Adidas superstar. A sneaker that revolutionized sneaker culture and hip hop culture and my life as a whole. The Adidas superstar was a shoe that I did not know would launch me into a place which I call a “lovers addiction to sneakers”. Is it healthy? Well, sometimes. Is it unhealthy? Well, most of the time. I think the unhealthy part is that I always want more- it’s like an addict but without having the physical effect that addiction has on the body. But what drew me to the love of sneakers? I can basically break it down in this order. Adidas superstar, Nike Cortez, Vans, Dunks and then classics and exclusives.
The Adidas superstar and the Nike Cortez were basically my go to shoes when going anywhere. But then as I grew older I took a liking to Vans as most kids do who have grown up in a coastal area. There was something about the design that drew me to Vans. The first design that drove me crazy were the new era vans, a much smaller design than that of the skate 80s. It got to the point that when I went to Europe the only shoes that I bought were Vans. But at this stage I did not know that my style was also starting to grow and becoming more “risk taking” as one would say. I found myself buying Vans, but different types of Vans that challenged my sense of style which allowed me to gather the confidence to allow myself to buy sneakers, which allowed me to express myself more than anything. This is where we find ourselves in sneaker culture today. Where people, myself included, rock a sneaker to showcase how they are feeling whether it be a massively chunky sneaker, a tactical sneaker or a sneaker that has a ridiculous color to it.
We wear those shoes as statement pieces. That’s why we are seeing high fashion brands now dabbling in street wear culture through sneakers. So how has this affected me? Well, like most people I have dived straight into the exclusive market and got gifted a chunky exclusive - the Yeezy, which also works as my statement piece. I call it my statement piece because you cannot rock it anyhow. It is a shoe that takes precision and an understanding of how to rock it. But when you do get it right, it’s a beautiful shoe to wear. So does saying this justify the fact that I own over 70 pairs of shoes? Well yes, because it has allowed me to express what I am feeling on the day, to have a piece of history and also being able to just rock a shoe that I know people will either envy or be like- what the hell is he wearing? And that’s the beauty of it all. It’s something that is amazing and so tactical to ones outfit. You cannot have a dope outfit if your sneakers are not dope.
- Joshua Dunn
Please note photos are not of my own.
70 pairs of shoes is a lot 💀 but I won’t lie and say I don’t envy you because I do
The Superstar was definitely my intro to sneaker culture fam, I still remember my black and gold pair. Then the rest history.