11 REASONS WHY NYC BECAME THE GODFATHER OF SNEAKER CULTURE - PART ONE

“NEW YORK, NEW YORK, BIG CITY of (SNEAKER) DREAMS”

A. ONCE UPON A TIME

P.I. Or PRE-INTERNET, THE NEW YORK CITY SNEAKER GAME was far more advanced than the rest of Planet. 

??SNEAKER CONNOISSEUR-SHIP displayed in 80s and 90s by the YOUTH of the BIG APPLE made them the most envied Tribe of Consumers in the World.

B. SNEAKER HEAVEN

I personally recall the Summer of 1989 my first visit to NEW YORK CITY and going SNEAKER shopping on JAMAICA AVE at the COLISEUM MALL in JAMAICA, QUEENS. 

??Never in my life could I have imagined the abundance of SNEAKER options - I was pleasantly & enthusiastically overwhelmed. 

??Being from CALIFORNIA I am thinking this is just not fair as I came to the realization I had been living on the bottom of not the Economic - but the SNEAKER-NOMIC Totem Pole.

??Leaving NYC with a New Level of SNEAKER EXPECTATIONS, Fresh Kicks and the New EMPD Tape, UNFINISHED BUSINESS - “SO WAT CHA SAYIN”

C. NYC SNEAKER DYNAMICS

To truly paint the picture of the early NYC SNEAKER CULTURE you must understand four key points:

??SNEAKER PRESSURE, BULLYING & CLOUT in NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS was the bait that inspired young NEW YORKERS to propel their “HUSTLE GAME” early. 

??PASS OR FAIL: There was a 24/7 SNEAKER Pop Quizzes jumping off throughout “THE CITY”at a moment’s noice and “SNEAKER FAILURE” was not an option for the YOUTH of NEW YORK.

??NO PLAY CLOTHES or NOT FLY ZONE: One’s SNEAKER GAME was an NYC KID’s Social Media during the T.P.I Era so:

-SNEAKER: Breaks, Excuses or Sympathy were NOT a Part of “The Culture’s Policy.”

??SNEAKERS OR YOUR LIFE: Being Robbed for One’s SNEAKERS was a realistic possibility so rocking your Fresh Kicks with caution was a part of the Game.

-And if one heard someone come up to you and ask:

“What Size you Wear”

-The only qualified response to let the perpetrator to beware was:

 “I Wear Your Size”

D. NEW YORK STATE Of MIND

SNEAKER CULTURE is a World-Wide phenomena with the internet providing Global exposure, access and content to create a more balanced consumer landscape.

??But do not get it twisted, NYC holds the honor of being THE GODFATHER of SNEAKER CULTURE we know today.

Please find listed below the supporting insights on how this NEW YORK STATE Of MIND became a SNEAKER SOCIETY.

?? HOOP YORK: BIRTH OF NYC SNEAKER ENDEARMENT

A. NEW YORK CITY is synonymous with the Sport & Culture of BASKETBALL for over 60+ YEARS.

??LOVE & BASKETBALL: NEW YORKER‘S Obsession with BASKETBALL runs deep.

-From the Casual to the Elite Player to DieHard Fans of the NBA & NEW YORK KNICKS and local PLAYGROUND TEAMS & LEGENDS.

??BASKETBALL set-off the initial SNEAKER LOVE as well as QUEST of the KIDS of the GOTHAM CITY.

B. SUPER HEROES & ONE ICON

For most NEW YORK KIDS their first HEROES surfaced from a local BASKETBALL COURT but their first SUPER HEROES were SIGNATURE SNEAKER Athletes with an NYC Connection.

??The 5 Annotated NYC SUPER HEROES and ONE ICONIC BASKETBALL SNEAKER that laid the foundation for the CITY-WIDE SNEAKER Craze are:

1.KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR aka "CAPTAIN":The First NBA PLAYER granted a SIGNATURE SNEAKER by adidas and was born in NEW YORK CITY.

2.WALT FAIZER aka “CLYDE”: The First NEW YORK KNICK awarded a SIGNATURE SNEAKER by PUMA.

3.JULIUS ERVING aka “DR J”: Born in the greater NYC area while honing his hoop skills in “THE CITY” was an original SIGNATURE ATHLETE.

4.MICHAEL JORDAN: The GREATEST NBA PLAYER of All-Time and endorser of the GREATEST SIGNATURE SNEAKER BRAND was born in BROOKLYN.

5.PATRICK EWING: The GREATEST NYC KNICK and First NBA PLAYER to own a SNEAKER BRAND in EWING ATHLETICS.

-Please note his initial SNEAKERS at the beginning of his career were SIGNATURE Models created by adidas.

