Jacques Slade dropped interview wisdom
If you caught part one of our [metcha originals] chat here, you know that digital content creator JACQUES SLADE built a booming virtual platform from the ground up, all with the goal of reaching every corner of the diverse streetwear community and sharing his sneaker experiences to those who may not be able to access them.
Through his YouTube channel which averages 3 million views per month, he shares unboxing videos capturing every aspect of the most elite and exclusive of kicks, describing everything in detail from the smell of the leather to the feel of the fit.
Scroll for Slade's thoughts on sneakers, from the nostalgic feelings they provide to the fresh perspectives they create.
A basketball fan from the start, JACQUES knows the intersection between sport and sneakers is strong
"Kids wanted to connect to a piece of these '90s basketball legends, you wanna dunk like Shaq, or you want to shoot like Michael, or you want to be as smooth as Allen Iverson, or Anfernee Hardaway, or play as hard as Kobe Bryant ― and a lot of the time, you don't necessarily have their physical skills. So, you have to find something that they have that you can connect to yourself, or that you can have a piece of. And for a lot of us, that was the sneakers."
TO JACQUES, YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE SENSORY EXPERIENCE OF FRESH KICKS.
"I take a lot of care in shooting and explaining the details of the shoe, and I also try to explain the history of the shoe so that people can connect to it, so that they have something that they can grab onto. A lot of people unfortunately aren't able to afford some of the sneakers that I talk about in my videos, and I was one of those kids that couldn't afford the cool sneakers that I saw basketball players and the guys in my neighborhood wearing. This is kind of my way of reliving that experience and giving those people that are watching an opportunity to see the shoe in its full context."
Before online shopping, you had to cop kicks the classic way.
"There was one shoe, it was the LeBron 8 Low in the Sprite colorway. We drove 30 minutes and stood in line waiting for the midnight drop, and people were just hanging out, chilling, waiting, talking to each other, exchanging stories about sneakers, trying to get a pair. It's a unique experience that I miss, because you meet so many people in those lines. You meet people from all walks of life, you’ll meet a big Hollywood actor in line and then a guy that works down at the local Olive Garden."
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