**Exclusive** How I Fell In Love With Sneakers

Since I was really young I've always been into getting 'fly'. I was born in 83 and I spent my summers in East New York Brooklyn where my cousin who I believe worked for Macy*s at the time would always keep me in Guess Jeans and Ralph Lauren polo shirts, and make sure my mom kept it up during the year, and there was nothing flyer than a pair of Air Jordans.

It was the summer of 1991 and Air Jordans were not as expensive as they are today but they were still pretty pricey for a pair of sneakers for a kid going to 3rd grade at the time. I needed a pair of Air Jordans next year and I was not taking no for an answer, so when the summer came and it was time for back to school shopping I was on it. At the time the Air Jordan VI in the Black/Infared colorway was out and I remember going to Modell's with my mother and BEGGING her for a pair. She eventually gave in and got them for me. I thought that I could jump higher and all of the other things that little kids would believe when they saw an Air Jordan commercial back then. Unfortunately for me I think I got two solid months of having those shoes because by the end of the summer i jumped from the top of my steps into some wet paint that my uncle had left out after painting my patio steps. Washing them helped but the kicks just werent the same. I needed a new pair of sneakers and my moms was NOT buying another pair of Jordans. It didnt help that I had already had my 1st taste of that Air Jordan 'crack' and I was hooked.