When did you start loving sneakers?
My first memory of actually getting into REAL sneakers was in the 4th or 5th grade – one of my friends gave me his old and used pair of Military Blue Jordan IV’s. Of course, back then, I had no idea what this shoe was to become, but all I knew was that they were my first pair of really expensive basketball shoes and Air Jordans at that!!! I wore those things until the bottoms were flapping... If I could only get those back!!!!

Growing up a sneaker fiend on a budget…
Ever since I can remember, and until I was really on my own during college, my parents always set a price limit on the shoes I could buy for my sports. I always saw all these hot kickers on my friends and especially during basketball season, they had all the newest styles out by Nike, and I could never get them.

I’ll always remember, my senior year, the first Allen Iverson shoe, The Questions came out – He was (and still is) my absolute favorite pro basketball player, and the shoe matched PERFECTLY with our basketball uniforms. I think they came out at about $100 and that was WAY over my price limit, and so all I could do was daydream about how clean they would look on the court… That shoe is still one of the greatest, even now. (And yes, I did eventually get them once I was able to buy my own shoes =).

What do family and friends think about you being a sneaker fiend? They think it’s crazy – not in a bad way, but just ridiculous. When they come into my room, they’re completely shocked by all of the boxes going from the floor to the ceiling….Their first question is always: “Are there actually SHOES in all those boxes???” or “Do you actually WEAR all of those shoes???” I’m used to it though – some people just don’t understand. Keeping the kicks in top shape… Generally, the life of a pair of one of my sneakers is a pretty slow and laid-back lifestyle hahaa…the real heat doesn’t see too much action and if they do, it’s only for a short time… Also, if the weather is bad outside, i.e. raining, the heat is for sure staying indoors! I always keep my shoes in their boxes. Also, something I recently learned is to take out the paper that comes in the boxes. The paper, especially in Nike boxes, is what contributes to your shoes turning yellow over time. So, definitely, my boxes are free of any paper…… After a wear, and before I put them back in their box, I’ll check em out and see if any damage was done and give them a quick cleaning if they are a bit dirty. This way, the dirt isn’t embedded in the shoe by the time you get to cleaning, and you get everything done at once – wear em, wipe em down, and return to the box and that’s it…you’re done.

What do your sneakers say about you?
I don’t like trying to wear shoes to brag or show people up, but I definitely wear them with the thought that, hey, I can hang with you and you might also find some gems you don’t got in my collection. Don’t underestimate me….haha….I like proving people wrong – like I might be seen wearing flip-flops a lot, but then I’ll break some heat out and they’ll be like “Dang!!! Where’d you get THOSE?!!!”

Top 3 favorite pairs of all time (in no particular order):
White/Cement Jordan 3’s, Cool Grey Jordan 11’s , Bacon/DQM Edition of the Air Max 90’s

Are there challenges to being a female sneaker fiend?
Being underestimated or thought of as a chump…that’s one thing I’m not really down with about the shoe game, and hope to change one day when/if I ever have my own store. First impressions are often incorrect, and that’s something that I’ve been learning a lot about in this whole culture and it’s carrying onto other areas of my life – sounds kinda cheesy, but it’s important – that you can’t really judge people by the way they look or what they’re wearing, cuz u never know… My boyfriend and I have been into A LOT if not all shoe spots in Los Angeles and even in NYC, and 9 times out of 10, if we don’t happen to be wearing any heat at the moment, we barely get a look, let alone a nod. And, that’s really unfortunate that people judge us immediately just because we’re not wearing hot kicks when we walk into the store. Because, if they only knew………….

And guys - don’t sleep on girl sneakerheads!