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Kick Talk Vol. 9 with Aaron Diaz
85 Plays2 years ago
This week we are back with another Kick Talk, after the long hiatus I brought back Aaron to talk kicks we think you should be up on. We also talk about him committing to making content. Also my commitment to creating content and how we are trying to let people know there is history in sneakers. We also each bring in 3 pairs we think more people should know about! Another fun episode this week!
Where to Find Aaron:
Socials: @frontpageaaron
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmkXFpd_xUIn7fHDg_wD8QQ
Support the pod by downloading DROPS and COLLECT by SoleSavy:
DROPS https://links.solesavy.com/myfirstkicks
COLLECT https://links.solesavy.com/myfirstkickscollect
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
Introduction with Aaron Diaz
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome back to my first kicks. This is episode 141, man. And you know what? I had to bring you guys another kick talk. It's been a while because I've had, you know, really good success just bringing in guests. And of course, with that kick talk means I brought in another guest and that guest is previously a previous episode, previous guest, Aaron Diaz, man.
Aaron's Sneaker Community Journey
00:00:30
Speaker
What's up, guys? What's up? Yo, welcome back. It's been a minute. And you've been you've been crushing it on on I.G., you know, pushing it, pushing it forward. Man, it's kind of been like, I mean, you've been there kind of the whole time. I mean, you met what, like three years ago, clubhouse days and
00:00:51
Speaker
It's been up and down like I think personally I just had to decide if I really wanted to commit to it and do it and I think recently is I've kind of had that push to to do it and so yeah man it's kind of it's kind of cool getting a cool little community based on
00:01:07
Speaker
Just talking sneakers, right?
Social Media Strategies in Sneaker Culture
00:01:10
Speaker
No, yeah. I mean, it was really dope because I've been thinking about stealing your videos real quick. Not even let's talk about stealing exactly your videos. I'm talking about the I really wanted to talk about people on TikTok, like how you talked about Ari, talking about all these people who help build sneaker culture.
00:01:38
Speaker
That was an idea I thought of last year, but if you've seen any of my previous videos and stuff like that, I feel like I'm social media inept. And I don't wanna be a whiz at it. That's the thing. I've had Seth, same old sneakers on. I've had a ton of people that have had really good success on social media. And for me,
Challenges in Sneaker Media
00:02:03
Speaker
this is not the game. I don't like it like that. I like to talk shit and I like to just have my opinions out because I don't care. What's really dope is when you have a conversation and you talk about each other's taste and what really hits you of this and this or what you don't like and then people don't come after you. They're just trying to understand
00:02:28
Speaker
And it's so hard to do that when you're just like, I'm making a video and now you have to listen. Like, it's just like, I can't.
00:02:36
Speaker
It doesn't compute to me. I don't know how you do it. No, it's it's definitely different. I think, uh, yeah, I was kind of stuck in that mode of like trying to figure out like a formula to make it successful. Like I've seen Seth and his videos, right? And he has like, you, you know, his intro, right? Like here's the shoe. Hey, my name is Seth. Like, and I always was a little opposed to having something like kind of scripted like that. But, um,
00:03:03
Speaker
man, social media does make you kind of play a game, you know, like you have to you have to structure in a certain way. And because kind of like you, I would love to make these videos, you know, four or five minute long. And, and, you know, maybe I should put that on YouTube. But, you know, in order for you to gain any traction on social media, it feels like you got to really like get straight to the point or otherwise, like you lose people's attention. And so
00:03:28
Speaker
it does make you play a game. But I don't know, man, similar to you, I just like talking sneakers. And so that's what it really is about. For me, if I grow and have like a crazy ton of followers, that's dope. But if I just can continue to meet people that have similar interests, and that's enough for me.
Impact of Resellers on Sneaker Culture
00:03:45
Speaker
Nah, yeah, I mean,
00:03:47
Speaker
It's wild because like we were just recently on Mr. Miller's Instagram live and it's funny because that for me to be on there, I was by happenstance. Like I was like, Oh, I'll jump on. Cause one of the guests like couldn't come up or something like that. And I was just like, I was just like, yo, I have to shoot. I'm down to talk it. And we ended up talking for like two hours on, we were going for a minute. What like, cause like,
00:04:11
Speaker
my podcast and I strictly made it this way is like I don't like talking about new stuff on here because we're if you go you can go to somebody who I mean I wouldn't say look collecting longer than me but somebody who has more connections and can talk about
00:04:27
Speaker
this stuff like the newer stuff and you can get like good like early looks and stuff like that and I don't have that I just have my opinion so like how do I divert differentiate myself from all this other all this other stuff that's on the internet like and sneaker media and stuff like that like for me
00:04:45
Speaker
like sneakers is is a lot deeper for me because I didn't get to grow up with them. I had to now I'm like and then instead of growing up with them, I'm catching up with them now. Yeah. So like it's like like, I mean, I had sneaker then on and and the wildest thing for me is that he was only collecting for like four years and his lane is like, oh, I'm going to jump into sneaker culture and let people know about it. And I
00:05:14
Speaker
I've always wanted to be there, but I couldn't do it. I never, I never jumped into that. So yeah.
Ethics of Sneaker Reselling
00:05:20
Speaker
He's only been collecting four years. Yeah. That's crazy. He's, he's, he's like, he's like reselling. He's a reseller for sure. Like he's a reseller. He's a reseller first. But the thing is, is like, yeah, you look at his stuff and it's like all old stuff.
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not the typical like, I guess it's similar to like Curator Van, right? Like Ty from Curator Van, where it's like his lane is like 85 Jordan 1s and older shoes, but he's not like, he's super young. He's a super young kid and he hasn't been in sneakers for a long time. But yeah, that's dope. I mean, I always think, you know, there's always opinions on resellers and I'm not the biggest fan of like,
00:05:59
Speaker
the resellers who bro you can tell have no idea like about shoes or like sneaker history and it's purely profit for them and they try to mask that a little bit by
00:06:11
Speaker
you know, I'm doing giveaways, I'm giving back to the community. And it's like, no, you're stealing from the community and you feel, you know, a little guilty about it. And so you want to, you want to give back as a way to kind of suppress that. But I love when dudes like get into it and do something a little different, like actually post sneakers stories and, and do research because it's not anyone that can get those old shoes.
00:06:34
Speaker
and know what to do with them, right? Or it's like a super niche market, too. Like a lot of these new cats aren't buying older models.
