---

Bigdeneen from Takoma Park, Maryland via Newark New Jersey walks down memory lane, longing for those original 1985 Gucci kicks, the above summer 2005 style is just not the same thing. Bigdeneen used to shovel snow in New Jersey to get sneakers. Think about that, all you spoiled brats out there.!

Your top sneaker of all time?
1985 Gucci kicks. Not too many cats in the hood could afford those. I was exhausted that there was no originality back then. Everyone was happy to have the same kicks. I went out and got a pair of Gucci sneakers with a green and white Benneton shirt. I couldn't sleep all night. I went to school the next day. All day people were walking with their heads down. I kept those clean. I saved all my birthday, christmas and summer job money to get those. Other favorites include: Bally, wallabees, shelltoes, gold fronts, bvd tees, sheep skins, leather bombers, pinstripe levis, walking down memory lane!!!

How do you clean your sneakers?
Fels naptha. I swear by it. Its soap that costs .99 cents and its the best. It will make some 10 year old shoes look new again. The wash machine is my last resort. I have a battery operated toothbrush I use to clean my sneakers. A few years ago I bought an $80.00 power toothbrush to clean my shoes. And a $2.00 toothbrush to brush my teeth!

Where do you shop for sneakers?
Ebay, Shoecity, instyleshoes.com, pickyourshoes.com. And Georgetown in washington dc has some stores that sell exclusives. And sometimes I'll search the thrift store and find some gems!!!

Why are sneakers important?
When I was a kid, my mom used to get me and my two brothers sneakers from vally fair. Vallyfair was like today's payless shoe source. Kids today are lucky their parents buy them a pair of $150.00 without blinking. Back then, we couldn't buy a pair of $50.00 kicks with money we earned from summer jobs without getting in trouble with moms for spending too much on sneakers. Some cats today want sneakers just because. I want sneakers and I belive sneakers are important,because I watched the evolution of sneakers. I remember when everyone had to wear the same kicks because that was all that was available. Now with some many kicks available, I can show my own personal style. Just like cars, sneakers have a place in history. I was a part of the generation that brought the shoe game to the front. My children laugh when they see pictures of me in shoes with fat laces. But we had passion for our shoes back then. We kept them clean and properly laced. We would shovel! snow all day to make money to buy a pair. We would be prepared to fight for 'em, because many people got their shoes taken.

How many?
75!

Tell us your best sneaker story/memory?
In January of 2000, I opened up a GQ magazine and read an article about a store in New York that sold exclusive sneakers. At the time I was living in Maryland. I asked my friend to take the Greyhound to New York so we could get some kicks from this store ALIFE (158 Rivington Street (Between Suffolk St and Clinton St), Manhattan). When we got to new york, I could not find the store. In the magazine they said it would be hard to find. I walked up and down that block for a hour in the freezing New York cold. My friend started getting restless and ready to go. Finally we seen these two tinted glass doors. We walked in and thought we were in sneaker heaven. Wall to wall carpet, mahogany wood, and nothing but rare sneakers. You felt like you were walking into some secret sneaker cult club. Sadly to say I only bought one pair of sneakers because I'm a female and all the hot kicks maily come in larger sizes. But I was happy as ever just to be in the presence of 100's of rare kicks. Now when I go into a Footlocker I laugh! I never knew stores like this were out there.

Sneaker you are most looking forward to?
I'm waiting for Gucci to bring back those kicks from 1985. Jay-z tried to duplicate them with his first reebok kicks.

---

Mister Copycat

---

Submit your own opinions
in the worldwide sneaker report

---