout Nike plus workout thing? Yeah. And so they dropped that whole pack of sneakers with it and it was all this blue and black color. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love I loved every shoe.
00:46:33
Speaker
that they dropped during that time. Even the hyper dunk with the big black and blue joint, I was like. That's it. That's to give that feel. Yeah. Obviously, if Nike brings back the Nike band.
00:46:51
Speaker
Nike Bear had us on lock, not knowing at all what it meant or what it was doing, but it had us on lock. We were like, I got to get my fuel up. I got to get my fuel up. Yeah. Did you cover that launch? I feel like you covered that launch. Yeah, yeah. I was there. I went to the launch at the most arbitrary results ever, but we was on it.
00:47:11
Speaker
that Nike's always trying to get because even during pandemic, they gave the Nike training app like for free. And I was like, I was doing every workout. I was sweating all over the floor over here. That's what you need to do to get right.
00:47:30
Speaker
And I was, I was like, I was like, I'm thinking like, okay, you know, Nike's going to hook us up. You know, we're doing all this workout, getting all these achievements. You know, maybe we get a little, a little instant access to something like that. No, they're just like, nah, just work. Do this yoga. This is your gift. I was wanting to talk about like the
00:47:59
Speaker
the inspiration into just the closet content that you've been doing as of late, because I've been digging it, I love it. I think that I feel like another brand we won't talk about copied off of you as well on that one. But what was your inspiration into switching up and doing that?
Sneaker Closet Series Inspiration
00:48:20
Speaker
I wanted to create something that allowed sneaker heads
00:48:28
Speaker
that are passionate about their shoes to tell stories about why they have that particular shoe. I wanted something more than just being like, oh, I got the Travis Scott's, or oh, I've got the Fresh Goods collab, or I have the Fragment collabs. OK, those are cool, and all those things are great. They're fantastic.
00:48:51
Speaker
But I wanted some deeper storytelling. And I saw Caleb Simpson on TikTok. He does the apartments. He goes in people's apartments. And so I was like, I want to do that for sneakers. You need a bed version of when he jumps on the kids with the people bed. You got to be like, can I put these on for you? My part of that is doing, I do a part of the video where I say like I have these.
00:49:17
Speaker
here where I'm like, Oh, okay. Yo. So what's the, what's the story? I pick up a pair of their shoes and I do what's the story with these. That's my version of like jumping on, jumping on the bed.
00:49:29
Speaker
And so that's really what the inspiration came from. It's really trying to get people to tell the stories of their sneakers. Adrian told the story about how he was in Air Force One. And then he was off him for a little while. But now it's the only it's the sneaker that he wears the most. He bought the J's and resale off-white dunks. But he really went back to what he loved, which was the Air Force One. Now that's the sneaker that he wears the most.
00:49:57
Speaker
was AC AC Cooper did the Drop he's never came out about his shoes the shoes that never came out Romy talked about the Stan Smith is she got a tattoo of the Stan Smith over my arm Because it's the shoe that she remembers that she relates to her dad. So that's why she got that's why she got those so those type of stories that
00:50:22
Speaker
Show people that sneakers is more than just like oh, they're just a pair of sneakers No Things have stories and they have memories attached to them And I want to be able to help people tell those stories and that's what the sneaker closet series is all about Welcome to this podcast
00:50:37
Speaker
I mean that that's what I love about it because it definitely we we we eye to eye on that one. I think that I mean even with the the brand with this podcast, I think everybody has that like one pair doesn't matter who you are. You have one pair that you're just like.
00:50:53
Speaker
mom, dad, or, you know, I saved up all my ducats for this. I sold, I shined shoes, you know? That's it. That's it. That, I mean, but you've been getting, you've gotten to get into some really cool closets and
00:51:09
Speaker
like the I always found that like really inspirational in terms of just like being able to, I guess, put somebody's life in like their closet, their sneaker career just in like a couple of minute video. And it still relays like I mean, an hour long episode of this podcast, you know, it's a it's a it's a great talent. The the
00:51:35
Speaker
And it also keeps you intrigued of like, oh, I can't wait. What's the next closet he's going to be able to get into? Because the way you started off is just like, it looks like you're walking towards a random person. And then you're like, wait a minute. Yeah. Yeah. And we're working on some cool people that I hope we're able to get. It's surprisingly hard to get people to let you come into their houses, which I mean, I guess. I love Caleb does it, man.
00:52:04
Speaker
I shouldn't say surprisingly, I should say it is, it is, you know, it's naturally like people are going to be guarded. But we were working on a couple of really good ones for next year. Like, I think we have one, maybe two more for this year. And then we're going to go, we're going to take like a month break and then we're going to come back in the new year. And I think we're going to have hopefully start off with some really exciting ones.