Evolving Sneaker Buying Habits
00:06:41
Speaker
And so you have to find that kind of niche market that wants them. Nah, yeah. I mean, sneaker culture and like the sneaker community, I don't know where the like, where has the appreciation for sneakers has gone. I feel like it's so
00:06:59
Speaker
It's so in and out, right? Like everybody's like, Oh, this is hot. I'm gonna jump in it. And now that sneakers is not hot right now. I don't think it's on a downtrend in my opinion of like, you know, stuff is sitting, which is, I love it, you know? Yeah. And the, the habit of everybody just buying everything up is, it's kind of like fading as well. And that's like,
00:07:26
Speaker
That's like the people who have been here have, I mean, I've, I don't know if you remember when that happened. Like, well, I think the last time that happened was like the height of SBs, the first height of SBs where stuff charted, like sneakers started trending down. Cause everybody's buying SBs up and then the SB bubble bursted. And then now they were like, Oh, we got to get the Jordans. And then it was like the Jordans was going crazy. And then you get the phone positive and.
00:07:54
Speaker
And then that, that caused the other, the big resell bubble. But the, the fact that like, I don't know, I always found it weird. And I didn't know like some, some, like some of these big resellers now, like, you know, like sacred sneaks who, who has crazy pairs, like the craziest pairs and, or like, you know, two J's and stuff like that. Like these are people that started at like.
00:08:23
Speaker
like a couple years ago with just like a little bit of like a fundage and found the right shoes and then just expand like kept kept selling to resell and pick up like reselling to resell is like the wildest concept for me. I don't understand it at all. I don't understand it at all, man. Yeah, I remember two J's in Vegas like his first store and
00:08:53
Speaker
And it was tiny, bro. And I remember hearing about him because when people used to go camping, he used to go and pay people to buy him pairs. It's like upscale crack over here. Yeah, yeah. It's like if you wait in line for these, I'll give you an extra 20 on top. And if you didn't really care about the shoes, you were just going to do it. And so I respect the hustle for sure.
00:09:19
Speaker
Something that separates 2Js from a lot of other resellers is the longevity. He's kind of like...
00:09:27
Speaker
Like if there was like power rankings for resellers, like Urban Necessities 2Js is like number one, right? Like there's not many other resellers that are on his level that have a shop in Dubai, you know, have the biggest resell shop in Vegas. They're opening LA soon. And you see the respect he gets in the resell community, right? Like you see guys, like I'll watch videos every once in a while of like,
00:09:50
Speaker
like private selection, I think they're like a resale store, but they like when they have 2Js in store, it's all like, bro, we're trying to be like you, you know, type of deal. But I respect the hustle, but I personally can never be like,
00:10:06
Speaker
I can never be okay with the gouging or the price gouging. I'm going to buy this shoe for retail and I'm going to sell it for... I'm going to hoard the shoes. I don't care if you buy it at retail, a personal pair, and then you resell it for market. Bro, get your money. But I don't like the idea of people hoarding, intentionally taking away the stock to then resell it at a high price.
00:10:29
Speaker
Cause there's a lot of people that don't grow up with the money to buy that. There's a lot of people that want those shoes that have connections to them that will never be able to afford them above retail. And you're taking that opportunity from them, you know, and, and for me, that's, that's no good. I think that, I don't know. Like for me, it's, it's the, that like.
Gatekeeping in Sneaker Culture
00:10:52
Speaker
The journey was always part of it. I mean, we talked about it on your episode, like that journey was what really sold the sneakers to me first and
00:11:00
Speaker
It's a lot of it was because I didn't have the money. And once I got my first job, I was like, hey, I'm going to make this conscious effort to buy sneakers. The idea of just being like, yo, this is my money. I don't got to do anything else with this besides what I want to do with it. And now it's not like that anymore. I don't think there's anybody out there that's like, oh, I'm saving up for the next Jordan.
00:11:29
Speaker
You have funny people that post videos and be like, you know what? I got to eat McDonald's this week because I'm buying five pairs of sneakers this week. You cannot buy one of those shoes and eat regular food for the week.
Originality and Social Media Content
00:11:47
Speaker
Nike did a good job of creating this addiction. And to be fair,
00:11:59
Speaker
It's not like it's a lot of bad shoes, but you just, like FOMO, right? If you're missing out, like, oh, why not when you, like, you could get this shoe for retail, right? And then, like, everyone I think has, like, unconsciously in the back of their mind, like, yo, I could resell these later if I really wanted to, right? And so you have people, and I've fallen victim to it too, like, I've had to, like, chill out in the last couple of weeks just because
00:12:27
Speaker
Bro, life is life. But I really wanted those Fat Joe Air Forces, just nostalgic. But I had to be a grown up in past, right? Because I'm like, well, I got to buy a new car. But Nike, man, they release so much that if you are not copying, then you feel like you're missing out, which is not true. Bro, you have plenty of other chances. Because next week, they'll have five or six more pairs at release.
00:12:52
Speaker
It's it's wild. Like the idea of just being like, oh, man, I'm the idea of having FOMO is wild now, especially now. Before it was it was I feel like you're a common commonplace of just being just being like, I couldn't I couldn't get it. You know, like I didn't my report card wasn't good. I couldn't get it. Like, oh, my mom didn't have money, you know. And
00:13:18
Speaker
We don't have that a lot now. So everybody is just buying up what they can. And it definitely just, it's just oversaturated. Everybody thinks they're a sneakerhead. And look, there's, you know, there's people out here, you know, they'll be like, Oh, it's wrong. You shouldn't gatekeep. I said it. I said it on the live. Bring gatekeeping back. I'm gonna be honest, you know, it
00:13:41
Speaker
It's not as fun if everybody's down like it's not it's not I think I don't know if you feel like this cuz it
00:13:52
Speaker
Look, we talked about, uh, on Mr. Miller's live, like the, the idea of, Oh, you shouldn't have something is like, or you're being stopped from having something. That's not, that's not like the definition of what I'm talking about with this, like gatekeeping and where you, where you think this thing of ours is sacred. And you're like, yo, what are you doing? Well, like.
00:14:19
Speaker
Are you really into this? I feel like everybody considers themselves a sneakerhead immediately. And the sooners have to buy or spending money on a pair of Travis Scott's. They're like, yeah, I'm a sneakerhead. You're like, no, man. It happens a lot with streetwear, too. I agree with you 100%. And I don't mean it to keep people out. I mean it to keep people who have no real interest in it out.
00:14:43
Speaker
If you are brand new and you want to really learn about sneakers and you are asking questions and you're like, yo, I'm looking into the shoe and I really want to get it, then it's important for you to have an opportunity to ask people questions and really learn about the shoe. But I think it's like when you get people that are
00:15:09
Speaker
getting into it, but with no real desire to actually get to know more about it. It's funny because I see it a lot with odd future shirts. You ever see 13, 14 year old kids walking around with OF shirts on and you're like,
00:15:24
Speaker
Do you even know who OFA is? Like, oh, Tyler, the creator. And you're like, Tyler doesn't even really rep Odd Future anymore, right? Like Tyler, it's been a while since Tyler had like a golf Wang shirt or like an Odd Future shirt. And then you start asking him about it. He'll have golf Wang shirt because he still has golf. Yeah, he'll have golf. He'll have golf.
