Tee's Life as Told by her Kicks

by Janine Simon

For some people, flashbacks of past experiences are aroused by sounds. Hearing a snippet of an old hip-hop song paints vivid pictures of memorable summers spent on playground park benches. For others, memories waft on the waves of smells, scents that tug on heartstrings. The faint smell of peaches can remind one of their grandmother’s infamous peach cobbler. And for us at Female Sneaker Fiend, sneakers conjure up so many memories. Spotting a throwback pair of red and black Jordan XIIs reminds me of the third grade. I tried so desperately to get them, but instead my sister got them as a present; it was her birthday. Much to my dismay my mother’s budget wouldn’t allow two pair of designer sneakers that month.

To celebrate women’s history month, we asked one of our favorite women to look at her personal history through the lens of her sneaker memories...This interview highlights the wonderful Tee Fisher, who is the driving force behind the online splendor, trashbagaesthetics.com. Fisher’s site covers a plethora of women’s lifestyle/fashion from the catwalk to the sidewalk. Google her, baby!

Is there a certain pair of kicks that remind you of your favorite song back in the day? Nike Air Max 2 CB 94’s always manage to remind me of LL Cool J’s “Around The Way Girl” & “Summer Time” by Will Smith. I don’t know why, ha! And with them coming back this summer, I am going to get crazy flash backs of my youth. Where finger waves, over the top bamboo earrings were the way to go..(giggling)

At some of the happiest points in your childhood, what sneakers are directly linked to those memories? Why? Converse Chucks. Why? Because I remember the day my mother brought a pair home. And I was NOT the least bit happy! Why, because kids at school were HORRIBLE! Anything without a swoosh or notable logo would get you ragged on. Go figure, years later, the folks who used to have jokes on Chucks, rock them on a very serious note. So yeah, every time I see a pair of Chucks in blue, I think of my good times and yes my bad times. Ahhh, to be young and dramatic.

What was that pair of kicks you bought that was either too small for you or too big, but you bought them any way because you had to have them? Air Max 95’s, they were all black! I had to have them! Now, I ran over to the youth sizes, tried on a size six, they fit just a little bit too close than normal, but I figured that it wouldn’t kill my feet, seeing as though I am used to rocking youth sizes at times. That was the WORST mistake made ever! And would you believe that those joints are still in my closet?

Did you ever have a pair of new kicks that were prematurely ruined due to the clumsiness of yourself or others? What happened exactly? Of course! And when I look back, I would have hit the floor laughing at myself. For anyone who knows me best, knows that I stay FAR AWAY from white kicks! Seriously, I’m the WORST when it comes down to white ANYTHING, down to a simple t-shirt. Like any normal Friday that is usually payday, I bought myself a pair of Uptowns (Air Force 1’s) all white. I needed them for an event that I had to attend, so I was doing the normal trekking down my block towards the train, tripped and literally scuffed the hell out of my fresh new pair of kicks. Not only was I mad, but also I had to play off the fact that I damn near broke my neck.

Did you ever spend the last money you had on a pair of sneakers? What was the pair that you starved yourself for? A pair of Prada America’s Cups, I can’t front, I splurged like a moron! Back in my neighborhood, your kicks definitely said who you were as a person. Men will always say that they have to step out fresh on the streets, but that notion applies for women. I just turned 20 when I copped those, and thought that I was something fresh off the scene.

Now as a mature adult, do you look back at some of your selections and gag?

Oh snap, you gave me the ULTIMATE flashback into the crates. Alright, (don’t laugh) there was an error when my mother was seriously strapped for cash. Even though I was young, I understood that my mother was literally busting her hump working in between two jobs. When I was in sixth grade, the girls in my class were rocking fifty-four elevens (Reebok Freestyles). And I simply had to have them, this came directly after I begged my mother for a pair of L.A. gears, and she said no! So my mother and I went to Fayva (which was an old school version of Payless), and copped a pair of Olympias. At the time they could pass for Reeboks depending on the style, but if you had a keen eye for things (like many children tend to have), you would notice they were bootleg joints. So yeah when I look back I want to throw up, but then again, I am proud to say I took the insults from my peers in stride. Now, I can’t really say that I am thrown off by my sneaker selections. With so many brands on the market, it would be a shame to fall short on keeping my collection up to date, seriously!

How do sneakers influence you as an entrepreneur?

That is a very interesting yet complex question all at the same time. Sneakers as a whole evolve over time. No matter the style or time frame, there is always something that morphs into something better. I guess that you can say that I am a walking Nike Dunk in a sense. I mean, straight from the gate that sneaker has remained the same from birth, but there is always a new updated color way, modified features. I follow in tune to the same beat. I’ve made an oath to myself, since I was a kid, never to conform to the standards others feel is best for me. Sneakers identify with the rebellious attitude that separates us from the everyday rhetoric. And while some sneaker heads accidentally get caught up in all of the hype, I continue to stay true to who I am as a whole. So even if I rocked sneakers with a plastic heel and I thought I was the hottest thing since wonder bread, I would still be me and continue on in my quest for global domination.

What's Tee wearing now? And what's spilling out of her closet?

Final thought on kicks and style?

I have seen sneakers with plastic heels, HAHAHA! No joke! And this woman who was rocking them around my way really got her Naomi Campbell on! You couldn’t tell that woman a DAMN thing!