By Ashley Moore
How it started..
I always wore sneakers… ALWAYS. I was always “Team Nike”. I didn’t wear anything else. I even scoffed at that those fake Nike shirts, headbands, and key chains. Ya’ll remember NK Air? IFYKYK. I was a big tom boy in my adolescence. Yall, I thought wearing timberland boots was “dressing up”. Anywho, I started out wearing air max 90s. They were my all time favorites. When I became an adult and had “adult money”, I decided to buy Jordans… but only Jordan 11s. I started collecting and then I became pregnant shortly thereafter.
Becoming a Mom…
You hear about all the ways your body changes during and after pregnancy… but hear and experiencing are two totally different things. Not to mention, I had twins, so recovery is doubly long for Moms of multiples. My feet had become so swollen that I could only wear flats (yuck) and sandals. I couldn’t fit any of my Jordans AT ALL. I hoped and prayed that the swelling would go down, but it didn’t. This went on for THREE YEARS.I got so discouraged, I stopped collecting all together at that point. I missed out on so many shoes… good re-releases of OG colorways: Concords, Space Jams…the list goes on.
Getting back in…
One day… like 2 years ago, my swelling went down and I noticed that I could fit my Jordans again. (Praise God) To this day, I am so glad that I had good sense to keep my Jordans. I currently have a pair of Gamma Blues that are in excellent condition. I would pick up a few pair here and there, but then the ME1s happened. I saw those shoes and I knew that I wanted them. I would say that these shoes caused a “spark” that reignited my love for sneaker collecting. I didn’t get them on release day, but my hubby came through with the delayed W after he realized how bad I wanted those damn shoes.LOL
Shortly after, COVID-19 happened. Life slowed down tremendously and I had time to dedicate to many different interests; sneakers being one of them. I had more time to read blogs, browse IG, and stalk release accounts on twitter. My sneaker collection grew rapidly during quarantine. What I also had time to do was curate and focus my collection because it was getting out of hand pretty quickly. My sneaker collection is focused on women designed/exclusives and air maxes. I have also been going after all those shoes that I missed out on due to my pregnancy and effects of post partum: Win like ‘96, Concords, etc.
Everyday Life…
I mentioned before that I’m a twin mom, but I neglected to tell you that I’m
also a school Principal. So just about everyday, I wear Js to school. It used to be a Friday thing, but then it turned into a daily thing. I realized when I wore them, I connected with the parents, my students, and even Board Members. Some people think that sneakers are dumb. They’re a staple in the black community and everyone, old and young, speaks the language of sneakers.
Going back to sneakers was truly “full circle” for me. They provide a sense of comfort and stability both literally and figuratively that I didn’t expect initially.
Buy the sneakers. Wear the sneakers
Follow Ashley on IG @twinmotha