00:52:27
Speaker
All right. You heard it here first. Tinker Hatfield will be the first video. Michael Jordan is the second video. That'd be crazy. There's nowhere to go after that. So you got to send him back for the final episode. That's the one where you'd be like, all right, close enough shop. We're good. We don't need to do this anymore. Imagine. Imagine being able to be like, Michael Jordan is like, I saw your videos. You got to come to my closet. And then you get to go to his closet.
00:52:53
Speaker
That'd be crazy. I don't even want to think about it. I wouldn't even want to do it because there's nowhere I could go after that.
00:53:00
Speaker
I want this show to continue going. So I can't even do it. I got to stop. That's the first, that's the one you declined. You're like, nah, man, we can't do this one. I'm sorry. I can't even pay. I appreciate the look. We can do something else, but I just can't. I just can't. We got to, if we're going to do that, we got to do more than just a little 30 minute, 30 second video. We got to do like an hour long sit down talk. You're going to be like, I'm going to sell this to Netflix.
00:53:35
Speaker
So I think one of your well now you're you know, you talk a lot about golf golf sneakers and I'm Like ever since you started doing content and it started from East Side Golf That the fours on that. Were
Golf and Sneaker Culture Connection
00:53:53
Speaker
you on the Hulu doc? I
00:53:55
Speaker
I was not on the Hulu doc. I felt like I thought I saw you on the Hulu doc. I mean, they might use the clip of me or something, but I wasn't interviewed for the Hulu doc. Well, hopefully you get residuals for that one. But I mean, what was it about golf? Because you're the first person that I've had here that talks about golf. So what was it about golf that pulls you in? More known as, I will say,
00:54:22
Speaker
predominantly white sport but the you know the I think I've had I've spoke I've cool with James Davis was a comedian and he did yeah he did a show called
00:54:38
Speaker
I forgot the name of the show, but he did a show on Comedy Central and he did a full episode on why people in the hood should golf more. And yeah, I'll remember it like later or something, but we talked about like, he talked about like why it's so, why golfing did not resonate with black people and how people pushed black people out into golf, but like what pulled you in?
00:55:07
Speaker
Um, the thing that pull me in was the one, the, uh, the challenge of the sport. Um, like I'm pretty competitive. Like
00:55:20
Speaker
Like, I mean, I couldn't go to the league or anything like that in basketball. But I felt like I could hold my own. And in most other sports that I played, I felt like I could hold my own. But golf was like, nah, son, I don't care who you are. And I don't care what you played before. It ain't going to be like that here. And that honestly was enough for me to be like, all right, well, challenge accepted. Let's get it in.
00:55:48
Speaker
Then once I started playing and it became the social aspect of it, there's always people asking, oh, what's your dream course to play? And where do you want to go? And my answer to that question is always, my dream course is the course that I'm playing with all my homies. That's the dream course for me. It doesn't matter where we are. As long as I'm there with my homeboys and we having a good time, me and my dogs, we playing.
00:56:15
Speaker
I'm good. Like it could be the worst course in the world or it could be the best course in the world. Long as my boys is there, like I'm good. So that became the part of it. And that's the part that I love about it so much now is like being able to play with my friends and hang with my friends. It's like it's basically like my way of
00:56:33
Speaker
hanging out like an adulthood, like being able to still hang out with your boys and act a fool and clown each other and tell jokes and, you know, share experiences. Like, that's why it means so much to me now. No, I mean, that's dope. I mean, let's pick up basketball, you know, this one. Yeah. Yeah. When you roll over with your peoples and this is just like.
00:56:55
Speaker
He's just like, all right, now we about to, let's get, let's play, but we also gonna have fun, you know? Yeah, we also gonna have, we're gonna also have a good time. Get a sweat out. Yeah, yeah. The, you know, what was it like just witnessing Jordan Brand jump into golf like that? I mean, for me, it was amazing. Cause it's like the blending of the two worlds that I was super passionate about. For me, I like, we all knew,
00:57:22
Speaker
that Jordan played golf. But to see Jordan actually step into that world and then to see them actually start to retro basketball shoes and turn them into golf shoes, I mean, I couldn't ask for anything better because I'm a guy that loves basketball, a guy that loves golf. And now those two worlds are like mashing together. It was the perfect combination for me. And I also think
00:57:52
Speaker
Eastside Golf does an amazing job with their storytelling. It brings you right in. And even in that Hulu doc, I didn't know a lot about them besides I met them in person last year.