00:15:45
Speaker
But like, you know, when's the last time you've seen Tyler in an Odd Future shirt, right? Like it's like, and I'm like, you know, there's Odd Future was a huge group. There's a lot like, do you know who Earl is? Left brain, you know, uh, uh, yeah, Domogenesis, uh, Taco, right? Like this was a whole group of people and.
00:16:08
Speaker
And there's like a history to that. And you're like, throwing on our future share saying you like Tyler creator is like completely dismissing everyone else. I mean, look, the whole where music bands like I used to be on that tip. And it's like,
00:16:26
Speaker
Like, remember when Metallica shirts and Kiss shirts were like making the rounds of people. Oh, that was like vintage. That was like 2020, 2021. Everyone had like, oh, Rock T's. Yeah. I wasn't a big fan of it. And it made it seem like you were being like, to me, because I'm so entrenched in skate culture, I always thought like, yo, I don't want to be a poser. So like, even that's why
00:16:55
Speaker
My recent video with the J Balvin, I was just like, if I don't like J Balvin, I'm not going to wear his shoes. And I don't listen to J Balvin. I don't know anything about this dude. I'm not going to be a poser just because I think, oh, this is a good looking shoe. Nah, man. I would rather have something on me that connects with me so that I feel a certain way.
Authenticity vs Trends in Sneaker Culture
00:17:22
Speaker
I'm excited to wear this.
00:17:26
Speaker
And that whole poser mentality of being like, yeah, man, you know, this is the fashion now. I've never been a fan of it. I actually hate it. But I stopped being so...
00:17:41
Speaker
what's the word, like old head-ish about it? Because I know for a fact you're not gonna go to a Metallica concert. And you're just spending money on just the shirt. You're not spending money on the ideology or the albums or all this culture that comes with the shirt. And you don't wanna even have the conversation. I think that's the worst part.
00:18:08
Speaker
If I have, if I knew like a young kid that just got into sneakers and they're just, they're wearing a pair of like haze dunks. I don't know how they got them, but they got them. Right. And I go, Oh, do you know what those are? They're like, Oh, you know, these are just like,
00:18:25
Speaker
Panda kind does or something like that. They say some dumb. I'd probably be the most upset I've ever been about life No, you'll get it though like man
00:18:44
Speaker
I think that's the thing that really bothers us is that we grew up in a time in sneakers where it was important to actually know what sneakers you were buying. When you were talking to your mom trying to convince her to get you the pair, you were selling them on the pair. Your parents here were like,
00:19:04
Speaker
mom we got to get this shoe like this is a you know and it wasn't like collaborations were huge back then but it was like mom you know you don't understand like this this meant to represent this show and i love that show and blah blah blah where it's like now it's like oh it's like
00:19:21
Speaker
Like there's no, there's none of that, right? It's like you go on sneakers app, you like it, you get it, right? Like there's no convincing anymore of like, Hey, I really, I really have a connection to that shoe, but that's what created the connection for us was that having to look it up, right? Like we had to get on like kicks on fire, nice kicks, like Nike talk, all these blocks to see like what's even coming out, like, you know, telling like, Oh man, it's six months. This, this shoes. And then come out and, and.
00:19:51
Speaker
And I need to save up money for a mom when I can. Can I get these for the next school year? Whereas like now everything is so instant and you hear about shoes two years in
Storytelling in Sneaker Content
00:20:00
Speaker
advance sometimes. Right. Like there's already leaks of like next next winter's Jordan line. You're like, I mean, and especially with like content being based around it, that's because that's what gives us and I refuse to do that type of content like.
00:20:18
Speaker
I don't I don't know. I don't know what's like. I'd rather I'd rather I think in the long run or whatever, even even just doing this podcast for this long, I've always just felt like if I'm trying to put out a message and the message is stories matter like your personal stories matter, then I can't be going on my social needs being like.
00:20:43
Speaker
These are the first, these are next year's first four Jordans. I can't do that. It's just like, everything is copy and paste too, right? Like if you follow any of the major blogs and no disrespect to them, right? Disrespect them. Disrespect them.
00:20:59
Speaker
Nah. There's some that have been around for a while doing it. Obviously, you have your nice kicks and your kicks on fire. And that's where we went for sneaker news. They've been around forever. Even sneaker news isn't crazy old, but they've been around for a while. So that's what they were originally known for. But then you have all these copycat pages now.
00:21:25
Speaker
like that's all they do is post like updates that they get from other pages bro and you know what really bothers me is you see these accounts that blow up have hundreds of thousands of followers and they're essentially like a copy and paste account like they take content from other creators to post it and like nothing is original on the page but people for whatever reason follow it and you're like you don't realize that like
00:21:50
Speaker
They're really taking from smaller creators all this hard work and all they're doing is repurposing it for their page, but they have the benefit of the followers so people will follow them for that information instead of saying, yo, this is actually a dope video that has posted. Let me let me follow him because he's the one that created it. But they're just like, oh, I'll go to this page and it's like a one stop shop, right? Like they'll get all this other content for free on there. Yeah, I mean, perfect.
00:22:20
Speaker
I have a personal beef with plugged in IO and they, they, they suck. All they do is repost other people's stuff and not credit them. And I used to call them out on every post and be like, yo, where's the credit for such and such? It was a credit. Yeah. Did they block you? They didn't block me. Uh, but there was one time, or maybe they did block me. I know on threads I posted, I was like a response to
00:22:47
Speaker
So something sneaker news said, and now it was like, it was like something about who, who's like, who, who's not, who are you not following on threads or something like that? And I was like, Oh, I'm just glad a plugged in IO isn't on here yet or something like that. It was something like that. And they saw, I didn't even add them. I, they saw it and they were like, they were like, Oh, uh,
00:23:17
Speaker
it was something like a response of like being like, Oh, they didn't know I didn't know we had haters or something like that. And I was just like, I was just like, wow, you really you really, you really vanity search you got yourself because I didn't I didn't tag you in it. And they like they like those pages.
00:23:38
Speaker
Like they don't get it ever. Like that's a weird thing. Like you're like, bro, you're literally stealing other people's work, reposting it and not even giving them the courtesy of like crediting them with what they did. And so, and then for you to just feel like that's okay because it's working for you just says a lot about you, right? And so it is kind of frustrating. It can be frustrating sometimes because there's people like us that are really trying
00:24:06
Speaker
to do it right and you you've been a lot more consistent than me so you definitely deserve more flowers for that but we're trying to do it the right way and not compromise our message like you said just stick to what we like sharing opinions that we hold true to ourselves but I had that happen with
00:24:25
Speaker
like the Jordan Ones Daily page, where they reposted one of my videos and they gave me credit, which is dope. But then on their page, it got, you know, a couple thousand likes, you know, like 50K views. And then on my page, it got like, you know, 90 likes, you know, whatever it was, right? And so I felt some type of way because I'm like,
00:24:48
Speaker
It's cool to get reposted, but at the same time, I'm the one that made the video, right? Why is this getting so much love and traction on a feature page, essentially, instead of the person's own page, right? And I think if we can get people to start realizing that and saying, oh, shoot, it's important. Cool. You can support Jordan One's daily or all these other blogs.
