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Competition in Content with WinonaKicks
145 Plays2 years ago
This week I welcome Charley McClay to the podcast as we talk about how he got into sneakers. The leaps he's made in over 4 years using social media. How basketball is apart of his life and how exciting Anthony Edwards is. The impact the AE 1's are having this year. We also talk about the current state of basketball sneakers. How it felt to go viral the first time and handling brands and brand deals. Very insightful episode this week!
Where to Find Charley:
Socials: @WinonaKicks
Podcast: @beyondkickspodcast
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 of Winona Kicks
00:00:00
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to my first kicks. This is episode 166. And this week I welcome Winona kicks to the podcast. Now, if you aren't familiar with Winona kicks, I'm pretty sure you are because he is all over your social medias. If you're into any sneakers or any type of lifestyle content creation, you have come across Winona kicks, a.k.a. Charlie or Charlie, a.k.a. Winona kicks content and
00:00:30
Speaker
I mean, it's great content in terms of just getting to the point showing you the cool stuff and then giving you all the information you need from just specific luxury items or sneakers, mainly sneakers, of course, sneakers, which is what we're here to talk about. So before we jump into the episode, wanted to give a shout out to everyone who has been listening to this podcast since episode one. And if you're new,
00:00:59
Speaker
Welcome to the party. You've got 165 episodes to go back on and check out but if you've been here since I want to say episode 20 Next week got a treat for you. If you looked at my story, you saw me if he linked up so There's not gonna be an intro on the next week
00:01:22
Speaker
So you're gonna get basically the half and half intro here as I'm gonna be putting out clips for that, putting out clips for this. It's gonna be a jam packed editing session for your boy. So hopefully you check it out.
Navigating Content Creation and Authenticity
00:01:41
Speaker
If you're new, definitely stick around and thank you for jumping in on Charlie's episode. We talk about how you got into sneakers, how you started creating content, the idea of competition, which I feel like we need more of in this space and we need to accept it. But.
00:01:59
Speaker
We touch on it a little bit, get his thoughts because he's such in such a competitive space. And if you listen to the rainy episode, I don't know if I consider myself a content creator. I know I make content. I know I put out content, but I don't put it out in the efforts of or the frequency as someone like a Charlie or someone like Seth who
00:02:23
Speaker
who post constantly, or AD sneaks, or JSM, or Morgan, or Flex. Anybody that I've had on here that's a content creator puts out constant content more than me, and I'm not consistent. Even though I try, I just, as I said in Rainy's episode,
00:02:42
Speaker
I find it boring. I find it hard to just continuously think of topics to put out because I don't want to continuously just do a sneaker review video or I don't want to just not be able to tell one story of a sneaker and it just doesn't resonate. So then I have to keep making it until it does resonate. Like I don't want to do that. I don't want to water down something that I love. So to me, to me, because I know that in the efforts of
00:03:11
Speaker
getting it out into the mainstream, getting the algorithm to love it, getting all these little tricks that, you know, Dre always pushes on me. I don't have the patience for it. I just want to sit down, have a conversation with, you know, my new friends, people that I've been talking to on the internet for years or even new people
00:03:31
Speaker
uh that I've been following and people that I just stumble up upon or people who find my podcast and want to jump on an episode like I just want to have that and I feel like this is this is my lane so along with the short essays that I've short video essays that I will be putting out keep teasing it I appreciate every single one of y'all for listening and for checking me out if this is your first time
00:03:58
Speaker
You got a lot to catch up on. So, on to where you can find Charlie, you can find him at Winona Kicks. Also, check out him and Seth's podcast, Behind the Sneakers. It's Beyond Kicks Podcast. Wow, I butchered that. I'm so sorry, guys. Beyond Kicks Podcast.
00:04:23
Speaker
You know, it's funny because we talk about how I want to get on an episode. It's I jagged that up. I'm so sorry. Beyond kicks podcast. It'll be everything for where you can find Charlie or you can find the podcast will be in the description of this podcast. And of course, you know where to find me. I am who is hostile social media. All the podcasts of my first kicks pod on Instagram and the Twitter. Follow the podcast on TikTok with my first kicks before it's gone. We love to get that to the
00:04:50
Speaker
a thousand before it disappears or I don't know what happened what's happening with that whatever and then my first kicks on YouTube please please please I plead every week I plead every week pull up to the YouTube if this is your first time listening just hit me with the subscribe por favor just a little subscribe I'm trying to get up there I'm trying to I'm trying to push out the content on there
00:05:16
Speaker
long form video content
Charlie's Sneaker Journey Begins
00:05:18
Speaker
is tough. It's tough to put out every week and then get five views. So please hit me with the subscribe. I will greatly appreciate it. And of course, if you have not yet leave a review.
00:05:36
Speaker
If you're listening on Apple, you can give me five stars on Spotify or anything that, I mean, if you find somebody rating the podcast, just hit it up with a little five star on there too and share it with all your friends, please. All right, enough pleading. Onto this week's guest, Winona Kicks. Hey Charlie, welcome to the podcast.
00:06:00
Speaker
Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. No, man. Look, I think it's hilarious because well, it's hilarious. I did not expect you to ever follow me. That was one. And then when I saw you follow me, I was like, OK, you know, let me not let me not immediately ask. And then I I waited a little bit and now we're here.
00:06:21
Speaker
No, I like it. I, uh, I'm probably too active on social media. That's just part of the game. But I, I mean, I'm never opposed to happening on other people's podcasts. We do a podcast at the nine. So I, we know the grind. I'm in the same space as you. So I'm always open to it.
00:06:39
Speaker
No, yeah, I mean, look, I bothered Seth all the time about like, yo, just get me on an episode, man. I want to get on an episode. But I mean, you guys don't really do like a like an interview or or, you know, a typical, not typical. Like you guys do a specific. Yeah.
00:06:55
Speaker
And it's something we've kind of put on the radar again for this year. We had a few last year, but yeah, we just have not scheduling conflicts. I mean, we have some pretty good connections. That would be fun. It'd be fun to have you on. So I think it's definitely something we're going to kick back up once he gets back from vacation, but who knows.
00:07:14
Speaker
That man's globe trotting right now. I think he's in like, where is he? Where is he now? He took a vacation with his girlfriend at Paris, Paris. That's what I was about to say. Grease. That's all I was just like. But for people who aren't familiar with you or my listeners who aren't familiar, how about you introduce yourself?
00:07:35
Speaker
Yeah. So I am Charlie, otherwise known as Winona kicks on all my socials. I've been collecting sneakers for actually not super long, but four years now. And that whole time I've been posting content about it on.
00:07:50
Speaker
mainly TikTok and Instagram. And I actually got a YouTube video going on tomorrow. So everywhere basically just been covering that journey and been very fortunate to get connected with some really cool companies along the way and reviewing shoes and meeting some pretty cool people. So it's just been a fun content journey for the last couple of years.
00:08:10
Speaker
No, yeah. I mean, you do a specific take on your content. You know, you wear sneakers for 30 days or, you know, you do your, you know, what's coming out and.
00:08:21
Speaker
It's I'm not I'm not a person who makes that kind of content because I kind of like like to shy away from that stuff. But yeah, for sure. But you know, if I'm looking if I scroll by your videos, I am I am looking at it. So no, yeah, yeah. But you're here to answer the question. And that question is what's your first kicks with that first person because you absolutely need to have.