00:58:06
Speaker
Yeah, I met them in person last year and I was like trying to like figure out more about them, hopefully to get them on an episode. But oh, I was like, yeah, I'll do your podcast. And then that happened. But the but the they're just like, it's such a foreign world. I live in a city. I'm from New York. So we don't really have golf courses outside of Trump's golf course. And then another one in like the Bronx or something like that.
00:58:31
Speaker
I said, don't you guys have like Beth Page out there? Yeah. Liberty's right across the river. Right. But when you're a kid in the city, they don't talk about golf out here. It's ball. It's the same here. I didn't know about golf until I was an adult. I mean, I want to play golf. And hopefully we'll link up and hit the links with it. Let's do it. Let's do it.
00:58:55
Speaker
I could, I, I used to, I used to go, I used to go to driving range, like the driving range at Chelsea all the time. So maybe I could hit a little 200. There you go. That's all you need. Like, well, ain't none of us professionals. You can get, get, move the ball forward. That's all that matters. I'm the only one hitting, hitting trees and stuff. Like, yeah, we moving the phone.
00:59:24
Speaker
Hey, man. Nobody. There's a there's a saying in golf that nobody cares about a bad golfer. All they care about is a slow golfer. As long as you ain't playing slow, everybody's good. No matter no matter where you hit the ball, as long as you ain't slow. Listen, I mean, we'll see. Well, when we wake up, we'll see. But the like the the connection that was made between that and like introducing it into sneakers and then releasing that for like it is
00:59:54
Speaker
And I was telling him when I met him, I was like, you know, there are some people that are going to come on this podcast and be like, you know, my, my first kicks were the, the Eastside golf fours and it's, you know, and, you know, it's the fact that now.
01:00:10
Speaker
that shoe. And I think it's it's really hard because like, I'm super into like, when it comes to the word grill, it's got to be like a grill, right? Like it's got to be like, you know, some shoe that means a lot of many things. And
01:00:25
Speaker
And it all just means a lot of many things to you yourself instantly, right? And so that four to a lot of kids or a lot of people was an instant grail because it's something that's never happened before ever, you know? Did you get a pair? I think you have a pair, right? Not, no, I don't have the fours. I have pretty much everything else they've done, but I don't have the fours.
01:00:51
Speaker
somebody get this man a four. Like, like, I was trying to make it sound like somebody when it's like somebody get this man a club and then instead is like somebody get this man a four. I mean, but it's a while that that actually happened. And, you know, I think more people should definitely get into golfing in general, you know, or and
01:01:18
Speaker
especially in America it's such a isolated sport that it there's so much more you can bring to it and even with like the match which is that charity event that the people do yeah it's it's just interesting but uh
01:01:38
Speaker
Towards the end of the podcast, I do have another question I like to ask. And so I want you to visualize you as a kid about to get those neon 95s, right? Now you're you right now, Jacques right now, transported right back, standing right behind young Jacques.
Advice to Younger Self
01:01:56
Speaker
What would you tell him? What would I tell young version of myself?
01:02:07
Speaker
You know, honestly, I probably wouldn't tell him anything. Really? Just let them rock? Let them rock because, you know what I mean? I have my life has been blessed for, you know, lack of a better word.
01:02:25
Speaker
So anything that I tell him could change that. You know what I mean? Yeah, I don't want to change. I don't want to change my trajectory at all. I don't want to give him any insider info. You know, I don't want to
01:02:41
Speaker
push them one way or another. I think part of me doing all the things that I have done are all a result of the things that I did before that. So changing any of that might change the chain, so to speak, of events that got me to where I am. So for me to be like, yo, these shoes are going to change your life.
01:03:07
Speaker
That's a lot of pressure to put on the period. All right. All right. Let me add a little stipulation here. It doesn't change anything. But it's something. Yeah. What would you tell him? It doesn't change anything. I would tell him to. What would I tell him? I probably would tell it. I probably would have told him to don't be afraid to wear them.
01:03:38
Speaker
Cause you know, when you only got a couple pairs, you're precious with them, with the good joints, you're precious with them, you're precious with them. You're talking those, you have to be like, nah, we were wearing this a couple of times. That's it. Yeah. Just be like, yo, don't be afraid to wear them. Don't be afraid to wear them. Enjoy the moments.
01:04:00
Speaker
Use them to make memories. Use them to make more memories. Don't let your fear of messing them up be a reason why you don't wear something that you're really passionate about, something that you really like and something that you really love. So that would be my advice to wear your sneakers.
01:04:22
Speaker
wear your kicks. I mean, look, thank you so much for jumping on. I forgot to shout out the reason why this happened. Kari shout out to Kari. Kari, you know, it's my guy. Really appreciate you jumping on Jacques and for everybody out there. You know what we say each week. Wear your kicks. Peace. Peace.