"Yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair/cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there"
-DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (nee Will Smith), "Summertime"
Even though he has a pretty decent collection of boots and dress shoes, my father never really spoke to us about footwear. Charles Perry (please say the full name), as he is affectionately known by my friends and fans, focused his teachings on other principles of manhood, including laying sheet rock and cutting tiles. So while I could fix floors with the best of the best, my "sole game" never reached its full potential. In high school, little fuss was made; I balanced between high school jock and GQ magazine reject. On days I did not have sports, I dressed up; it's listed in the Pennsbury High School history book that I was the first 16 year-old in school history to wear jeans and dress shoes.
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| Ladies Love Cool "J"s, and Air Maxes, and the Lil Penny's, and Foamposities... |
When arriving at college, more specifically my sophomore and junior year, it became more noticeable how serious people took their shoes. Air Jordan sneakers of yesteryear were on display in extravagant colorways; young co-eds donned the newest Nike, Reebok, and Adidas shoes and my oh my, were they fresh. You would swear people's shoes were cleaner than the drawers they had on.
It had become time for me to upgrade my shoe collection. Despite this desire, my parents teachings were ingrained in my head. We never were a family who blatantly followed trends, and my father surely would not spend his money just so you could look like the person next to you. So my first shoe purchases were low top, casual sneakers, something that would match my personality. While the shoes were definitely cool, they didn't last. I didn't clean them often, walked on the grass (a no-no for sneakerheads), and let my laces drag. Ladies and gents, charm and good looks will only take you so far. I lost a lot of luster due to lack of good shoe etiquette. More importantly, I lost a lot of girls because I didn't know the "error of my ways"; was blind, but now I see...Amazing Grace.
Now, three weeks away from my 26th birthday, my perception of men's shoes and their value have increased greatly. Shoes can be sign of power, creativity, manhood, self-esteem, and much more. Furthermore, it is very common to hear a group of women attest to first looking at a man's SHOES when meeting them. That's it right there; do you need to read more? Seriously, any man who wants to be taken serious should start at the bottom, and as Weezy and Yeezy say, "Let the Beat Build". The right pair of shoes can make or break an unique outfit, so give it consideration. While definitely staying away from any malls during the release of ANY Air Jordan sneakers, my treatment and preservation of my shoes will be much improved. Through the influence of my frat brothers G. Reid and Dev, my co-worker and sneaker-head Jess, and even Charlie P himself, I've turned the corner in dressing to impress. Boy, wait until they see a brother in these dress boots.
Long Live the Boogie,
Ceddy P
P.S. Even if you didn't have AF1's, y'all were jamming on this song.
Well done as always. I have to admit I do look at shoes first then work my way up. But on the flip side I'm more mature and as long as the footwear is clean I'm ok. I don't really care if he has on Jordans I actually prefer he don't unless he is playing b-ball. I just like a well groomed clean man.
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