What is your favourite sneaker memory?

Looking back there’s been a few. I’ve been lucky to have made some really good friends in the community beyond just sneakers. And our friendships have extended to what I would define as family. But there’s been 2 outstanding memories that have really captured my heart and soul. The first was with my friend and ‘fam’ LIAM (@solesmoothes IG) who invited me to go with him for the Patta Black release - Dec 2021 in London. There I got to meet quite a few faces from the sneaker scene and experience a Patta drop. What made it even more special wasn’t just copping a pair of the Air Max 1 ‘Black’ but actually getting to meet G and Edson in person and spend some time connecting with them. it was a surreal moment and both kindly signed my shoe box. The second was being invited to ‘an audience with GOLDIE’. An artist I grew up listening too and being inspired by. A week after the event Offspring reached out to me to advise GOLDIE and his team at Adidas wanted to do a 1:1 interview with me whereby I could ask him a number of questions and dig deeper ‘into the man behind the myth’. This gave me a chance to expand on my creative writing and put together an editorial piece Adidas & Offspring later showcased on their websites. Another moment that was truly inspiring and was my first public editorial.

What is your 'Grail' sneaker and why?

I recently read Chelsea Warner piece from a few weeks ago and I have to agree with her! The word ‘Grail’ gets thrown around loosely, sometimes for pairs that have recently dropped and still available for retail or just over! To me the term ‘Grail’ refers to a shoe that for you, is beyond measure above all others. It is the one pair that you would love to own but is either financially or due to availability - out of your reach. For years my number one ‘Grail’ was the Air Max 1 ATMOS Elephant. It was a pair that from the very first time I saw them when I began to collect AM1s I wanted. When the retro was released in 2017 I wasn’t as clued up about drops as I am now, and mistakenly turned up to Oxford Circus NikeTown late morning excited to cop! The surprise and disappointment I felt coming out of Oxford Circus station to be met by a sea of sneakerheads was overwhelming and in that moment I knew it was an L. Year after year I watched the price of them sky rocket to a point they were completely out of my financial reach! That was until Dec 2022 after having an amazing year of Air Max 1 pick ups, I made the decision to stop collecting new releases and focus on that one shoe going into the new year! January 19th 2023 marked a moment I won’t ever forget. I had finally secured my ‘Grail’ but not just the GR version but the ATMOS x JORDAN pack variation. Since then my desire for pick ups has dropped off heavily partly because I feel I’ve acquired my one shoe but also because I wanted to take a step back from the collecting scene to really enjoy the pairs I had acquired. The AM1 ATMOS x JORDAN Elephant means everything to me as it empowered myself in my thinking to make what I thought impossible - possible.

Where do you live and what is 'Sneaker Culture' like there?

I live in Greater London. The sneaker scene at times can be wild but by taking a step back allows me not to get caught up in the sometimes negative energy of the scene and simply focus on me and what I like. On the flip side there are a handful of people I connect with regularly whereby we share the same positive energy around pairs and therefore that in itself makes it enjoyable.

What does community mean to you?

Community is a funny word! One that has sadly become a sound bite for certain groups on IG who on one hand talk about it like it’s a family unit and the next play gatekeeper to certain pairs based on your collection or sneaker choices! But for me, I have been very lucky in the sense my community become a small village! After battling with my mental health for over 3 years I’ve found myself surrounded by a very small circle of people I refer to as my extended fam, or sneaker family. Like-minded individuals whose taste may differ from my own but we share the same love and passion for those differences that drive and move us! It’s these people who have, directly and indirectly helped me overcome the battle with my mental health. Sneaker-Spott been the one group I’ve been in that has truly aided in my rehabilitation and I’m humbled to have made some amazing friends there whereby we empower and support each other. When friends meet through a mutual love of sneakers find themselves connected beyond sneakers then that to me is the real essence of community!

What do you enjoy aside sneakers?

Aside from sneakers I’m a creative writer and currently working on self publishing my first fiction novel and poetry books. I also dabble in photography - nothing professional more of a hobby and I teach SEN children in school as well as run 1:1 classes helping others learn more about their Apple products empowering them to go further.