Q&A

I wanted to take the time to answer some of the questions I get from the readers of this blog. Of course they pertain to my sneaker collection past and present and my wearing habits. So here are a few Q&A's:

1. What are your favorite brands of sneakers?

I have several but #1 on my list is Nike because over the years Nike has consistently made shoes that I love. Since I first started observing sneakers in the mid 1980's, Nike has constantly kept a flow of awesome shoes coming. That's not to say Nike has not made some real eyesores and stuff that I would NEVER EVER wear--I remember a co-worker and I talking about sneakers once and he said 'they're making some shoes now that are so ugly I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy"--but so have all the other brands. The difference is that Nike has made a lot more that I WOULD wear and were nothing short of awesome. But some of the other brands have made sneakers that have been just as meaningful and special to me as anything Nike has ever put out. These other brands include:

-Reebok
-New Balance
-Saucony
-Converse
-Vans

That is pretty much it. That is all I wear nowadays. Most days you will find me wearing either Nike, Converse or New Balance. There have been other brands that made shoes I really liked and was into, such as K-Swiss, DVS & Adio, but that was several years ago and I haven't seen anything I really liked from them since.

2. Do you wear the same sneakers all year round?

No I don't actually. Since I'm in an area that has brutally cold winters and really hot summers I keep some of my sneakers dedicated to certain times of the year. In the summer when it's really hot I wear my Nike Nylon Cortez or Converse All Star low or Nike Free 5.0 or Saucony Jazz or New Balance 996 or Vans Authentic or Vans Era. When it's hot and wet though, I'll wear the New Balance or the Cortez. Definitely no canvas shoes when it's pouring out. When fall comes around it allows for more variety so I'll wear any of those I already mentioned or my AJ4, Reebok 4600, Air Flight 89, Air Max 90 or Nike Dunk high. If there's some autumn rain going on I'll choose the AF89, NB996 or Nike Dunk High. Now when winter comes around I'll mainly wear any of my sneaks that are leather as long as it's dry out. All the canvas and nylon sneakers get to hibernate for several months. But whenever there is snow on the ground I pull out my waterproof Nike Air Assault and wear those or the AF89 since I'm not all that crazy about those.. Yeah, I don't like salt stains on my kicks. And whenever spring rolls around I keep the Assaults still nearby along with all the other leather sneakers. If it gets warm enough and dry I start wearing the canvas and nylon ones again.

3. Do you only wear sneakers?

For the most part, yes! I mean, what else is there? Boat shoes? Loafers? Crocs? God forbid! No thanks. Those are old men's shoes and I'm not an old man nor will I ever be one! Crocs are just for people who have absolutely no sense of fashion or style. I'm sorry but that's just the truth. So yes, I mainly wear sneakers the whole year round, with the exception of the few times I wear my Dr. Martens boots and my tall sheepskin boots in the winter. All the jobs I've ever had didn't have a formal dress code so it was always sneakers. At church it's sneakers. Pretty much everywhere I go. If for whatever reason I do need to dress up just a little I will wear either my Dr. Martens or my all-black Vans Authentics. I don't wear flip flops or sandals in public. I just like the security of having my feet covered and protected from being stepped on and also in the event that I should have to run for my life in an emergency. Ever try running in flip flops or sandals? Or barefoot for that matter? Ultimately I just like looking down and seeing my sneakers and feeling at one with them. Thank goodness for sneakers, one of the greatest creations of all time!