00:08:45
Speaker
So I, you asked me this and I was kind of giving it some thought. I actually have two different pairs. So it doesn't make sense for the first pair, but I have two different pairs, two different kinds of stories about it. Um, so I started collecting shoes, um, kind of by accident. I was a.
00:09:02
Speaker
How was it? Freshman in college. So I just graduated this past spring. I got to go back now. It feels like a long time ago now, but I was a freshman in college. It was broke, like everyone in, um, in high school and stuff. I was big enough flipping stuff, like buy a PS4 and sell it and make 50 bucks. I'd buy golf clubs because I'm a golfer and do the same thing. And, um, Apple watches and anything that I could make a couple bucks on a Facebook marketplace while I'm not working at college. And, um,
00:09:30
Speaker
Just kind of skating by and I bought a pair of Air Force One jewel sales for 50 bucks. They were brand new. And I sold them for 120 bucks in like eight hours on Facebook marketplace. And I was like, oh, it's kind of nice. So.
00:09:46
Speaker
I'd always followed shoes I'd never bought in any shoes, just couldn't afford it in high school and stuff and just never would shell out a hundred, $150 for a pair of shoes. It's crazy saying that now, but it's just part of the journey. So basically started reselling. That's how I got into the, in the hobby. And then I ended up kind of taking the social media route instead. And during the reselling journey, the
00:10:11
Speaker
I was selling everything from Nike Roshi's to free runs to not really retro Jordans, it just, so it was like, there's a hundred pair, 20 pairs for sale, like somebody's old shoe collection Converse, like get them for 50 bucks, clean them up was a big part and then flip them for five bucks extra per pair and whatever. But there was one pair that I always wanted.
00:10:32
Speaker
And it was kind of the first Jordan that I was like, ooh, this is pretty cool. And it was the Jordan 4 What Thes. I think they came out in 2017. Yeah. And it was a pair that was my first big splurge, which I hadn't had yet. And I got it for 140 bucks used, which is like...
00:10:51
Speaker
That was a lot, man. That was like, ooh, 140 bucks. It is wild. It is wild when you spend that first like 100 or a couple hundred and you're like, oh yeah. It's so like, you're like, you're like, I don't know if I could do this. And then you do this and you're like, I could do this again. It's like a drug. I mean, that's, that's exactly how it is.
00:11:10
Speaker
It's ramped up significantly, and I never want to lose sight of like how crazy it's gotten. I mean, it's just when you're in the content game, I mean, stuff, especially if it pops off and stuff, the whole thing. I mean, Seth has gone through in the last month where going to all star break and this and like stuff gets out of hand quickly. And so, yeah, one hundred forty bucks. I never want to lose sight of that. It was always like crazy. And I still have a pair to this day.
00:11:39
Speaker
And so fast forward a couple of months, started collecting, was doing social media, got a job doing social media for a power sports company here in Minnesota. And I still do that as well. What's that? I don't know what that is.
00:11:50
Speaker
So power sports like ATVs, UTVs. Oh, I didn't even know that that was like a I thought that was just like called like off-roading or something like that. Like, yeah, sports is like like motor sports are like sport bikes and F1 and NASCAR and dirt bikes. And then power sports are like the fun segment of it. So that's just kind of the broad term of it.
00:12:12
Speaker
And so I still do that full time now. Keeps me paying the bills. I'm married and stuff. We have a house, so content isn't always there. Listen, you're not the only one. I work in advertising. I got a 95. Yeah, like... No, it's a grind. I mean, that's how it is for everyone. And especially in the content game where
00:12:33
Speaker
I mean, you live and die on brand deals essentially. And you can go in full time and do the whole thing. And, but if you're dry for six months, I mean, it's, it's basically sales. I'm selling myself to businesses. So.
00:12:46
Speaker
Um, that's basically just part of the
Pivotal Sneaker Stories
00:12:48
Speaker
game. So, um, yeah, so I was collecting shoes and I made a transition. I was reselling shoes at the end of it. I sold like a hundred pairs in a month, so it was going really good. And then I got a job doing social media. So I stopped reselling and I was going to transition my content over the next six months to everything else that I do now, wear tests, news, reviews, mainly and stuff like that. Um, and so it kind of over the summer just ramped up and then.
00:13:15
Speaker
there was a drop called the Jordan 1 Mocha, the original one that came out. That was like, ooh, this is insane. And brown's one of my favorite colors. We're on a brown shirt right now, and I just have always loved neutral tones. And I remember that was right at the height of COVID. It was right, I think it was at the height of COVID, but it was one of the times, it was, because I was at college, yup, I was at the height of COVID.
00:13:43
Speaker
Jordan 1s were super popular and they were already re-selling for like five, six hundred bucks, which is crazy now because everything's under retail and that's just, that's the cycles. But it was one of those shoes that I was like, I need to get these. I don't want to shell out four or five hundred bucks for them because that's crazy, but I need to get them. So entered a bunch of raffles. And when I was going to school in Winona, Minnesota, that's where I got the name, at Winona State, it's in Southern Minnesota on the right hand side. And if you look at a map,
00:14:11
Speaker
And you look at North Dakota, South Dakota on the left, and then Wisconsin's on the right. Um, I was entering raffles everywhere. There's no footlockers, champs, nothing down there. It's, it's in the boonies basically. And so I don't even know how it worked out, but basically I was entering footlocker raffles and I hit a retail pair. Um, and it was like 8 AM drop day that I got a notification and it said that the drop was for Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
00:14:38
Speaker
which was four hours away. Yeah, it's out so far. Yeah, I didn't even know like usually you got to be in a certain type of radius, but I don't know what the deal was. So basically I called this store. I had class that day. I had a full day scheduled. I called them. I'm like, hey, I live four hours away. Can I drive there? And like, I got a four hour. Like, can you hold this pair for me and like not back door? Basically, they're like, yes, we'll hold them for you. So
00:15:04
Speaker
I was literally in the car on the way to the store when I called them. And so I drove four hours there, got there at like two o'clock, picked the pair up, drove right back. It was like four and a half hours. It was a nine hour day.
00:15:17
Speaker
Um, and I bought them and that was like the whole day. And it was, you know, it's one of the crazy things that it actually worked out pretty well. Cause the Jordan one high metallic gold, the patent leather one was dropping and they had early pairs like a month before. And so my reseller brain was like, all right, let me get like five pairs of these books. I made like $400 on the trip and made a video out of it. And it was just a lot of driving, but.
00:15:42
Speaker
I still got that pair too. So I had to, that's one of my fun sneaker stories that I had to toss in there. That was the first Jordan one that I hit for retail, which is pretty fun. No, yeah, that's a, that's a good one. Cause I'll be honest. Like I was one of those people that was just.
00:15:57
Speaker
I didn't think it would go crazy. I thought it would be one of those shoes that would sit. Right. But I wasn't taken into effect how into account the how big the Travis Scott was. Right. And so that was a big part of it. Yeah. The spillover. Yeah.