00:25:11
Speaker
And it's not a bad thing, but also take the time to support the people who are providing them their content, right? Because very rarely are they posting original content.
00:25:21
Speaker
Before we jump back into the episode, I want to talk to you about Drops and Collect by Soul Savvy. With Drops and Collect, you are able to stay ahead of the game. Using Drops, you can enter raffles and set alerts for any and all restocks. It will help you never miss another release ever again. And after your cops and fresh kicks, use Collect to manage your collection.
00:25:43
Speaker
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00:26:04
Speaker
All you have to do is use the link in the description of this podcast or in the link tree for this podcast. Download these apps and grow your collection by helping the podcast. That's right. Just use the links in the description and start expanding your collection today.
00:26:25
Speaker
Yeah, it is. Wow. I mean, even recently Soul Loco and they all they only post like other people stuff nonstop. So but they posted somebody making the the Air Force One cowboy boots.
00:26:43
Speaker
You see that? And do you know? Oh, man. And they do. So somebody posted that. No, they posted that. And he's like, they're making it, but they're making it with the with the Travis Scott reverse check on it. Oh, my gosh. And it looks terrible. But yeah, it's not the original like Andy, Andy, if if anybody knows, soon to be guest on this podcast zero eight.
00:27:12
Speaker
23 a.m i think it's that's his at follow him he's the original person that made the the air force one cowboy boots and he he's i mean he's gone viral a bunch of times like the dude is everywhere and for somebody to steal his design not try to like you know credit or anything and then they just post that video because they know they're like oh
00:27:36
Speaker
This is like, this is another Air Force One boot and like somebody's like, and then they're like, try to hype it up too. On top of that was like, man, this is like the copycat on like the mobile, the double copycat thing I've ever seen. Like this might be as as bad as reps. Yeah.
00:27:59
Speaker
But they get away with it, bro. And that's that's the crazy thing that they get away with it. And I think it's important that that people do what you do. Like you have to call them out and ask them to give people credit because if not, they'll just keep doing it. Now, yeah, in the comments, I was literally like, if it's not at zero eight twenty three a.m., it's not that's not
Social Media and Sneaker Content Diversity
00:28:20
Speaker
it ain't it. That's what I put. I put an Andy liked it. But like, it's just wild that that people can just like steal. Like, it's not.
00:28:27
Speaker
When did we all become so unoriginal? How many times do we have to see the same people, the same content being sent to us all the time? And then when you try to do something different, it doesn't do anything.
00:28:44
Speaker
That's so wild. Bro, that's what we're being taught by the social media gurus. So more people do it. And like, how many times are you scrolling through like the reels and you see get ready with me or like, right? Like it's like every day is like there's like five or six and I get it. Like, but that's what.
00:29:04
Speaker
That's what it's popular. That's what get views. So instead of like being original and staying true to their message, you compromise a little bit and you start doing those type of videos hoping that the algorithm messes with you and actually promotes you. And but you see it all the time, right? Like that's why early looks get such such good traction. Like it's just
00:29:28
Speaker
We're kind of taught by social media to make things look a certain way so that they're willing to promote you and like push your content. But then it's like there's no diversity in content, right? Like then you have people doing the same type of deals and you're right. Then when you try to step outside the box and do something a little different, it makes it like no one's really messing with it, right? Like you don't reach the masses that they do.
Podcasting Challenges in Sneaker Space
00:29:56
Speaker
I mean, it's frustrating. I've been doing this. We're about to go into year three now with this podcast, you know, and. It's it's tough to get the word out, especially when I'm doing everything by myself, you know, and and then it's tough to just like, I mean, I look at a certain point, I already I like I'm doing this for me. It's not about all the extra stuff that you see that other podcasts get and
00:30:25
Speaker
But I will say I be getting bitter. I'll be getting very bitter about it. And then I have to take a couple steps back and be like, all right, man, you're doing this for you. If the followers come, the followers come. If the people listen, if the people mess with you, people mess with you. I mean, I've been doing this for almost three years. And yeah, it's tough.
00:30:50
Speaker
Let's hard segue into the segment of this show. So yeah, as as y'all know, my bad has been a while. So let's talk about some three. Let's talk about three kicks that we think everybody should be up on my first pair.
Nostalgic Stories: Air Max Plus
00:31:09
Speaker
And I'm pretty sure you know this shoe.
00:31:14
Speaker
but this is, I'm gonna say this was, this was like the Corona, well, I'm from Corona, Queens. So like, this was like the Corona classic at the time. If you were of Hispanic heritage, you love this shoe and you loved wearing Nautica jeans with it. And I want this shoe back, but I don't want to spend buku bucks for it. And we're gonna talk, I'm gonna talk real quick about the,
00:31:45
Speaker
Air Max Plus, the Air Max Plus hyper blues. I don't remember when they originally dropped, but this is the 2018 pair, just to give you guys a little rundown. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Air Max Plus, Nike released the Air Max Plus hyper blue in 2018. The sneaker features a mesh upper and a hyper blue color scheme with wavy black TPU overlays.
00:32:13
Speaker
The sneaker also boasts an elasticated lacing system for an adaptive fit, a padded tongue for comfort, suede and leather details along the mudguard and heel, and an Air Max unit in the midsole for responsive cushioning.
00:32:35
Speaker
I don't know if you were you a big fan of the shoe and no air mags plus no The ends no, I mean I thought they were cool But I can't say I ever owned a pair or went after a pair. So no, I can't I can't front and said No, I mean this is totally just like us a little like a little group of people used to wear this shoe. I mean, yeah, I
00:33:00
Speaker
I'll tell you, I don't know if I told this story on here, but I'll tell it in case you hear. If in case you heard this story, then my bad, but.
00:33:11
Speaker
I remember I used to have a friend, and this friend was like eight years older than me or something like that. This dude was old, right? And I don't know why he was hanging out with a 12-year-old. But he gave me a bunch of clothes. He was just like, yo, these don't fit me. Here you go. And around that time in Corona, I mean, Latin Kings were running it. So basically, everybody had to dress kind of the same at that time.
00:33:41
Speaker
in terms of just like if you if you down with them. So it was like boot cut nadaka jeans. That's what he gave me. He gave me boot cut nadaka jeans and then you'd wear like a like some weird like a like a graphic tee. But it wasn't even like a pop in graphics. It was like it looked like you could find it in a Goodwill right now.