6.NIKE’S AIR FORCE 1 is the greatest selling SNEAKER of All-Time is also referred to as “UPTOWNS” in reference to HARLEM'S deep obsession for this iconic BASKETBALL Silhouettes.

“IF You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere”

?? THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

A. NYC is a “CULTURAL GUMBO” with many Documented & Undocumented Immigrants that make “THE CITY” a place unlike anywhere in the WORLD.

??36% of NYC is foreign-born and over 800 Languages Spoken but there is a huge economic disparity.

B. SECOND COUNTRY:

NEW YORK CITY is home to the largest population of many ethnic groups outside their home country.

-INCLUDING: JAMAICANS, PUERTO RICANS and many decedents of WEST INDIES as well as a robust JEWISH Community to name a few.

?? NYC has the Largest Population of AFRICAN AMERICAN in the US with many migrating from the South.

??Many view NYC as the birthplaces of Black Culture in America.

??KEY INFLUENTIAL URBAN COMMUNITIES: SOUTH BRONX, HARLEM, BK's BED-STUY, QUEENSBRIDGE & SOUTH QUEENS

?? These same ethnic groups and communities played a major role in the development of the NYC SNEAKER Game.

-Ranging from Sneaker Industry Professionals to Consumers to Signature Athletes to Retailers.

C. ECONOMIC CHALLENGES:

??In the 70s NEW YORK CITY was on the verge of Bankruptcy but it also served as a key period in the emergence of SNEAKER & STREET CULTURE.

??Historically, nearly half of NEW YORK CITY’s population lives near the poverty line.

?? Many of the NYC’s economically challenged families and neighborhoods were & are People of Color - but they are never short on Creativity, Style and Imagination.

D. THE BRONX IS BURNING:

The BRONX was the hardest hit section of NYC by the economic crisis with major cuts in public services cut including fire protection.

??There was an imbalance of reductions in Black & Latino Neighborhoods the result of the lack of proper political representation.

??Coupled with building owners turned arsonist seeking to cash in on insurance policies the BX was truly on fire.

??97% of their buildings had either caught on fire or were abandon between 1970 and 1980 in the BRONX.

??A symbolic moment of this period was Game 2 of the 1977 World Series featuring the NEW YORK YANKEES and LOS ANGELES DODGERS.

??During the game a fire broke out just outside YANKEE STADIUM in the SOUTH BRONX and HOWARD COSELL announced the occurrence as cameras span the flames.

-This gave the Globe a glimpse of the magnitude of the struggles in NEW YORK CITY.

E. NO PRESSURE, NO HEAT, NO DIAMONDS: NEW YORK CITY would stand strong, recover and today serves as the Epicenter of the World.

??The KIDS of the SOUTH BRONX would later gain fame for their creative spirit during this dire period with their introduction of the most influential global culture that we now call HIP HOP.

- SNEAKERS sit front and center in this infectious movement.

Broken Glass Everywhere, People Pissing on the Stairs, you know they just Don’t Care ??I can’t take the Smell, I can’t take the Noise ??Got no Money to Move Out, I guess I got No Choice ??Rats in the Front Room, Roaches in the Back ??Junkie’s in the Alley with a Baseball Bat??I tried to Get Away, but I couldn’t Get Far ??Cause the Man with the Tow-Truck Repossessed My Car"

?? THE ART OF SNEAKERS

A. BOOGIE-DOWN BRONX:

The Apocalypse of the BRONX systemic destruction produced the beautiful Art & Sport of HIP HOP.

??NYC‘s Fiscal Crisis resulted in the Music & Art curriculum in schools being eliminated but HIP HOP would fill the void.

??HIP HOP put the SOUTH BRONX and NYC back on the map in a positive light and served as valuable rebranding even down to each individual soul of these economically challenged communities.

??Led by the founding father KOOL HERC and the KIDS of the SOUTH BRONX, HIP HOP would quickly develop and spread throughout NYC - and eventually around the World.

??HIP HOP is the ultimate example of Resourcefulness, Creativity and Imagination of Artistic Expression.

??4 ELEMENTS OF HIP HOP includes: The Poetic MC??Musical Conductor in the DJ ?? Athletic BREAK DANCER ??The Gifted GRAFFITI ARTIST

-The ultimate balance of the Art & Sport.

B. FRESH TO IMPRESS

HIP HOP provided a Unifying Identity & Clout for the YOUTH of the BRONX and eventually throughout the greater NEW YORK CITY area extending in to STYLE.

??BREAK DANCERS being the first to adopt SNEAKERS as the official footwear of HIP HOP CULTURE and introduced the first must have Kick's accessory in FAT LACES.

??STYLE & SNEAKERS would become the 5th ELEMENT of HIP-HOP as it is truly is an Artistic Expression.