00:16:12
Speaker
And so Nike or Jordan really hit the hit it on the head right there because after that it just took off after that. And it's exactly. Yeah, it's like it's really hard for for I guess. I don't know. I'm not. See, I'm one of these people that like I buy the sneakers and I buy them for me. So I don't think about the market value or like it's it's more of like if I'm going to get if I'm going to
00:16:37
Speaker
get rid of sneakers or something like that. It's like because I have to or like I'm not wearing them anymore. So I don't really care. Like if I can get top dollar for them at this chance or whatever, then it's just luck of the draw to me. Not like, oh, I'm steady. I'm watching it. And I'm like, okay, these are the market trends. Now I can sell. Like I don't do that. I don't do any of that.
00:16:57
Speaker
Yeah, I'm, I mean, I think I'll always have my, the hustle reseller brain on me a little bit. Like if there's drops that I know are going to resell for a couple hundred bucks over or whatever, I'll go for them. And, excuse me, now it's a content game too for me where it's, if it's a drop, that's probably going to do well afterwards in the aftermarket and it's probably going to make good content as well. The stuff that I actually wear.
00:17:24
Speaker
I mean, I'm buying it to wear colors that I like that I'll wear all the time, like the A6 I've been posting. The Earl's Collection, I just got love them, worn them a few days now in a row, and I just got them. That was a pair that I bought purely for me, and maybe I'll post a video on them.
00:17:40
Speaker
I mean, they're going for retail. I mean, but it's and it's a different game now than it was, too. I mean, everything was reselling. I mean, remember the Jordan One High bio hacks, how ugly those were? Dude, I walked into mine buying as many pairs of those as I could because they were going for 350. Like it's the ugliest shoe ever. But it's the game it was. I actually really like them. Right. So I walked in. Yeah, I like them because I like crazy colors. Like I'm I'm a crazy color wear guy, person, whatever. I don't know.
00:18:09
Speaker
So I go into because I live in New York. So in New York, there's this area called Roosevelt Avenue. And it's like a predominantly just like different mixes of races type of like area. And so there's some sneaker stores. But the sneaker stores, they look like like retail sneaker shops. But then you go in and you realize, oh, no, they're just making up prices on these sneakers.
00:18:33
Speaker
So I walk in and I'm like, I'm like, Oh, I want the bio. I want the bio shocks or bio hazards, whatever they're called. And then I go in and I look at them and I'm like, yeah, man, he's dope. And then it doesn't have a price on it. And I'm like, yo, you got these in a 13. And then the guy's like,
00:18:51
Speaker
He's like, oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, he said it in broken English, but oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So he goes to the he goes to the back, pulls him out, shows him to me and just like five hundred. I was like five hundred. I was like, no, help me. So. So I never was able to get a pair. I probably should look and see if I because I still actually like them. All right. I mean, you definitely are. I would be surprised if they were still going for over. I mean, it was just that was TikTok and the Jordan ones.
00:19:21
Speaker
It's a fun era, man. I miss it. Well, listen, let's go a little bit more back. Like you grew up, did you grow up in Winona? No, I grew up in north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. So I'm born and raised in Minnesota. But I mean, like I said, I never was in the shoes. I just it was never. I mean, I grew up 2008 housing crisis. That's what it was. I mean, we we were well off, but we weren't.
00:19:52
Speaker
well, well off where we're going to buy $150 shoes. I mean, my basketball shoes were Under Armour and that was before Curry was there. So they were not very cool. And they were 60 bucks. And I was like, I had, I got some $60 basketball. This is dope. But I mean, I remember one pair that was like really cool when I was growing up was the Reebok Zigtech.
00:20:12
Speaker
Yeah. And those were like 75 bucks. And I was like, damn, I got a really expensive pair. Like this is cool. I took care of them. And, but I mean, it's, and it's, again, I never want to lose sight of that. Cause now it's, I mean, there's stuff coming in almost every day from companies and stuff and really cool stuff. That's.
00:20:32
Speaker
I mean, that's just, I don't know, it's wild to me. I mean, the whole thing is just crazy. What is Minnesota culture? Because for me, my brain goes to...
00:20:44
Speaker
I was getting a lot of shit for this recently, but I like Minnesota hip hop a lot. I used to listen to a lot of Doomtree and Rhymesayer stuff and stuff like that, like Atmosphere. I always wanted to go to paid dues so bad, and it's in Minnesota, but I'd never
00:21:06
Speaker
took that took that trip up there. But like, what were your influences and growing up? And I know, you know, you got sneakers later, but like, what were you into? And like, how did that like expand your interest?
00:21:18
Speaker
Yeah, so I grew up, I mean, it was sports for me. Got not a little out of shape in college and stuff working on it now, but growing up, it was hockey. And then I transitioned to basketball, big into basketball still. I mean, I review basketball shoes all the time. Like the hoop, just for fun, it's cheap, it's a fun activity. And then I was huge into golf. Golf was the big one for me.
00:21:46
Speaker
what's your handicap now
00:22:06
Speaker
like a five, six, seven. I mean, I just know how to ask that. I don't know what it means. Yeah. The handicaps like part 72 on a course, you're you got four shots to get it in and a hole. That's part four. I'm high 70s, low 80s. So, I mean, I just like golf and so that golf is it's it's fun because it's expanded
00:22:31
Speaker
golf and sneakers are really becoming one in the last couple of years, which has been super fun to see. So I got some fun series playing for the summer where I'm playing and trying out some golf shoes and stuff. So yeah, it was just basically sports growing up. No, that's dope. I mean, right now you got.
00:22:49
Speaker
Especially, well, was it 2008? Was KG still on the Wolves in that time? I don't think so, right? No, he was in... 2008? Yeah, he was Boston at that time, right? He was Boston and then he came back for a little retirement. Yeah, a little retirement. That was Kevin Love, that was Kevin Martin, Gorgi Dang.
00:23:14
Speaker
Not a good era. Kevin Love was averaging like 30 rebounds a game, though. It was totally he was a beast on a scrub team. That's what it was. But I mean, that's what all our sports teams have been for my whole lifetime.
00:23:32
Speaker
Look, you got you got something to look forward to with the parents. Yeah, it's fun. Yeah. The I mean, look at A.E. or Anthony Edwards has been just I think he he's currently up there. I mean, my favorite player is Dame. Right. My favorite non Nick player. Right.
Influence of NBA Players and Emerging Brands
00:23:50
Speaker
I'm a Nick fan. So.
00:23:52
Speaker
the his name. And then right under that definitely has to be Anthony Edwards, like the way he's been balling out and the way he sees the game is to watch. Yeah, it's it's so much cool. It's so much like I like seeing competition again. And I mean, like I got I got I got a lot of shit for this, too, because I always think that, you know, we've we've like come to this era where everybody's cool with each other at one point where and like we we came out of the era. There's no blood. There's no. Yeah.
00:24:20
Speaker
bad boy, Detroit Pistons. There's no, I mean, Oakland Raiders. I mean, there's no, I get what you're saying. And I think it's probably a part of what we're doing in social media. I think everyone sees everyone. Everyone talks to everybody. There's doing YouTube videos with each other. I mean, that's a part of it. But Anthony Edwards is definitely, he's got that competitive side. And I think it's part of the fact too, like some of the big stars like Luca and Jokic and
00:24:49
Speaker
I mean, they, they're fun, loving guys that are European. I mean, they just kind of have fun and they just have almost half acid, but they're insane at basketball that they can do that. But it's not like Jordan and Isaiah Thomas going at it back in the late eighties, early nineties and Larry Bird, Matt, like it's, it's different now. I totally get what you're saying. Yeah. Uh,
00:25:13
Speaker
Or even like, I mean, now the, the feud I'm looking at, because I recently was listening to something and I don't remember, but it's Chet Chet and, uh, when we don't like each other. So I've been like, I'm like, yeah, we can all like, let's go. And Chet's a Minnesota guy too. So it's got that connection there. I actually was able to meet him at a sneaker con in Vegas.