00:34:01
Speaker
like a school hard knock shirt, right? And then he gave me a pair of the Air Max pluses in this colorway, in this cobalt blue, hyper blue colorway. And there were one size too small. And I still rock them because I thought I was fresh, man. I thought I was killing it, man.
00:34:30
Speaker
It was not, it was not popping. My feet were hurting every single day. So I never was able to get another pair to replace the one that I was wearing. But I thought I was the shit. I'm telling you, bro. I used to be like, yo, I am the shit right now. I want to put these on. And I haven't been able to replace them. So I definitely want to get another pair. I hope these get re-released because I am not paying $300 right now for a pair of these. Sheesh. Definitely not.
00:35:00
Speaker
That's what the going price is right now. Oh, wait. No, there's not even a there's not even a listing, but there's a size twelve for four hundred eighty five dollars. Oh, my God. Last sale was six hundred bucks. Hell no.
00:35:17
Speaker
There's a used pair for 292. I'm still not paying that. Yeah, people would just be putting those prices up to see what people would pay, bro. There's no way. No way someone actually paid that at all. I really truly think that some of these shoes that don't be selling like that, there's like
00:35:46
Speaker
Like the resellers will go on a different account and buy the shoe off of themselves. Just to say the guy. Yeah. Just bro. That's yeah. I can believe that because some shoes I'm like, there's no way you were able to sell that for that price. And then, but oh, bro, like the last sale was 400 something. Yeah. I'm sure it was, you know, you and your reseller friend helping each other out, like, bro, go ahead and pay 400 for these. We can drive up the price and then we can repost it, you know, and sell it to someone else.
00:36:15
Speaker
They not slick. I remember I used to do that when I put a shoe on eBay. I'd be like, yo, yo, my man, yo, like I'll ask all my friends like, yo, just bid, like boost this bid on this real quick. Like, just get an extra couple of like, you know, 10, 20 bucks on somebody. Yeah. Yeah. Get a couple extra bids. All right. What's your, what's your first shoe, Aaron? All right. I'm going to record it also on my camera so I can like dual content.
00:36:42
Speaker
I have my camera set up here. I'm like, bro, let me, let me take advantage of the setting. I'm never in the setting. So I have to, I have like my little camera set up right now. So I'm like, let me see if I will let me, uh, record this real fast. All right. First one for me. I'm going to go ahead and read. I'm going to go ahead and tell you.
Jordan 8 Playoff Low: Historical Context
00:37:00
Speaker
read the little synopsis, essentially a low cut version of the Air Jordan 8 retro playoff. This Air Jordan 8 retro low was released in 2003. The design is distinguished by a multi-colored streak print that adorns the heel, inner lining, and outsole. Other defining features include a black Dura-Buck upper, gray midsole, red Jumpman branding, and embroidered 23 logos on the asymmetrical midfoot straps.
00:37:28
Speaker
And so, of course, I'm talking about the Air Jordan 8 playoff low. And I talk about this shoot quite a bit. But bro, like- Will you hear these came out again?
00:37:40
Speaker
2003. They should have stayed there, all I'm saying. No, no, no, no, no. No. All right. So I picked these shoes up for multiple reasons. So the first reason, or I picked these shoes for the podcast today for multiple reasons. The first one, I think it's just defines like a super dope era and sneakers. Like 2003, obviously we had like the 19s came out. The air forces were at an all time high.
00:38:10
Speaker
Dang, it was just a dope era in sneakers 2003. I think that's when we got started getting like 11 lows as well.
00:38:18
Speaker
Oh, one of my favorite shoes came out that year. Which ones? The Air Force One High Stash, the one night only. Oh, the Stash? Yeah. Nike was doing their artist series back then, 2003. I think the Shady Burst came out 2003. Futura. Yeah, the Futuras.
00:38:43
Speaker
was I think the Air Force 2, the... The Atmos? Not Atmos, Espos? No, not Espos. Yeah, the Espos, I think were 2003. And then you think 2004, we got 2004, I think it's the NRE, NRED dunks, right? 2004. Or was that 2003 as well? I think. But anyways, they just... The Espos were 2004.
00:39:09
Speaker
Oh, those are in 2004 as well. But anyways, yeah, that 2003, 2004, 05, I think, man, was like a golden era in sneakers. And so...
00:39:19
Speaker
These just represent that era. But yeah, these are issues I've loved since then. I remember getting these, I've told a story many times from the friendly neighborhood crackhead who stole stuff from people to pay for his crack. And East New York baby.
00:39:41
Speaker
He stowed these on Liberty Avenue, if you're familiar with East New York. I think they called it, it's like City Line, other people call it. But there's a bunch of shops. I don't know how it is anymore, but it used to be like
00:39:58
Speaker
a bunch of shops, like your foot lockers, champs, everything was there. And some dude sat, he followed a dude in the store, happened to wear my size. And the dude sat outside at a bus stop, put the shoe down, tie his shoe, and he grabbed it and took off with it. Oh my God. So I feel bad because I, you know, poor dude just walked out of the store buying these and, you know, my friendly neighborhood crackhead.
00:40:24
Speaker
you know, took off. How much did he charge you for him? I think he charges like $70 for them, like $60, $70. That's probably a lot of money for him, too. He was like... Yeah, for him, he was like... And you know, the worst part was he would come into the place my mom worked and he just asked me, he's like, what shoes you want now?
00:40:45
Speaker
And I'd be like, all right, let me get a pair of these. And he would be like, all right, give me a couple of days. And then somehow he show up with the shoe. So I don't know, man. I'm not saying I condone it, but I definitely wasn't fighting it back then.
00:41:03
Speaker
I mean the only the only it's funny because you just made me remember about the time when I was working in game No, I used to when I was hanging out in GameStop There was this dude who would always have stuff to trade in and he'd be like, yeah, he'd be like
00:41:18
Speaker
Yeah, I bought this GameCube and all the games for $20 from this crackhead. I was like, what? And he would just keep coming. He would just keep coming back. Like, yeah, man, now I got to Xbox all these games. Yeah, they weren't playing, bro. I mean, obviously, addiction is a hell of a thing, right?
00:41:44
Speaker
And they were doing whatever they could to feed that. And it just happened to benefit me, you know, more than it should have. So yeah, I feel you. All right, man. My second shoe. Uh, wow. I just closed the, no, wrong thing. Here we go. My second shoe. Uh, it's a shoe. I first, I would say at first I did not like him. And, uh,
00:42:09
Speaker
in the the forums days.
