Story of my sb
Hi all! I’ve been in this sub for a long time, but this is the first post I’ve ever made here. I usually don’t like posting, but I really wanted to share my story about this pair, and about SBs in general, with you guys.
Back when I was in elementary/middle school, I got my first pair of Nike shoes from a local outlet. Unfortunately, it was a new model that wasn’t included in the sale, and it was so expensive that it cost double or even triple what my other shoes cost. I hesitated for a long time, just walking around and staring at them, but I didn’t even try to beg my mom to buy them for me.
But I couldn’t stop looking at that pair. My mom could see how badly I wanted them just from my eyes. She told me, “If you like them, we’ll buy them.”
That’s how I got my first Nike sneaker in my life. I believe it was a Nike Free Run 4.0 in a green colourway. Oh man, I had never had a pair of shoes that was so light, comfortable, and eye-catching at the same time. I used to wipe them more than three times a day just to keep them clean.
Anyway, that was my first pair of Nikes. It was also the pair that made me start really getting into sneakers and wanting to collect them.
Moving forward to high school, about 10 years ago, I had my first paid job during summer break in my second year. My dad got sick of me gaming at home all day, so he took me out to ask for summer jobs door to door lol.
It was a small car wash shop. I had to get up at 7:30 a.m., walk 20 minutes to the shop, and stay there until the sun went down. I was supposed to work there for one month, but I ended up doing 25 days.
Why? Because my feet were in really bad shape from being soaked in water all day while I was only wearing slippers. I wanted to finish my last week, but my feet hurt so much that I couldn’t even walk properly. Even the boss told my dad she was surprised by me, because most kids couldn’t even make it through the first three days.
After my last shift, I got the first paycheck of my life and went home immediately. I locked myself in my bedroom and lay on my bed for a whole day. I don’t remember exactly what happened after that, but I remember browsing shopping websites and looking for Dunk SBs days after. The reason I picked Dunk SBs was simple: 1) they looked so good and stylish; and 2) I was really into skateboarding, even though I could only do pop shuvits and ollies at the time haha. Sadly, even though I had worked that hard, the money I received still wasn’t enough to buy a pair of shoes.
After I finally decided to buy a pair with green, yellow, and brown patterns, I showed the link to my mom and asked if she could lend me the rest of the money so I could buy them. I told her I would pay her back in the future. She looked at me and smiled, then said, “It’s okay. I’ll buy them for you with your first paycheck.” Since it’s an online shopping, i don’t know what size really fits me. I ordered a size 10 which is actually a bit big for me, but that also makes me always go with size 10 after. Just last year, my mom told me that she actually never spent my first paycheck. She kept it perfectly preserved in an envelope and said she would keep it forever as a memory for me. I love you, Mom!
Anyways, that is how I got my first Nike Dunk SB in my life. It was the Nike SB Dunk Low “De La Soul” from 2015.
Bro, at that time, I couldn’t even introduce myself in English. I had no idea that De La Soul was such a good band, and I had never listened to their music. But the shoes were so clean! I wore them almost every day. I skated in them, but I never did ollies or other tricks that would damage them. It must be one of the most satisfying feelings in the world when you can earn money by yourself and own something you’ve always wanted with it.
I don’t know about you guys, but every time I went through something big, I would always wear my favourite pairs. In that way, this pair has been with me through countless tests. I did so many presentations in them. They travelled with me to so many cities. They moved homes with me. They were under my feet during some of my most important memories. They came with me all the way from China to Canada, over 10,000 km. I even stepped in shit while wearing them hahaha. My grandma didn’t really know the proper way to clean suede, so she brushed my shoes really hard with water and soap, then left them under the sun to dry. Bro, 40°C under direct sunlight is no joke. It made the colour fade, but I’ve always appreciated what she did. I know that was her way of showing love to me. And honestly, I appreciate that the mark is still there, because it reminds me of my grandma.
Unfortunately, till now, I haven’t been good at relationships. I didn’t know how to communicate properly or deal with arguments in a healthy way. I’ve lost people I loved because of that, and I feel like I still haven’t learned anything from that. I feel like I haven’t changed much compared to 10 years ago. I still don’t have anything figured out. I still don’t fully know what I truly love, or what I’m passionate enough about to keep doing until the day I retire. I still don’t really have a clear plan for my life. I have no motivation. And I’ve still messed up relationships, even when I knew that person meant a lot lot to me.
Luckily, at least I know one thing for sure: I still have this “fetish”for SBs and sneakers in general. I really love that these days, people aren’t paying completely unreasonable prices just to get pairs from resellers. It has given me the chance to own shoes I never even dared to imagine owning when I was a kid, like Yeezy 350s, Js, and Air Foamposites. But the shoe, and the only shoe, that I will always remember is the first pair I bought with my first paycheck.
The De La Soul.
Just last month, I got them tattooed on my left foot so they can be with me forever. Reminds me of my own story.
That’s my story with my SBs. I really appreciate it if you finished reading. I’m also curious: what brought you guys into this hobby, and what are your stories with your SBs?