00:25:37
Speaker
year or two ago. Big guy, he just put some muscle on and stuff. I mean, him and Wembley, like the NBA is in a good spot because I take it you're an NBA fan too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, good. Yeah, I mean, I take it it's just in a good spot. There's a lot of young talent.
00:25:57
Speaker
That's exciting to look for it. Wemby, Chat, Anthony Edwards. I mean, there's a good young core. LeBron's been carrying it for 20 years. Still is. I mean, that's just what it is. But I mean, Luca and Jokic and Giannis, I mean, they're I mean, they're kind of I don't know. They just don't have the. It's it's hard to put a finger on it and like pick an actual word to say it, but they don't have like an it.
00:26:26
Speaker
like they don't have the out there all the time. They don't have Anthony Edwards and saying he's got the best shoe and the advertising behind it and a company really getting behind them like Adidas is with Anthony Edwards. I mean, they had his shoe night launch at Timberwolves Arena. Like it's it's different. Like it's it's very Jordan era and I don't know if I'm just
00:26:49
Speaker
Big Jordan fan. I am, but I don't know. I mean, Jordan, but no, no, no, no, I get what you're saying. I think Jordan is the mold that every brand tries to recreate, especially when it comes to something like a signature shoe until you get like, you know, shift like tastemakers or.
00:27:10
Speaker
you know, I don't know, shifters or what is it? It's they're called like disruptors, I think, in in in entrepreneur world. Yeah. But it's like, you know, people like Kanye, who are who are Jeremy Lorenzo, who who just, you know, they get these chances to make their own signature model and then build out the box. Yeah.
00:27:33
Speaker
Yeah. Um, but when it comes to like signature models, when it, and, and, or PEs and player additions and player signature shoes, it's, it's totally just trying to replicate what Jordan did. And right. Or like even the nineties basketball era where Nike just dominated so much and continued to just put out different types of sneakers that push the boundaries. You know, I talked about it with my, my episode.
00:27:58
Speaker
with Nick DePaula because, you know, he's covered basketball sneakers for so long that he's trying to, he's like wondering, like, you know, what is the next tech? And then Anthony Edwards comes out with his shoe and and he's literally talking shit about other brands and at the same time, vaguely because allegedly or I don't know, I don't want to get sued either. But I get what you're saying. I mean, it's fun to banter. It's fun. Yeah. There's got to be some. I mean, that's what sports are. It's competition.
00:28:27
Speaker
of rivalries that's that's the whole fun and if everyone just has a shoe and everything's holly jolly and you gotta have a storyline to it and that's what I think they've really done to it the Anthony Edwards and the A1 is they put a story to it and launch where I mean we could even go on to Devin Booker shoe where it's been kind of a flop and he even thinks that great shoe big company Nike it's just
00:28:50
Speaker
I don't know what it is about Adidas basketball right now, but they're just they're they're doing it. They're crushing it. They're crushing it. The the D book. I really enjoy the shoe, but it doesn't look like a basketball shoe to me. Right. Like, which I get. I mean, it's a very fashion centric guy. He's got classic cars. I mean, I watched his GQ home tour like he's very into the.
00:29:12
Speaker
the culture and art and like that whole side of it. And so he's very, it's been quoted saying he wants to make a mix of a Jordan one and a performance basketball shoe, which everything you look at on the court base is a performance basketball shoe. You're not going to wear it with a pair of jeans like you would maybe a Katie four or whatever back in 2010. But I mean, in the Anthony Edwards, you can wear it.
00:29:35
Speaker
like on the street, it's a little harder because it's very performance based. But I mean, the book one, I have a YouTube video drop in tomorrow where I talked about that and talk about recent pickups, but that I'm not going to wear it on the court. I got a pair. I'm going to be wearing them out and about. And so I don't know how they perform on the court. I haven't seen any reviews on it. But honestly, I think of it more as a street shoes that that's probably the disconnect. We're really tying it into basketball is tough on that model. But I don't know. I'm curious to see the future of it. That's for sure.
00:30:05
Speaker
Me too, I mean, look, if you're listening to Adidas, you probably are. Send me, send me a pair, you know? Fair enough. Send Charlie a pair too. We'll do a pickup game and we'll, we'll invite Nightwing from wear testers and then we'll do it. We'll do like, we'll do a game of 21. Speaking about wear testers, I just saw another interesting angle of this whole basketball shoe era is Kyrie. Yep.
00:30:34
Speaker
And these Chinese brands that are coming, I mean, Jokic's shoe, Austin's shoe. I mean, that's a whole nother angle of it where they're really pushing themselves into the market big time. And it's, it's fun because it's the basketball shoe era. It's got, it's a new thing right now that, I mean, Chinese brands, I mean, we just don't have that competition in the U S and company that I've worked with kicks crew. Their whole mission is to bring Chinese basketball shoes to the U S and
00:31:01
Speaker
Tyree's new shoe. I've seen a lot of promo behind that. And I saw that they had a pair. That's I mean, yeah, and I think I will be getting a pair as well. I might have to, too. I'm just curious to check it out. I mean, I I've reviewed a lot of way of wades and leanings and the AR ones. I haven't checked out any ant stuff, but the quality of materials on that stuff's always been really good. And the retail price has not been crazy. Some of the way the Wade stuff gets out of hand, but
00:31:29
Speaker
Well, yeah, because he wants to, yeah, he wants to add like, I don't know, Terminator three technology into it. And it's all like lacing, quick lacing. And you know, you're over here. I mean, let's push the boundaries. I mean, we already see $200 retails for
00:31:49
Speaker
a 40-year-old basketball shoe in the Jordan 1, like 120 bucks for some crazy technology if they up it by 50 bucks and put it in some crazy. I mean, I brought it up and I mean, I brought it up on TikTok but people disagreed with me because they think you can ball in any shoe and I believe that
00:32:10
Speaker
retro Jordans you cannot ball in at a certain point unless it's specifically made to ball. But that we've very uncomfortable today's standards. It's it's basically like taking a brand new Ford Raptor off-roading or taking a old Jeep Wrangler from the 70s off-roading. Like the standards are completely different. You can. It's going to be very uncomfortable. You're involved in Jordan ones.
00:32:39
Speaker
not fun I mean even like in the last dance show they had I think it was Jordan's last game or something like that yeah he brought out the Chicago's yep and he was like
00:32:55
Speaker
But it's like, so I mean, I have this book behind me if you see it right there. It's Russ Bengston's history of basketball and 15 sneakers. Really good books. Check it out. But he talks about the evolution of basketball sneakers. And to me, it's like, I think there's a point where
00:33:16
Speaker
Jordan just stopped advancing the tech. Like they're not, besides zoom comforts, which I still feel like are just, they're just adding in some extra padding and being like, there you go. Like, you know, like just like, here you go. But when it comes to like older retro sneakers, if they've take, they're strictly lifestyle sneakers. Right. And they completely transitioned. Yeah. And he might've balled in them, but I mean, you're not seeing people playing Jordan fours, but you're seeing them all over the street.
