Quick story…after starting my first job my first intention with my first paycheck was to cop a pair of Air Max. Couldn’t wait for payday to come and when it came…it was like Christmas! My world would be complete…satisfaction guaranteed…can’t tell me nothin’. So I cashed my check and went to Foot Locker to fulfill my dreams….Air Max I’m comin’ for you baby! Laid out my $120+ and I was ready to take on the world. After all I would be only one of a small handful of kids rockin’ these in my school. Exclusive! Part of the in crowd…couldn’t wait for the praise, the “Oooooh those are fly.” I could just imagine walkin’ with my head high, yea I’m the shhhhhh…! Short lived!! After getting home and realizing that the high had dissipated, I began to have second thoughts. Was this the right choice? Did I really need to spend $120+ on a pair of kicks? What else could I have done with the money? I started to realize that I had made an impulsive, uninformed decision. If I needed a pair of shoes why not buy something a bit more economical yet stylish? So that’s what I did…I returned them and bought two other pair of kicks and still had change left over. Did I survive the trauma…of course I did. Living proof that I can live past the hype….and so it began.

Fast forward umpteen years later…as I said, I, like many have expensive taste but for the well being of my family I can’t always afford to indulge but when I do it’s never on impulse or on hype. Will I ever be considered a sneaker head or a true collector? I don’t really care. I buy and wear what I like and what I can afford. I shop around for deals and sales, I use coupons and coupon codes…I look for things like free shipping, clearance sales etc. After all you may have them first but I’ve paid a fraction and you paid full price and in the end I still got ’em!

Don’t get me wrong, I have been known to spend a few dollars on some kicks but that’s because I wanted to, not because it was instilled in me that I had to have them. I will spend on quality and at times exclusivity. My view is that my basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing come first. Everything else is a want, a desire, so I can do without. I don’t need anyone’s classification to know that I truly love kicks. For me my first paycheck and my first attempt to satisfy a craving was a life lesson that I’ve carried with me throughout my life. It’s something that has been tried and proven on countless occasions. It’s something that has been instilled in my children to the point where my 14 year old who buys his own kicks with his birthday money and money he’s earned doing odd jobs around the neighborhood also shops for deals, shops with coupons and coupon codes. I refuse to allow a corporation to create so much hype around something that I lose all common sense and self control. To each his own though… What I speak is me…real talk. But I get it. I understand what it is and why it is. My love for kicks isn’t any less than yours it’s just different.

So on to my find…early 2013 I came across the Nike Air Force One Year Of The Snake.  Could call it love at first sight…don’t know but a tingling sensation came over me.  I’m not Chinese and I really don’t like snakes but I must say, for these I would make an exception.  To keep it simple, quality was amazing, patterns and color were on point,  and material was top notch.  Price on the other hand…steeeeeep! $200! Man, that just sank my boat. So sadly we parted, I ventured back home and they remained, lonely in the cold, damp store room.  As time went on and with frequent visits I would think about my missed opportunity to own such a magnificent piece of art.  Many moons passed and I had since forgotten about the feelings I once had until….drum roll please!! I found them…on sale in addition to a coupon code and free shipping I was able to be one with my lost love for only $89…Reunited and it feels sooooo good!

So you see, just a bit of patience saved me over half retail, same quality, same shoe, same excitement.  Yeah I’m a few months late but I got some extra dough in my pockets.

Be a part of history without it being an expense to your future! Until next time Grrrrrrrrr….Sale Beast on the prowl!