Air Trainer 1 SB Huff Gold Digger
00:42:11
Speaker
And then after I got my first pair, once I finally was able to buy the chlorophylls, I was like, now I need all the trainers in my life. But specifically, I need this trainer in my life. And that is the air trainer one as be huff gold digger. Now, ooh, the recipe tough. Rest in peace, huh?
00:42:35
Speaker
long time huff guy me that's me okay the design and partnership with huff the Nike air trainer one SB gold digger launched in 2005 as the follow-up to the creative partners iconic tie-dye dunk which is a grail for me probably will never be able to buy them
00:42:56
Speaker
Whereas that shoe celebrated San Francisco's hippie movement during the 1967 Summer of Love, this pair goes back even further, finding inspiration in the California Gold Rush of 1848. The retro trainer makes use of a brown leather upper with contrasting accents in red and orange around the collar and toe box.
00:43:25
Speaker
The open brown mesh reveals a shiny underlay in metallic gold. The lateral heel is marked with an embroidered graphic that combines SF with a cross pickaxe and shovel.
00:43:42
Speaker
I remember being on the forums and being like, this shoe is ugly. But, you know, as time goes on, I feel like your taste changes and I'm like, now I need to get these in my collection. Yeah, I mean, I used to wear, I used to wear, I used to. I want to say like I have huffed stuff and I am one of my favorite things.
00:44:07
Speaker
We're just buying a lot of huff sneakers like their fans collabs are always my favorite. But yeah, the this this is these are are I'm going to try to get these because the prices aren't crazy. But at the same time, it's like I'm pretty sure they're like it's a shoe from 2005. It's definitely not going to hold up, you know.
00:44:29
Speaker
The those that the suits I put my foot in there is going to be a wrap. Like, well, that's what is happening right now to all my like oh four or five air forces like as soon as I walk in them, I can feel that bubble. I had a pair of spirit ons and I love the spirit ons, but I was wearing it and I could feel the bubble just got really squishy. And I'm like, oh, man, that's tough, man.
00:44:54
Speaker
the look, the air trainer one. I mean, it's Mr. Miller's favorite shoe. I severely slept on this one because I'm pretty sure people were selling this shoe for like $87. I like I remember seeing people trying to offload this stuff. And I've recently I'm going to make a video on this, but I'm going to do like a little series of like forgotten SB models. And that's dope. Yeah, the
00:45:18
Speaker
Hopefully, the first one will be out by the time this is out. But it's funny because the dunk gets so much love. And even me, when I first started collecting, I was always like, yo, let's be dunks. Let's be dunks. And then you learn about the FC, the Zoom FC, the Trey, the Angus. I mean, I had one of my go-tos was a pair of black and white blazers. And I used to kill them, bro.
00:45:46
Speaker
like I paid I think 60 bucks for them but they were mad comfortable and I was just like every day black and white blazers yo I got a a little exclusive for this and it may be out but um I just made a video on the um the milk cartons oh that's my favorite but that's that's a grill right those the vanilla ice um yeah there was a time man like when blazers everything blazers put out uh
00:46:14
Speaker
hit like those the milk cartons probably one of the best shoes of all time and and it's forgotten so hopefully you use it for your series. I don't think it's forgotten but I had Ryan Sullivan on. Yeah, you're familiar with him. But he he actually I think one of his I think he talks about it in the episode is like one of his friends designed that.
00:46:34
Speaker
design. So that was, that was really cool to learn. But like, yeah, that, that shoot, I remember when those milk crate plays was just like showed up and I was like, I was like, Oh my God, these are fire. I need these. And then
00:46:47
Speaker
I couldn't ever find them. And yeah, impossible. Yeah. And I was like, damn, those are to shoot this, that, the milk blazer, the milcraver blazer and the bow house dunks have eluded me to my entire like collecting like. And it's funny because I didn't even know the bow house dunks dropped and I and when they dropped, I was like,
00:47:13
Speaker
how did I miss this? And then I used to go and eat at Bauhaus for like every week I was there just getting pork buns every week.
Kanye's Influence on Sneaker Culture
00:47:24
Speaker
And I remember asking them being like, yo, is there any chance you guys have like a size 13 at Bauhaus dunks downstairs that you just like have there? And they're like, I don't know what you're talking about. Like, yo, dunks, what?
00:47:43
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, look, these trainer ones, these air trainer ones, they were really nice. I would love to have the like, I think it's what four pairs of air trainer ones that came out for SB, the medicine ball, the chlorophylls, these.
00:48:00
Speaker
uh, gold diggers. And I think just like a regular color, it was maybe like an infrared color or something like that. I don't, I'm not, I'm not too sure, but the, I love it when a brand at like, when they do a collaboration and this is like one of the first few times where there was just like, you know what, we're going to do an older model and we'll see what happens. And this is fire, but what's your second shoe?
00:48:26
Speaker
All right, so my second shoe, following the turtle dove and pirate colorways, the Yeezy Boost 350 moon rock features a moon rock, a gate, great prime knit upper, and a moon rock boost outsole. First previewed on Instagram by Kim Kardashian and released November 14th, 2015, the Yeezy Boost 350 moon rock was sold exclusively as stores that carried Yeezy season one apparel. And so my,
00:48:55
Speaker
and pull them out. My second shoe is the Yeezy Moonrock. First of all, it's like the whole set of Yeezy 350 V1s is a grail for me. I was able to get the restock of the Pirate Blacks and I hit the turtle doves on Yeezy Day.
00:49:21
Speaker
But these represent a time in sneakers where Adidas
00:49:27
Speaker
was more popular than Nike. And at least in the niche sneaker head community, right? Like Ultra Boost had everyone in a choke code, like the NMDs, Ultra Boost, NMDs, Ultra Boost, they were the shoes, right? Like those were the shoes that you rocked. And it showed how powerful Kanye was in the sneaker space, right? Like there's not a lot of people in that era from like,
00:49:55
Speaker
Man, 2006 to like 2020, 1920, anything Kanye did, did numbers. And he influenced the entire culture based on what he did. But this little period, it was like almost like a rebuilding period for Nike. They were trying to figure out how to, you know, the
00:50:18
Speaker
We've heard Connie say it before. His whole idea was to have a shoe that would kill the Roshi. And he did it with the 350. And so it really took those years. Nike really was trying to figure out how they were going to compete with that. But yeah, that's an errant speaker, definitely. I would say he had a choke hold until 2017.
00:50:46
Speaker
until until the Virgil until the Virgil. That's exactly what I was looking at. I was just like, okay, you know, I would believe it if maybe they until the ten came out. But I think once Virgil dropped that one, it was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Nike, Nike made a comeback. Yeah. But I mean, you ought to think
00:51:07
Speaker
like all that he did with Nike before that too, right? Like it wasn't just Adidas, like, you know, everyone talks about how famous he made the infrared sixes, right? And the Chicago Jordan one, and, you know, he had everyone wearing leather pants. I mean, not me, I couldn't fit into leather pants, but you know.