00:33:45
Speaker
That's why they do two billion in revenue every year. I mean, they made that change.
00:33:51
Speaker
Yeah, it's not a, it's not a, I mean, but then you go performance basketball shoes are not very good looking in everyday life. But neither are, yeah, but it's neither are running like good running shoes, right? I don't think like, I think it's down to the point where the technology and the designs have started to split in the eighties and nineties were really the point before they were splitting. And so when they split and the technology gets out of hand and you have to have
00:34:20
Speaker
Different side panels for support when you're making cuts on the basketball court doesn't look good on an everyday shoe or I mean even some of the new alpha fly running shoes are Super thick looking they're super light. That's why we're getting record marathon times But there was a split where the performance and the design kind of left each other from like a new balance or something that you're wearing every day and
00:34:42
Speaker
No, yeah. I mean, a lot of that definitely is, is partly is in part because of sneaker culture where they adapted these shoes into lifestyle shoes. And if they're just selling, they don't really put in the amount of tech that would need to bring this shoe up to what
00:35:01
Speaker
people are normally using to walk for hours and hours a day or run hours and hours a day to jump on a basketball court. So then that gets shifted to the next, who's ever like the next basketball player that's coming out, right? Or the next runner or the next running model. And a lot of the
00:35:21
Speaker
the previous models that were being just excessively used for just everyday wear doesn't get that same, I guess, magnifying glass to enhance it. So that's where we're at now, I think, for sure. Like a lot of the stuff that, I mean, you mentioned it and a lot of the stuff that we're looking at coming out now is either very bright or, you know, like if, for example, Tatum's, right? Tatum's technology is the most recent Jordan technology.
00:35:52
Speaker
all his colors are crazy, right? Or it's like, it's like, what are we doing? And I don't understand that. But like, we're also just have, we know what are lifestyle sneakers versus what are performance sneakers. And I think now we're back in that. I feel like the biggest comparison that I can make is like, when A6 was starting to push gel light twos and do like, you know, Ronnie was doing all his things, gel light two, gel light three, gel light fives. And then
00:36:17
Speaker
you'd go to a regular store and look at ASICS that are on the wall. And they're all ugly, crazy color ASICS. But they're like, oh, but if you really want to run in these, you have to run in these. You can't run in a gel light too. So yeah.
00:36:34
Speaker
No, and I think with the signature shoes like Tatum's, it's, I mean, we've seen with the Booker where he, I think he had a lot of, a lot of insight into the design and the colorways and stuff. And we've seen some cool P's, but I don't know how much of an influence like Tatum has on the colorways. I know Kevin Rand's got like the aunt pearls and the, he's got stories behind him. And I don't know if Anthony Edwards has any huge, like, I mean, we've only seen a few colorways yet, but.
00:37:03
Speaker
Like the Stormtrooper is the best I've had. He's like all white colorway. I don't think he's like all white colorway, but he's a he's a big circus penis fan for the first one. He was like, I love me some. So that's what he snacks on in the middle of the first one. But then I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. That's not the story. I mean, it's because then it gets on the line and like I don't think Jordan like Michael Jordan had a say in like
00:37:29
Speaker
the Jordan eight, like some random colorway, like, I think it progresses where it's like, all right, we're just going to keep pumping these out. But yeah, and on the basketball courts too, it's, it's interesting because I mean, Devin Booker is going out at a different angle and Anthony Edwards, I mean, you can wear them on the street more, but like,
00:37:48
Speaker
The more bright it is on the court when you're actually watching a game on TV, like when Anthony Edwards was wearing his All-Star AE1s and we were at the game, like everyone else has got black and white shoes and he's got those iridescent purple and green under the stadium lights. They look insane. Yeah, those are fire. I want them. That's all of the shoe, but I don't know. It's everything splitting off.
00:38:14
Speaker
I mean, you're you're like in in it in it versus, you know, me, but like I'm just on the outside looking in and the idea of I don't know how because like we know how like growing up watching basketball, we know how sneakers were sold. Right. Then it's just like team color, you know, mainly team colors, black and white. And then we had that like you walk in the outlet. You just pick out a pair of shoes that's in your budget.
00:38:43
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And so now we're at this era where all the basketball players get to wear whatever they want, they get the ball and whatever they want. Jordan couldn't even wear Jordan won breads like they were in from the like it's completely different now. So I mean, we're at this evolution where where sneakers are definitely I consider sneakers mainstream. I don't know if many people do, but I think so. And, you know,
00:39:11
Speaker
I'll pivot, hard pivot into you jumping onto social media, but what was your, I guess, what pushed you to be like, you know what? I could do, I could get in front of a camera. Yeah. So, I mean, a funny story. I've always kind of like...
00:39:26
Speaker
that's crazy
00:39:49
Speaker
feed posts. I think it's still alive too. I did that five, six years ago. And, um, I was doing that in college, just digging around with graphic designer and how to do that. Cause I was going to school for digital advertising and, um, started reselling shoes and I just made a shoe page to sell shoes. I think it was Charlie sneakers start off and it was just for like family and friends to buy shoes if they wanted to. And, um, I got a comment from somebody random and it, I mean, if they never commented, I don't think I'd be doing it, but it was.
00:40:18
Speaker
How do I ship shoes? Cause I kind of, once you get into shoes, you get a method down 14 by 10 by six box, four pounds, like get a label printer. So I just made a video on that. And then I got another comment on how to do this. And so I just kind of progressed on that. And it was reselling first and talking about shoes. And then I was trying to do viral stuff. Like here's the best shoes under $150. Here's the best Jordan four is under $200. And those did super well. So I ran with that for a while and then wave, wave lacing up videos. Those did crazy.
00:40:48
Speaker
30, 40 million views on TikTok. Those went insane. They popped me off and then the wear tests. And, um, so it's just been kind of a natural progression. Once something hits you run with it. Um, and so now it's four years down the road. It feels like a long time, but I feel like I'm just getting my footy and Seth and I talk about this all the time where it's.
00:41:07
Speaker
I mean, I feel like tomorrow's the first day I ever started posting videos and I like finally have like an identity and like what I'm doing day to day and I, it'll never be perfect. I don't think, but just the processes of actually doing it changes. And now it's like four or five years down the road. It's feels like it's just starting. So it's a fun journey. I mean, I love
Growth and Challenges in Social Media
00:41:27
Speaker
it. I mean, as long as you love the process, then, you know, you can see it through the videos and stuff like that. Um, when it,
00:41:36
Speaker
Cause I've never been able to experience the 30, 40 million views. So that's crazy. Yeah. I mean, it was, when I posted it, it was just, it was one of the way of Wade. I don't even know the pair of Wade Wade eights, um, with the bowl of Lacey and it was, uh,
00:41:57
Speaker
Just got my camera. I filmed it. It was cool. I had some cool sound effects. It was like 10 seconds long and posted it, went to the gym, got home and had like a million views. I was like, holy. And so then it was refreshing, refreshing. And it was like, just getting 5,000 people like over dinner. Like, and it was like, it was insane. And then it went 30 million on Instagram and 30 million on Facebook. I mean, it all together for way of weight. I think I have like 150 million views. So.
