It has officially been 3 months since we started this #WYK/#WYKW movement and we can’t stop, won’t stop either!
Anyways, the weather is starting to break and we all know when the weather breaks it is time to break out the heat; sneakers that is.
Last installment of Kickin’ It With Def Pen: Wear Your Kicks Pt. 11 featured an article from a heavy supporter via: twitter of the movement, Ricky (@LetMeGetA__). As I mentioned in the #WYKW Recap (5/28/14) and those prior, we are doing this all for you guys. We are more than acceptive of submissions.
With that being said I introduce to you guys our next feature, he goes by the name Relly or aka @HypebeastRelly. Just like Ricky, Relly is a very frequent participant in the weekly showcase that is #WYKW. After much observation of the kicks Relly was posting I just knew we had to get him to submit a write up for Kickin’ It With Def Pen.
I must say after reading his article he definitely delivered a piece that was more than what we were looking for. I actually enjoyed it because it displayed the passion he has for the sneaker game and that’s what we need back in it.
Let me not hold you guys up any longer, lets get right into it.
For as long as I can remember, sneakers have been a part of who I am. The passion both my dad and uncle had for sneakers, the fact that they kept me in a fresh pair from the time I was in diapers. The influence of Michael Jordan not only on me but my generation sparked my love for the sneaker game from a very young age. Back then, there was no such thing as a raffle, a ticket giveaway, or a hypebeast; there was only the real, genuine appreciation of sneakers, and that foundation has always remained with me. That being said, choosing only one sneaker from my collection was not the easiest task.
I ultimately decided on my Bred 4s not only because the 4s are one of my favorite models but the Bred color way is one of my favorite color ways, but because they’re one of the oldest pairs in my current collection, with crumbling soles and the Nike Air symbol on the back just for solid proof. I’d been wanting a pair of them for a while, but the prices I’ve been seeing were unrealistic for my budget.
Finding a good pair, in good condition, at a good price seemed to be impossible. I’ve been looking on all the websites I knew and trying to get in contact with anyone I already knew who I thought would know someone I could get them from but to no avail. I finally asked my uncle if he had anything in his collection that he’d be willing to give up, but knowing him, I wasn’t expecting much.
He rarely lets anything of his go. He told me nothing was for sale, but out of curiosity I asked him what all was in his collection from the many years he had spent in the sneaker game. When he sent me a picture, I saw that he had the 4s, so I immediately started asking him what it would take me to get them from his collection to my own. He told me he just couldn’t let them go due to the year they were made and because they were one of his favorites.
I kept pushing it so he ended up giving me some “alternatives,” and I went over to his place to check them out. When I got there, I asked to look at the 4s, and when I saw them in person, I knew that I needed them. I continued asking him how I could make them mine, but he refused to cave. A week later, I went back over to buy a different pair that he had offered, and he surprised me by giving me the 4s, for free. The only payment I had to give him was a promise that I’d take care of them and never let them go.
The shoes are definitely a significant piece to my collection because my Uncle really looked out by letting me get this vintage pair of Jordans for no cost. He has always played a vital role to my involvement in the sneaker world and continues to today. I’m thankful that my present day pickups, I’ll always have my older pairs to even things out. There is just something about the older quality of Jordans that isn’t necessarily there in the present day market. I’m a firm believer in wearing your sneakers, and I’ll be rocking my 4s until the soles fall off.
