Trainer Talk Thursday: Women in Sneaker Culture - Nerd_Star 101
I wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the amazing women in sneaker culture that I have been able to connect with on Instagram. I started following Nerd Star_101 recently first for her inventive, artistic style and very much enjoy her feed, uplifting & honest stories, her collection is amazing including her customs and we definitely have had great chats about kicks & everyday life! Also, check out her podcast and other ventures as she stays busy! Here’s a Q&A to get to know her better!
What was the 1st pair of kicks that sparked your interest in sneakers?
Jordan 13 playoffs when I was in 3rd grade. It was the first pair of Jordans I had and it wasn’t a big deal to me at first, but once I got them off a random fluke, it changed my life.
How does sneakers fit into your life and aesthetic? Is it part of your career, weekend looks, etc.?
Sneakers really are just me. It’s part of my career now with working at StockX as a software developer. It’s part of my nights and weekends as far as photoshoots for outfits, customizing kicks for myself and others, and going to things sneaker-related like art exhibits and conferences. It’s apart of me when I walk out the door, going anywhere. Kicks come first to me.
What are your top 5 kicks and how has that changed over the years?
It’s so hard to choose just 5 kicks that are my overall top 5 but let’s see:
Jordan 11 Concord - one of my fav silhouettes and my favorite colorways. There is so much history behind the concords that it’s impossible to leave off the list.
Air Max 97/1 Sean Wotherspoon - The corduroy!! Classic mix of two of my fav air max years and the corduroy! Still don’t have these yet but on the lookout for a good price!
Air max 1 2013 anniversary pack - Air Max 1s are one of my favorite sneaker lines. It’s one of my first introductions to Tinker Hatfield so I had to grab the OG colorway when they rereleased
Yeezy 350 Butter - one of the smoothest sneakers and colorways in the collection of yeezys and 350s. Also one of my first purchases through StockX.
Air Max 95 obsidian - so these, nothing special to probably everyone else. These were my first number air max I had and one of my favorite colorways. Super slept on, never see them often, but one of my favorites.
Do you have a favorite athlete or person for inspiration for looks?
I pay a lot of attention to WNBA players and how they dress. Ty Young is one of my fashion inspirations. Lena Waithe is also a big influence on me as well as Teyana Taylor. Just any woman who successfully gets fly with kicks is an inspiration to me.
What are some grails that you're on a quest for still?
One of my Grail pairs is the UNC off-white Jordan 1s. Just haven't pulled the trigger on the price but these are special to me, one being from a black designer, the color is from my favorite college growing up (UNC), and last just being on a classic silhouette like the Jordan 1.
Talk about getting into customs and the joy of creating? Did you follow any special online videos how did you get educated on the techniques, paints, etc?
Quarantine has me into a lot of art things and fashion. I had been painting prior to quarantine and just decided to take something I am beginning to love and then already something I love with sneakers. There are so many videos on youtube, doing different things. Before I started, I looked at a lot of different videos, including the angelus brand (best leather paint video) videos with Katty Customs. I made a list of materials based off of videos and tricks. I’m slowly grabbing things to get deeper in but I’m really enjoying it.
What are the issues or things you dislike about women and sneaker culture? How would you change those things?
Honestly needs to be more women in it and in it for the love. I see and follow a lot of accounts of collectors, and I can’t say they don’t love the shoe, but what else? What else can you offer the sneaker community? I’d love to open up a sneaker boutique dedicated to women sneaker lovers and sneaker learners. Help them buy sneakers for themselves and others. Sneakers are still considered such a ‘guy thing’ and we have to get rid of that because there are a lot of women sneaker designers and enthusiasts doing the damn thing right now.
What do you see as the future of sneaker culture and where do you see yourself fitting into that?
I see sneaker culture being even more mainstream then it is right now. There are still a lot of people who don’t even know where to go buy sneakers. AS we get more into this work from home life at least for the next few years, I see casual wear getting an uptick in interest. I see a lot more people buying sneakers in the future because of this and I love it. As for me and where I stand, I hope to be a helper and educator to those new to the culture I love to dress people and find the best sneakers to match their outfit and I can see that expanding as more and more people look to include sneakers as a part of their life.