00:42:25
Speaker
You're welcome. Yeah, I was just going to ask like they didn't they didn't hit you up and be like, yo, you know, so I did. I don't know. I did a couple of deals for a few hundred bucks. Got sent a few pairs of shoes and I basically got to the point where it was like I got you 150 million views and maybe this is me being cocky or whatever. But it was basically like I got a ton of views. I like your brand is growing a ton. Like I've connected you with people that I know in the community. Like there's like people that I know that I introduce you to and
00:42:55
Speaker
They wouldn't pay me anything over a couple hundred bucks. And I was like, I'm doing deals with other companies for a lot more. And I have the reputation with you. And they basically were like, you're too hard to work with. We're not going to work with you anymore, which is crazy in my opinion. So I've been a few years now. But I mean, I'm very great. I mean, the money is something, but the growth from it, I'll always be super thankful for, for the shoes and like them sending them over in the first place.
00:43:24
Speaker
awesome bless like launched me in the shoe world I think a lot but part of it's to like if I'm like if I'm selling my hats and I send one to Seth and he posts a video and it gets a hundred million views and I just sold 30,000 hats I'm gonna give him a lot of money for it yeah that's my mindset with it but part of it was language barrier with the Chinese company too it was just tough and
00:43:51
Speaker
I don't know. It just didn't work out. I'd love to work with him again, but I don't know. Just wasn't the right timing, I guess. I don't, I don't think they, they understood your, your gravity. Yeah, I don't think so. I know their sales went up all the time on Instagram and Facebook and TikTok of people like, Oh, I just bought these.
00:44:12
Speaker
I mean, at least they could have at the very least and be like, yo, we set up an affiliate link. You get that was the other thing, too. They were not willing to do that. I mean, it was like an affiliate deals with a few companies now. Nike's one of them. Like if Nike's willing to do it, I feel like I don't know. It's it is what it is.
00:44:32
Speaker
Uh, I'm sorry. I don't, hopefully I didn't bring up any like podcast and stuff. It's more of like on this creator journey. It's there's different things that happen and you learn from and change processes going forward. And maybe I.
00:44:50
Speaker
wasn't the easiest to work with. I think I was. I seem like I'm trying to be the best I can and help them out as much as I can. And hopefully it's a mutual relationship, but that's just part of the journey as you learn going to the next company. Hopefully you can do it better with them. I mean.
00:45:06
Speaker
A lot of companies I started working with, I'm not working with anymore, but things change. I mean, that's just part of it. Yeah, I mean, that's totally, yeah, I was gonna say the nature of the business, you know? Yeah, exactly. Where does your, cause you talked a little bit about your hustle, but where did you learn your hustle from?
00:45:26
Speaker
Probably my parents, my dad big time. I mean, my dad was, he's a loan officer. So when the housing crisis goes into effect, he loses all his business. And that's how it is right now. I mean, rates are super high. People are buying houses. There's no business when it's business, when the rates are good and people are buying houses, it's really good. But that's just the nature of the business. So, I mean, my dad taught me to take care of what I have and to do everything I can to
00:45:54
Speaker
expand what I know and income and stuff like that. And I mean, he, like growing up, I mean, he was driving, like we never had fancy cars or anything, but he had this, he had this 2001 Grand Prix that took care of like crazy at it for about 15 years. It had 420,000 miles when you got rid of it and like still run it. Like, I mean, that's crazy. Like 400,000 miles on a car is nuts.
00:46:18
Speaker
That check, that check oil light was on for like the last one. I mean, the windows didn't work. Like it drove though. Like it took care of it and like rust would come up. He put a rubber spray. Like it looked good for 400,000 miles, but it was just something like. I remember the transmission went out when it had like 200,000 miles or 220,000 miles. And he was like.
00:46:45
Speaker
I'm going to spend three grand and fix the transmission because he's like, I know I've taken care of this car. Like I know it can go another 200,000. I remember it was like, this is crazy. And then it did. And it went for another 10 years. And that was just like something I'll never forget. And to take the hustle and the work ethic that he had, I mean, every penny went to us growing up. And I mean, they took care of us more than anybody. Super grateful for the family that I have.
00:47:11
Speaker
And so I think my dad, just the work ethic that he had in our house is always clean. He always took care of everything. And when you work hard for something, you take care of it and you try to progress it. And honestly, I think it's just my dad and my parents got that hustle from.
00:47:26
Speaker
No, I love it. I love hearing that because, you know, I think we live in an era where it's hard to find a lot of people that are hustling, right? Like usually a lot of the people that are hustling are very camera-faced forward, right? Which I also think is like a detriment too because now that we're so social media savvy, you know, we've all learned how to like,
00:47:53
Speaker
Put the highlights only the highlights and never the downfalls never to show like we're persevering through The ups and downs right everything is all up, right? So it gives off this facade to everybody that like oh I can't struggle with somebody with something else I can't show when the engine goes bad and I have to fix it I can't show when the rust is here and I have to you know do you know put this on display or for a little bit so I can you know get to the next you know destination and stuff like that like and
00:48:23
Speaker
it's
00:48:38
Speaker
I don't post when, I mean, I'm maybe a story post, but like shoes are dirty, like camera stopped working. Like, I mean, I'm victim to it too. I mean, everything, everyone goes through. No, but listen to your podcast. You talk about your podcast. I think that's part of it where I started the podcast with Seth so we can just dump our thoughts because when we post a short form video once a day or whatever it is and
00:49:02
Speaker
Who cares? I mean, nobody cares really. I mean, if I don't post a video, I mean, go to the next person. I mean, it is what it is. There's a community there, but also it's like, it gives a shit kind of, excuse my language, but I know it's just like, it was just like, we started the podcast so we could just voice our thoughts about shoes and everything like that. And it's, I mean, life, there's a lot going on in life. I mean, Seth and I both have jobs. You have a job. I mean, that's like, you can talk about it for an hour, once a week, like,
00:49:29
Speaker
Kanye West sucks like we don't like it but not making a direct video talking about that like certain stuff like that so I mean yeah it's I mean everyone goes through stuff and social media is tough because
00:49:42
Speaker
nobody shows it. I mean, that's part of it, but I don't know. I mean, it's just, it's weird. But you keep, I feel like, I feel like you keep it real. I tried to. Yeah, I think it's, it's that aspect of like, there are some people that only want to, only want to show the highlights, right? And I'm a big fan of like,
00:50:02
Speaker
You know, give me everything. Give me the warts and all. Like, you know, I want to see I want to be that person like in your comments when you have in a down day would be like, yo, man, you got this. Just push through. Like, give that give that opportunity. And I feel like it's a lot more rewarding than people may think because nobody's. And no, I love it. I mean, yeah, I'm rethinking content stuff for the next couple of weeks already. I mean, that's how I can switch it up and be more myself. I mean, there is some sort of persona when you're online. I mean, you can
00:50:32
Speaker
I mean, I can go from this or, Hey, we got new shoes dropping this week. Like here's all the shoes dropping this week. Like you can, I mean, I'm pretty mellow tone. Like I'm pretty baseline. I'm not like a super high, low person. So, um, yeah, I mean, just always try to be authentic on socials. I mean, I try to be humble. I mean, when I get packages from champ sports all the time, I mean, it's, I'm over the moon about it. I might not seem like it, but like.