??HIP HOP’s eccentric style and personalized gear caught the attention of many industries including the SNEAKERS who had never paid much attention to these Urban Communities.

C. The impact HIP HOP has had on the SNEAKER INDUSTRY is priceless.

??PUMA was the early brand of choice within HIP HOP CULTURE but the consumer’s brand palette would expand quickly.

??RUN DMC would propel adidas’s position in the culture with their smash hit: “MY ADIDAS”

-These QUEEN's Rapper would shine light on the developing SNEAKER CULTURE of NYC.

-Especially their 1986 epic performance at MADISON SQUARE that landed them a million dollar contract with adidas.

??NIKE and eventually NIKE AIR MAX would capture NYC’s HIP HOP Community with relentless Innovation, iconic Athletes and memorizing Storytelling.

??Once MICHAEL JORDAN SIGNATURE SNEAKER hit the market it became the standard in HIP HOP with a pivotal moment being the release of LL COOL J’s debut album, “RADIO.”

-The NYC rapper was featured on the LP's back cover posted up in the just released newly AIR JORDAN I.

??NIKE would introduce ROC-A-FELLA Records AIR FORCE 1 and WU TANG DUNK Collaborations for gifting that would further fuse the Culture and SNEAKERS to create a now industry norm.

??REEBOK would then sign NYC Rappers JAY Z & FIFTY CENTS to short lived SIGNATURE SNEAKERS deals but it happened.

-This pioneered the successful partnerships of today like adidas & KANYE WEST/YEEZYS. 

“I’m a HUSTLA, Baby!”

?? SNEAKER SHOWMEN

A. The ERA that birthed HIP HOP paralleled a new rise of NYC STREET HUSTLERS who flaunted their wealth and fabulous lifestyles throughout "THE CITY" proven to be envied by many including the innocent.

??Many films would shed light on this lifestyle including PAID IN FULL, NEW JACK CITY and BELLY to name a few.

??STRRET LEGENDS such as RICHIE PORTER, ALPO, SUPREME and the OG FIFTY CENT(not the rapper) were epitome of SHOWMANSHIP and/or STYLE.

??Many of the HIP HOP Artist modeled their STYLE including SNEAKER Obsession after these local HUSTLERS from their neighborhoods.

??NYC Hotspots such as LATIN QUARTERS, HARLEM WORLD, THE ROOF TOP and WILLIE'S BURGERS would serve as their Stage to Floss at upmost proportions.

??The mentality of the RICH, FLY and URBAN FAMOUS was to never wear a pair of SNEAKERS more than once to insure one’s FRESHNESS.

??In the ECOSYSTEM of NYC SNEAKER CULTURE, the STREET HUSTLER played a valuable role in setting the standards & rules and truly influenced the INFLUENCER.

“SNEAKERS Speak Louder than Words”

?? SNEAKER CURRENCY

A. The NYC Tain System serves as the Veins + Arteries as well as Gateway for journeys through “THE CITY.”

??From a SNEAKER prospective the SUBWAY represented and represents a MOBILE STYLE RUNWAY to gain instant attention just based on your caliber of KICKS aka SNEAKER CURRENCY.

??While GRAFFITI ARTIST bombed the outside of the Train to BRAND their name throughout NYC, inside the SUBWAY credibility started with the SNEAKER CHECK.

??SNEAKER CONTACT > EYE CONTACT

??The SUBWAY provided Magazine and Billboard-type of exposure so one must sport one’s “SNEAKER BEST.”

??One of the positive accomplishment during former NYC Mayors DINKINS & GIULIANI'S tenures was the elimination of kids getting stuck up for their SNEAKERS on the NYC SUBWAY.

“Good SNEAKERS Take You Places”

?? BIRTH OF THE SNEAKER COMMUTE

A. 1980 NYC TRANSIT STRIKE: April 1, 1980, 34,000 members of the Transport Workers Union Local 100 walked off the job bringing NYC Public Transportation to a halt for 11 Days.

??This forced most NEW YORKERS to walk, bike and even skate to their destinations.

??FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTIONS: Many commuters would switch out of their business shoes and into more functional SNEAKERS.

??This prompted many to adopt the practice and played a major role in the increase of WOMAN wearing SNEAKERS around “THE CITY” thereafter.

- This spread from city to city and even on a global scale.

??SNEAKERS quickly became VOGUE and a Statement Accessory for this more mature and new demographic of consumer.

"The B-Side"

This concludes PART ONE of:

11 REASONS WHY NYC BECAME THE GODFATHER OF SNEAKER CULTURE

??PART II will be Released Soon!

??Please feel free to read some of the other entries of 11 REASONS

??THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT!