SHOT BY: @STILLBYHELLY

Tell us about yourself.

“My name is Tatiana but everyone calls me Yves. I’m 33 from Harlem and I’m currently a visual merchandiser at Canada Goose.”

How long have you been a sneaker lover?

“I’ve been a sneaker lover probably from the time that my uncle bought my first Reebok 5411s. I think from that time on sneaker shopping was the thing we did together. I don’t know what age per se but I would say probably about 5.”

Do you remember your introduction to the sneaker game?

“That would’ve been my intro. I probably had infant sized sneakers but I don’t recall. It would have to be those hot pink 5411s that I got.

What is your favorite pair of sneakers?

“That is a tough one. I would say one of my favorites is the Katrina 3s because of the silhouette and just the simple colors white, red and elephant print. That would be one of the ones I need to wear a little bit more.”

What are you wearing now?

“So I’m currently wearing the SB Dunk Viotechs with socks from Melody Ehsani, my grandmother’s vintage Chanel bag, my boyfriend’s shirt and some jeans.”

What is your favorite sneaker colorway?

“I would say maybe white and red because those two colors could kind of be paired with anything.”

If you could collaborate with any sneaker brand, who would you collaborate with and why?

“It has always been a dream to collaborate with Nike but I would have to say Puma because they’re on a different wave length right now and I don’t hear any women being in the Puma brand producing any sneakers as of yet.”

What do you think the sneaker game is missing?

“I would say accessibility and people who are true sneaker lovers. I think people buy sneakers just to resell majority of the time instead of being authentic and love it as an art which I do.”

Follow @YvesFrost on Instagram and look out for her dope tomboychic outfits and exclusive kicks!

SHOT BY: @STILLBYHELLY

Tell us about yourself.

“My name is Ashley and I am an 28 year old full-time beauty and lifestyle content creator and influencer based in New York City. So pretty much I do a lot of campaigns and just create content for social media consumption.”

How long have you been a sneaker lover?

“I’ve been a sneaker lover since elementary/junior high school. I’ve grown up on Nike Air Force 1s and Reebok Classics but I think when I got my first pair of Chicago 2s that’s when I really fell in love.”

Do you remember your introduction to the sneaker game?

“Faintly. I have stories. My parents would tell me when it was time for me to get new sneakers as a teeny tiny tot I would always go in and go for the Reebok Classics.”

What is your favorite pair of sneakers?

“My favorite pair of sneakers? Hmm. That’s very hard because I feel like silhouettes really get me but I think if I had to spend my last dollar it would be the Chicago 2s.”

What are you wearing now?

“I am wearing all Nike. I’m wearing a black Nike bodysuit, a pair of white Nike sportswear shorts, Stance socks that are David Bowie edition and the 2019 270 Reacts.”

What is your favorite sneaker colorway?

“I think my favorite sneaker colorway is definitely red, white and black.”

If you could collaborate with any sneaker brand, who would you collaborate with and why?

“I would definitely collaborate with Nike. I feel like at this point its just a given for me. I love how Nike just continues to push the culture forward, the styles they come out with, the textures that they’re merging together, and just the way that everything looks. Even some of the things that are items we might’ve seen in the past they always find a way to bring a new modern updated twist to it.”

What do you think the sneaker game is missing?

“I think the sneaker game is missing a lot more women. I feel like we are getting more into it now but I feel like it is a lot harder for women to get noticed versus men. I definitely think that’s one of the main things we’re currently missing.”

Be sure to follow Ashley on Instagram: @CurlsFoTheGirls and subscribe to her channel on YouTube!

SHOT BY: @STILLBYHELLY

Tell us about yourself.

“Hi I’m Jess Og, I’m 21 years old and I’m from Staten Island. In short, I’m a manager, creative director and event planner.”

How long have you been a sneaker lover?

“Probably since sixth grade.”

Do you remember your introduction to the sneaker game?

“Yes! My brother who is about 2 years older than me loves sneakers so I kind of just wanted to be down when we were little. It kind of started with me just listening to whatever shoe he decided I should get then eventually I had my own style and add my own little kick to it. I’m a bigger sneakerhead than he is now which is crazy.”

What is your favorite pair of sneakers?

“My favorite pair of kicks are the Royal Blue 1s. Right now I’ve been going through this little debate with the Black Toe Union 1’s but yeah the Royal Blue 1s.”

What are you wearing now?

“I’m a really minimalistic person so I’m wearing a Visionary Society hat, the Balenciaga ‘Triple S’ sneakers in white, a white crop top from Zara, and the reworked shorts from Urban Outfitters.”

What is your favorite sneaker colorway?

“Red and black.”

If you could collaborate with any sneaker brand, who would you collaborate with and why?

“I’ve always wanted my own Bapestas. I don’t know why. I just feel like they have the craziest colorways and craziest collabs and I would love to be a part of that.”

What do you think the sneaker game is missing?

“I would say that the sneaker game is missing culture. Back when we used to wait on sneaker lines we used to gain a lot of family waiting on those lines. Now that everything is digital and you don’t meet as many people doing that.”

Follow Jess on Instagram @_Jess.Og and check out her dope website JessOg.com!

SHOT BY: @STILLBYHELLY

Tell us about yourself.

“My name is Kai Tsehay Washington and I am a 22 year old photographer. I just moved to the NJ/NY area about a month ago and I’m out here doing photography. Oh! And I went to Spelman College!”

How long have you been a sneaker lover?

“I have been a sneaker lover since I was a kid. I first started off with Converse and I actually had almost every limited edition pair of Converse. My dad is a huge sneakerhead.”

Do you remember your introduction to the sneaker game?

“In D.C., New Balances are a big thing. So as a kid I didn’t understand why my dad would get me the same pair of New Balances but it would be a different year every time. Eventually I found out why. How I fell in love with Converse? I had these shiny black Converse in Georgetown, D.C. and from there I just started getting every limited edition pair. Jordans? I have always loved Jordans.”

What is your favorite pair of sneakers?

“My favorite is the Royal Blue 1s. That’s one of my favorites right now.”

What are you wearing now?

“The sneakers I’m wearing right now are Stan Smith, these pants are from H&M, some Adidas socks, and I thrifted this vintage Adidas jersey.”

What is your favorite sneaker colorway?

“Right now my favorite are those 1s so the blue and the black—especially since since I went to Spelman.”

If you could collaborate with any sneaker brand, who would you collaborate with and why?

“I honestly would do Puma because I think Puma needs a lot of work and I feel like I have a lot of good ideas for them. Puma is still fire because it’s international. They have a huge international presence and I love the international fashion wave.”

What do you think the sneaker game is missing?

“Black women. Ya know? Catering to us. I just feel like we have our three main brands and they allow a few new designers to come in. I feel like we don’t look into other shoes besides those considered hypebeast like Puma, Adidas, Nike so I feel like we need to start looking into other brands.”

Follow Kai’s journey on Instagram @Official_Kaikai and don’t forget to look at her dope photography work @TsehayPhotography!