00:50:59
Speaker
free shoes and stuff like that is insane to me. And I talk to my wife about it every day, but you just don't voice it on socials. But I mean, that's, that's part of the game, I guess. I mean, just when buying a hundred dollar pair of shoes is a lot too, there's free shoes coming in the mail every day from different companies and reviewing them. I, I, I'll never lose sight of where it started. Cause once you start losing sight of it, then you get to the point where it's like, everything's perfect. Life's great. Like send me more stuff, pay, give me more money. Like.
00:51:29
Speaker
gets out of hand. So that's something my parents taught me too. That's like when champ sport sends me stuff and I post it to my story, like, thank you. Like, that's crazy to me. Like I tell my wife that all the time. Like it's insane that I'm just getting free product and stuff. And I mean, that's just something I don't ever want to lose sight of because we just keep progressing. Like you almost expect it. Like
00:51:52
Speaker
All the Anthony Edwards shoes, like I've been very fortunate enough to have a connection at champ sports where they hooked me up with him. But I don't want to get to the point where I'm like, Oh, I didn't get this pair. Like, what the hell? Like, why am I not getting them? Like, yeah. So it's tricky with it, but it's just, you got to keep level headed with socials.
00:52:09
Speaker
No, for sure. I mean, now I'm actually starting to get some stuff and it's a little bit like... I love it. That's the funnest thing. There's nothing better than that. When you go from buying the shoes to review or talking about them all the time, you're grinding after work, posting videos, podcasts, and like somebody notices.
00:52:28
Speaker
Yeah, it's I'm still trying to deal with like people saying they listen to my podcast, right? Because I isn't crazy. Yeah, it's I. You know, I'm sorry for my listeners, but like it's it's like it doesn't connect with me in my head of like, yo, you're not you're not just doing this for yourself right now. And it's and then when I there's a total disconnect on your posts and stuff online because
00:52:52
Speaker
You get numbers, like everyone, you could post a video and get a hundred million views, a million views, a thousand views. I mean, that's a single person per view and like connect that mentally is very hard. Cause if I go on speech class in college, like couldn't talk to 30 people in the class, like I suck at public speaking, but then I go and do it on a video and a million people might see it.
00:53:13
Speaker
there's a total disconnect. So when we get DMs like, hey, listen to the podcast, like Seth and I are almost just like, we're just chatting for an hour. And so we get somebody like, oh, I listened. And that's like, whoa, people listen to this? Like what? Oh man. I got a question because I've been thinking about this this whole week. You know, there's
00:53:32
Speaker
Overall, there's a lot of content creators and I'm a big like I always tell people don't start a podcast. I've been telling people stop starting podcasts for a while because but it's like now it's a lot. It's a lot. And a lot of them started in the pandemic and just died off because because the thing is, this is such a big undertaking. I think people think, oh, we just need mics and a camera. We're good to go. Right. But
00:53:58
Speaker
the my biggest my thing is where I don't call myself a content creator because I don't feel like I make the content like I don't I'm not a consistent content maker right I'm I just can I mean I would I'd call you that it's like I don't call myself an influencer when you say like oh you're what do you do I'm like content creator like that's like but like I mean
00:54:23
Speaker
I am an influencer, I don't like the term, you don't like the term content grid. You are, that's just part of it. But no, I get what you're saying. I feel like it's like when people ask me what I think a sneaker head really is and I give them my honest opinion of who I consider a sneaker head or who I consider sneaker heads.
Competition in Content Creation: Threat or Motivation?
00:54:43
Speaker
And it's like,
00:54:45
Speaker
that i battle i battled that so like i if i don't feel like i fit within the parameters or i don't live up to the expectations of what that quote unquote title is then i kind of just don't i just be like i'm not part of that like you know but fine for the sake of this we're content creators right do you feel that competition is good or bad for it because
00:55:10
Speaker
We were talking about Anthony Edwards. We're talking about competition. I wanted to full circle that. So I am probably unique with it. I've never been a person that maybe internally, I think, get jealous. I mean, everyone does. You think, why am I not getting this?
00:55:30
Speaker
Like Seth going to the All-Star game. I was internally, I was a little bit like, why am I not going? I don't want to go. But really like when you really think about it and I'm a Christian man, like I'm very rooted in faith and I'm, I'm very that way. And when I think about it, I'm like, there's, there's plenty to go around. Everyone can win. And this is really how I think after you might get jealous, get jealous thoughts, whatever competition, like why are they getting a million views? Like I hate that.
00:55:59
Speaker
That's my video, or that's my font style, or that's my song that I just used yesterday, or whatever the case, and now they're doing the same thing, or you're starting a podcast. We already have a sneaker podcast. Complex is probably thinking that about us. In my mind, competition's good. Seth and I have very similar content styles. Quite frankly, he's doing better than me right now. I mean, the numbers are up. I could care less, because we're very close buddies. He came to my wedding. We're good friends. We talk all the time about it.
00:56:29
Speaker
I'll tell you, it's so much better going through all this content stuff with somebody else doing the exact same thing than not doing it. So I'm open to competition when Seth's doing video stuff that's doing better than me, it opens my mind. I'm like, why am I not getting this viewership? And so then it makes me get more creative with it and makes me rethink what I'm doing. Ultimately, I'm learning more how to use the camera more, doing different things. And if I look at my content a year ago versus now, I'm like,
00:56:57
Speaker
Holy shit, like this is way better. And so I've always been open to competition. The big thing that you're not going to kill me with is consistency. I've outlasted a lot of people in the space and I will continue to I'll last people in the space regardless of if they blow up super big or not. I'm going to be a big one that I think of like is the sneaker channel.
00:57:20
Speaker
They went crazy for a year. I wish they would come back. They blew by me and then the post. I'm trying to remember who that is. Yeah. See, there you go. It was it's with the crazy glasses. That guy. There we go. Yeah. Yeah. I think he switched his content and then he switched his content. I would have to look. I got to look after this now. But I mean, that's one thing it's like.
00:57:48
Speaker
whether you're doing a better or worse than me, I'm always going to keep doing it until the day I don't see an end in sight. I prepare for an end in sight content like it could go all black tomorrow and it's over, but and that's fine, but.
00:58:01
Speaker
I'm just going to keep doing it, keep chugging along, and I kind of play the turtle game with it. So the competition in my mind is good. I'm open to it. I like it. I like seeing other people succeed, too. Yeah. So this is like, I'm basing this off of a recent tweet I saw that somebody, you know, because now in the sneeze community, I mean, one thing about me, I'm
00:58:24
Speaker
I don't know if anybody notices, but I'm more of a watcher than a reactionary person. So I like to see things first, right? And then I have formerly my own opinions, but I don't necessarily put them out there on a consistent basis. I've been trying to dabble it here and there.
00:58:43
Speaker
But the idea of like competition, when it's pushing, when it's, when it's using it to push further or like create more, then I think it's more conducive or productive, right?