00:51:28
Speaker
But you know the fit. Look what he did with the flyknit trainers. Think about how many people were rocking flyknit trainers. Oh, yeah. I think that Kanye was definitely a tastemaker. If you weren't drifting anything Kanye related, you weren't relevant, in my opinion. I'm not in my opinion. And everybody else's opinion is what I meant to say.
00:51:56
Speaker
the for me, I see that's the thing like Yeezys have would never like sold to me. Right. I I never bit down on it. I had to be gifted a pair in order for me to have it. And and I have the 350 V twos. But for me, I don't know. I just never I never took him as being like, oh, I'm into his stuff.
00:52:25
Speaker
I'm into into the way Kanye dresses because I was never like once I got into skate culture and like and like punk stuff and and like messing around with what is hip hop and what is hip hop to me and I never was into like what everybody else was listening to. So when people are we're all wearing Yeezys, I was like, no.
00:52:49
Speaker
I'm not doing it, you know, so I never and then when you pulled them out, I was like, I was like, I don't know. I don't think I like them either. So you got Kanye was Kanye was like a lot. I feel like a lot of sneaker heads.
00:53:06
Speaker
felt that way. Like you talked to a lot of like, sneakerheads have been around for a while. And I think the 350 because it became so mainstream, right? Like you see that shoe everywhere. Like you see it at the gym, you see it at the mall. And like, it's also like that shoe, like we talked about earlier that non sneakerheads wear, right? Like
00:53:26
Speaker
Well, you could be at the car dealership and a random, you know, 45 year old man is wearing three fifties. Doesn't know anything about sneakers, but he knows those are Kanye's, right? Like he knows those are Yeezys. And so Kanye kind of. He.
00:53:40
Speaker
he surpassed this niche market and he became mainstream, right? Because of how big of an artist he is. And that's, I think, why a lot of sneakerheads were hesitant to the 350 V2 because it was a shoe that was like, people that have never bought a pair of shoes outside of Ross or Marshalls before are now rocking 350s, right? And then they're going back and they're buying more and more.
00:54:08
Speaker
And, uh, but yeah, that's not a, not a hot take or an unpopular opinion. I feel like I've, I've, uh, there's a lot of secret heads like that. Even my own cousin, like I was buying easy two fifties and Brian could care less about them. Right. Like I gifted him a pair of three 50 V twos. And I think that's the only pair that he's ever had. And, and he could just care less for them. And I mean, there's other models, like, uh, you know, the 700, I feel like was also very mainstream. Like, I think that was more of an acceptable shoe for people. Like.
00:54:38
Speaker
uh old sneaker heads were even wearing like the wave runners right like that's the one that got a lot of people but yeah i hate the wave runners i hate them to meet the wave runners because they it looks like it's like a fake skate shoe and it's so bulky and i was just like man this shoe is is like a year like it never the it
00:55:06
Speaker
I think it just never bit, it never bit down for me. Like I never bit down on it or whatever you want to say. Like the idea of the shoe being so big and then when you look down, it's like your feet is mad wide and people were just constantly on them. And I was just like, I was like, I don't see it. I don't get it.
00:55:25
Speaker
Like I said, I never really fully got the Kanye bug in terms of just outside of his music. For me, his fashion was like, that's cool. I see it. I mean, I've always been a bigger dude. So when it comes to fashion and stuff like that, I wasn't able to really partake. So I never really
00:55:49
Speaker
paid attention to it. And I never really thought that he was like, yo, he's dripped out. Like, no, I've always been like, like, I like looking, I like seeing people and like, you know, if I, compared to like how I dress is just like, okay, I try not to be, you know, super blinged out, you know, and the Louis Vuitton or whatever, but I'll rock a pair of dope kicks. And, and I think that
00:56:14
Speaker
for me to be like, oh, yeah, I'm finally like down with like all these Yeezys and stuff like that. I think it adds for me to be like I had to I had to like bite down on the whole. Yeah. Yeah. Is is it right now? Yeah. The man, I mean, not to poo poo your second shoot. But that you're good.
00:56:42
Speaker
All right, cool. Let's just jump on to the last shoe. My last shoe. My last shoe is the Extra Butter Saucony Originals White Rabbit Shadow 6000.
Saucony White Rabbit Shadow 6000
00:56:55
Speaker
I like that. These are absolutely fire. I wish I was. I wish I'm going to hopefully try to get these all three of these shoes for the listeners and
00:57:05
Speaker
Anybody watching this I will be trying to get I don't know how long it takes But I will be trying to get I still have to have to get a shoe That is a non Nike shoe. I haven't done that this year and I promise I would this year Alright, so I have to make sure I do that. Just remind me. I just reminded myself It's I only have three months left to do it So
00:57:32
Speaker
not to interrupt you, but extra butter right now. I'm the type of person that I'm always looking at the sales website, right? Extra butter has a sale code like autumn get an extra 20% off. But bro, they have so many sock and he's like, I have like, like 10 in my cart right now. And it's like 500 bucks for all of them. And I'm like, dang, like these sock knees are so accessible. And it's not even hating on them. But it's just like, they're such a dope shoe that's underappreciated.
00:58:01
Speaker
Big time, big time. All right, so the White Rabbit Shadow 6000 constructed of premium leather, pig suede, and sport mesh with reflective underlays. The traditional running man found on the woven tongue label of most Saucony original products has been replaced by a custom White Rabbit silhouette. The box and insole were designed with a vibrant and colorful psychedelic overhaul contrasting the simplicity
00:58:29
Speaker
of the shoe itself. Lastly, Extra Butter has designed the shoe with a hidden element that speaks directly to the original inspiration of further down the rabbit hole. Now, if you aren't familiar with this shoe, which I feel like not many are, this shoe is definitely a play on Alice in Wonderland and going into the Mad Hatter's rabbit hole or whatever, right? Yeah.
00:58:59
Speaker
This shoe is so dope and it has just primary colors on it, red, blue, and white, white, red, and blue. And I don't know how I missed out on this, because this came out in 2021. So I'm hoping to actually get these. I don't know how, but if extra butter, if anybody extra butter is listening to this and you have one just sitting downstairs, size 13, let me know. Okay.
