Random Musings

All The Other Kids With The Pumped Up Kicks

VVNDS. OBO. DS. OG.

These terms are familiar with current sneakerheads. The sneaker above (Nike Air Solo Flight) was one of the first sneakers I bought in the past. It wasn’t the first one though. I saved up enough from my allowance back in college to buy a fake Nike tennis shoe. When I got back to the dorm, this dude wearing Jordan BC3’s said of my shoe; “Nice.”

Bah. I wanted to get the Nike Air Revolution then, but of course that was out of my reach. Later on I was able to buy this:

This was the Nike Air Flight Turbulence. It was one of my favorite shoe.

Around the same time, I also bought this:

The Nike Hype Uptempo. Had this in predominantly black as an alternative to my white Turbulence.

The last decent shoe I got was this:

The Nike Vis Zoom Uptempo. I was a fan of Allan Houston and I preferred this one over what I perceived then the too futuristic looking Foamposite (it was only available in gold and black then).

I wore these out, obviously. Aside from balling in them, I would also wear these riding BMX’s, commuting, malling, and everything else. Didn’t think much of it then.

Nowadays I am fortunate enough to have been able to purchase some of the shoes I have been drooling over back in college. Yes, that includes the Jordan 3. 

I still use them as much as I can. It never made sense to me to buy something without using them (unless they’re paintings, or some other decorative item). I don’t buy toys and have them gather dust. I certainly don’t buy shoes and have them sit on boxes until the time comes when they crumble in my hands (I imagine I’d feel terrible not having enjoyed the shoe).

This is the reason why I don’t have VVNDS or DS shoes. I am not buying the hype either. I personally think that the Galaxy Foamposite is the ugliest shoe ever. I don’t even think the Concords are the greatest Jordan shoes of all time.

I guess all I’m trying to say is this: get the things you love, not because they’re hyped. Shoes were engineered to wrap around your feet, not to get locked up in a vault.

I even let my kid have fun with them.