00:58:59
Speaker
And I think that gets lost. I think that people continue to look at it as like, oh, this is a competition in terms of the negative side of like, oh, we hate each other. Now I hate you. And then I don't want to talk to Seth anymore. Like, that's like, you know, that's that's, you know, what could have happened to if I was like, Kyle, Seth, you're copying my video style. Like, I'm pissed. Like, I don't want to talk to you like your chance or gigamiss. I mean, when we were doing it at the beginning, like,
00:59:26
Speaker
They're some of my best friends now because I did not do that side of it. And I'm very thankful I didn't because then it would just be me. I might be a little bit bigger, but who cares?
00:59:37
Speaker
nah yeah that's i mean it's funny because like i've i'm big on building community and seth brought me in with those guys like and we all talked and stuff like that so it's interesting because he comes from the mind of uh let's build and i want to help you get better and he doesn't see competition i don't think he sees competition but
01:00:01
Speaker
It's wild because he's really good at what he does. And then he'll give you all the tips if you just ask. And for me, if you ask, yeah, but if you ask me, like, how do you do a podcast or something like that? I'm gonna just be like, you just gotta figure it out. I'll be honest. If it's some random person coming in as DMS and this is the same with me and just say, what camera do you use? How do you edit this, that, this? I'm out.
01:00:30
Speaker
But if you're showing love, you're like supporting doing that. We build a relationship. Followed you. Like I know you listen to the podcast. Like I'm game. Like I'm all in. Seth is too. Like there's plenty to go around. And so I think part of it's that, but.
01:00:47
Speaker
Yeah, I'm in Seth. Seth's the best. Yeah, Seth. That's a negative I can say about him, that's for sure. This is a Seth appreciation podcast. We gotta have him listen to this for sure. Oh, he's listening. I know he listens. It's crazy. Yeah. But also, like, you know, I don't know, this may be a hard question, but, you know, sneakers and the way it works on the Internet, everybody's kind of,
01:01:15
Speaker
I always say, and I always straight up, I'm always straight up with people. When it comes to a passion, people take it personal and you know.
01:01:22
Speaker
What, what has, like, has there been an adverse reaction to you creating sneaker content? And like, is it a lot of like, Oh, people not understanding how inquisitive you are of just of a sneaker, or is it just very just like, you don't know what you're talking about. Get out of here. And then that's it. You know what I mean? I think at the beginning there was some of that, um, just because I'm a very new person.
01:01:48
Speaker
to collecting shoes when I was starting off. That was literally the, when I was a year into content, I was a year into collecting shoes. And so there was definitely some of that, especially with TikTok and COVID. And there was just a lot of people getting into sneakers, but not really into sneakers where I was very interested in the history and basketball side of it and learning about Jordan fours and 89 and like everything, all the OG colorways, like 85s are like, I have a pair of 85s.
01:02:14
Speaker
I love that side
01:02:36
Speaker
I'm sure they're kicking themselves for it. I mean, I have some good friends, some really close friends and family. I'm married. My wife's my biggest supporter. And so internally, if it's online, I could really care less, good or bad. Good. I try to reply too bad. I don't really care for it. I mean, when you're posting content, you're going to get a lot of negative reactions to it, especially with OGs and sneaker heads and stuff like that. I mean, there's stuff like that.
01:03:05
Speaker
Just block it out. I mean, I really have not gotten hate and like true hate years. I mean, at the beginning, just, you don't know what you're talking about. You're too new to this, but that was kind of the angle of my content too was, Hey, I'm new to this. There's also millions and millions of people that are new to this over COVID like kind of follow me on my journey of reselling. And that was kind of the angle that I took at the beginning. I didn't know anything.
01:03:31
Speaker
I put it out there. I didn't know anything. So, I mean, at the beginning maybe, but nothing really recently. No. I mean, I really enjoy that because, you know, sneaker heads or sneaker people who cherish this or whatever, they really are quick to just talk about how
01:03:51
Speaker
We shouldn't be accepting of everybody in the sneaker, like into sneakers. And like I have, I always call them like old head tendencies. I have my moments of that. Like, but my biggest thing is like, if you show that you appreciate this, then I appreciate you. Right. And I think that goes with anything that if you just have been doing something for super long, this,
01:04:14
Speaker
Nobody's going to be on the same level as somebody who's been collecting for seven. There's not exactly. Yeah. People that have been in it for longer than you. You're never going to be number one in it. That's for sure.
01:04:24
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And I think the humility behind that and acceptance of that is something that we need to see more of versus somebody just being so adverse to somebody who's new to this and being dismissive. Once you're dismissive, then people start being like, oh, sneakers is gatekeeping sneakers. And you're just like, now you're giving us the people who are accepting. Yeah, the people who are accepting of everybody a bad rap now.
01:04:53
Speaker
Well, if nobody else new joins, it's going to slowly fizzle off. I mean, that's what it is. If there's not, I mean, the world we live in, it's capitalistic, it's progressive minded, it's there's always innovation. And if there is no new people joining, it's like the news, like only boomers watch the news and it's going to slowly fade off. Like we have social media now, it's different. But if there's nobody else coming into it, it's going to slowly fade off. But if sneakers, if
01:05:21
Speaker
Nobody joins it, it's just a bunch of 40, 50 year olds that bought Jordan 1's back in the day. It's gonna slowly fade out, so gotta have new people in it for sure. Facts, facts. All right, so my last question deals with a little bit of visualization. Let's use the what the fours that you got, because those were actually, instead of the jewel, four swans. So I want you to think back to when you're just about to buy those sneakers. I know it's not,
01:05:51
Speaker
10 years ago, I know it was like, so now you're you before, wait, now you're you behind yourself. What would you tell your four year old younger self, your four year ago younger self? Ah, I would say, I don't know. I mean, in terms of the shoes, I'm happy with them. I still got them.
01:06:24
Speaker
Maybe take the crease protectors out. I had them at the time. They were very uncomfortable. I'd say take them out and just wear them. Probably what I'd say. Was this like, uh, you're like, this is like, uh, Oh, everybody's not creasing their sneakers. I gotta, there's gotta be a way. Like, what was the logic? They actually came with, I got them.
01:06:46
Speaker
off of your car because I was doing a lot of reselling and it was like, got them in and verified. Um, they actually came with crease protectors. And so I locked them in. I was like, Oh, this like, they don't crease up. Like I'm man, I took care of those and I still do. I mean, they're, they're pristine for being used already. And, um, yeah, I'm such in the boat of, I mean, even the wear tests and stuff I've, and it's probably partly because I have a lot of shoes now. I'm very fortunate to have a lot of different shoes and like, I can beat up a pair and be okay with it. Um,
01:07:17
Speaker
But I would say just, you can always clean shoes. I've seen some crazy restorations from the friends over at Reshuvanator, like my Haritos SBs and the Jordan 4 SBs, like in the wear test. They went through hell and back and they came out just fine. And so I would say just regardless of if the value, rarity is a little different if it's limited or something like that. But I mean, if it's a pair that you like, wear it. You could die tomorrow and you never wore them and you just looked at them. So I.
01:07:44
Speaker
I would say, take the crease protectors out of those bad boys. Which I ended up doing. I don't have crease protectors anymore. I'm going to go to your house and be like, ah, I'm going to make a video. Be like, ah, no, he's lying. Crease protectors are here. Thank you, Charlie. Thank you for jumping on. Thank you for having me. Yeah. And for everybody out there, you know what we say each week? Wear your kicks. Peace.