00:59:28
Speaker
But I just think like, I mean, I really wanted to get because I made a video, I made a video about the only Socrates that I have in my collection. And
00:59:39
Speaker
It's funny because in my head, as I was making it and thinking about it, I realized that it really does take a collab that means something to me in order for me to forget about a brand. Because I'll mindlessly buy a pair of Nikes. I'm always looking at a pair of Nikes. But I think that comes from
01:00:03
Speaker
I was so, and it's like Nike SB do or die for so long. That is hard. Like once you see that check, the check kind of does sell it and then you sell it to yourself on top of that. So for me to switch, it does take a brand, a collab for me to be like, okay, like this is now I'm starting to pay attention. Cause once I got my first, once I got the, the Ronnie Feig, um,
01:00:28
Speaker
nyx a6 gel a2 yeah right gel a3s no gel a3s yeah three yeah once i got those the that's when i was like oh i'm looking at a6 all the time and i was just buying a sick after a sick and and and this is like i would like to get more sockanese but definitely i would like to get this one and
01:00:51
Speaker
Once I unleash the cap on it, then I'll probably be like, oh, I got to get these two. I got to get these two. But it's really hard to switch. Because I think Nike is so accessible. You get the sneakers app. Everybody's tweeting about them. Or whenever you're on social media, everybody's talking about mainly
01:01:15
Speaker
mainly Nike items and and It's just really hard to be like yeah, so check out this shadow 5000, you know like nobody's gonna be like people be like what are those you know and I Think I hope I mean shout out to Sakani I hope you know you guys keep doing these dope collabs cuz like recently they just dropped the color What was it? I
01:01:43
Speaker
Color Plus, the Saucony Color Plus. Yeah, yeah. And it's like a cool bra. Is it this? No, it's not this one. It's something else. There was a recent Saucony collab that just dropped that was like a brown shoe. Wasn't it the shadow two, the Color Plus, like the grid shadow two?
01:02:11
Speaker
No, that's the that's the previous one. There was one that's there's one either is dropping now or like real soon. But I really like that shoe. And I just think that I have to be more open to other brands and like pay attention to other brands because
01:02:39
Speaker
I can't just be tunnel vision and just Nike all the time. So, you know. It's hard though. Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. So you're your third shoe.
J-Tips Saucony Grid Azzaro 2000
01:02:52
Speaker
All right, well, it looks like we were in sync because my third shoe is a Saucony J-Tips. First shoe, I remember who fronted or remember who fronted. And let's see, let's get a video for the folks watching on video. Yeah, man.
01:03:16
Speaker
I haven't worn these yet, actually. I think I need to bust these out this week. But I think this represents a new Aaron sneakers, right? So I think.
01:03:24
Speaker
Obviously, J-tips is kind of what's in right now. It's a great era for Black designers, right? You have the Joy Fresh goods, you have Salahie, you have J-tips, you know, a Coldwall, you have, I mean, till the separation for some premium, Tremaine, you just have like a lot of Black designers at the forefront. Oh, I don't know about Tremaine right now.
01:03:53
Speaker
We'll see where that goes. But you have Nina Chanel, just a ton of people, a lot of black designers that are getting there. I mean, obviously the Whitaker group. But I think, one, I really appreciate Sakani's willingness to give people a shot, right?
01:04:13
Speaker
They're one of the few brands that will work with brand new art, brand new designers and give them their first shoe and give them an opportunity to learn and establish their reputation as sneaker designers. And so I always got to clap them up because not a lot of people are willing to do that. So, um, yeah, this is kind of, I feel like I love all the little details, like the made by Jay tips, you know, the, the remember who fronted like on the,
01:04:43
Speaker
on the heel right there, just like the floral patterns throughout the use of different colors.
01:04:52
Speaker
Just a good shoe, man. So this is the third shoe. But let me read the synopsis so that we get a more full idea. The J-tips in Saucony Grid Azzaro 2000, Remember Who Fronted, delivers a debut collaboration shot through with a riotous blend of colors. The mixed material upper combines a beige mesh base with suede overlays and clashing violet aqua and red hues.
01:05:17
Speaker
A multi-color floral print decorates the suede mudguard, while a black and white checkerboard print embellishes the back heel. The sneaker sits atop a pink EVA midsole inscribed with, remember who fronted, across the medial heel. Underfoot, a semi-translucent rubber outsole features triangular lugs for superior grips.
01:05:38
Speaker
So, yeah, man, the one of the dopest releases, I know a lot of people have it in their like top five, top three releases of the year. And so it'll be interesting to see where it where it lands at the end of the year when people have all the shoes to pick from. But I think definitely it's a top three shoe for me. I mean, I wasn't lucky to get a pair, but also shout out to Jay, who works in collaborations and making these collabs happen.
01:06:08
Speaker
It's really dope. He's done some great work. And I think his route of collabing with these young, like, and I mean, lesser known brands is really dope because it gives them more chances to actually try things like that J-tip shoe, you know, and find like that. It's wild, like.
01:06:32
Speaker
the chance to be able to have like your own signature sneaker or signature colorway or something like that is so few and far between, especially now, unless you're like a huge name or something like that, you know, is wild. So I really love what Saucony's doing. And I think that the J-tip shoes is amazing. I think it's wild because for me, I wouldn't put it in my top three or top five. I think there's,
01:07:03
Speaker
I think there's probably like three or four shoes before it for sure. I mean, that action bronze and new bounds, man, if I can. It's like because I feel like it comes from the same. That's a good one. Yeah, I think it comes from the same realm, right? They're both sneaker heads and they're both like they saw the sneaker that they wanted to make when they were a kid or like they want they were like or they were looking at a shoe and were like, you know,
01:07:33
Speaker
Oh, these are sneakers that real sneaker heads will appreciate. And I think J-tips took his approach and he added his colors based on his hats and stuff like that. And if you weren't familiar about J-tips, you are now because of it. And then you also have Action Bronson who grew up on sneakers. And he talks about his love for sneakers, how his mom would go to Long Island to just to get new balances.
01:08:03
Speaker
he put out a crazy colorway shoe too that people were like, I don't get it. You're like, you don't get this shoe. But then you look at J-tips with like seven different colors and animal prints and you're like, I get this shoe. You know, so I definitely think it's a great shoe. I feel like to me, I think what takes a couple points away from it is the model. Like the Azura grid is cool.
01:08:33
Speaker
but it's also so wild as a model, you know? It is. Man, Aaron, this has been fun as hell. Yo, tell people where they can find you.
Conclusion and Shout-outs
01:08:48
Speaker
Thanks, everyone. And first and foremost, shout out to Haz, my first Kicks podcast. Man, check it out. Haz has been doing great work, man. And so it's definitely important to support him. If you want to find me, Front Page Aaron on Instagram, Front Page Shoes on YouTube. I'm going to start uploading more there. But yeah, man, Front Page Aaron, hopefully you'll see me and Haz do more of this together. Definitely Instagram Lives, at least.
01:09:18
Speaker
Yeah. Thank you for having me, bro. Yo, yo. And you know where to find me. I am who is hostile on social medias. Follow the podcast on My First Kicks Pod. Follow the podcast on TikTok and YouTube at My First Kicks. And if you have a My First Kicks story, hit me up, myfirstkickspodatgmail.com. And you know what we say every week, everybody, wear your kicks. Peace.