Sneaker Pimps Re-Cap and Photos

This past Friday I fell through the Sneaker Pimp show at The Tabernacle. I learned something about myself going there.

I learned that I'm not a "sneaker head" like that. Granted I have a closet full of sneakers and could probably go nearly a month without wearing the same pair twice if I wanted to and I try my best to get sneaks that no one else has. But, compared some of these cats I saw at this show, I am no sneaker head.

I'm not going to camp out for Jordans or Yeezys. I don't imagine myself dropping hundreds on one pair (though I will do that for some fresh Kenneth Coles, Bostonians, etc.). I'm just a dude that likes sneakers, alot. No disrespect to the heads out there because I know a lot and shied, I'm always looking at either TheShoeGame or StandardATL to see whats good. Hell, if Eastbay was still relevant I'd probably still keep a subscription. Like my dude Nesby Phips said, Eastbay was like sneaker porn, fellas, ya'll know what I'm talking about. But, I guess the best way to get my point across is to say, like...

I workout often and I take care of myself. Would I call myself an "athlete"? No. I'm just a guy who is in good shape. Make sense? Yeah? No? Ok.

But overall the show was cool. Its always nice to hangout anywhere drinks and good music can be found. The show is pretty much a gathering for sneaker heads to show off their shoes and enjoy some sneaker-based art displays. Imagine Foot Locker meets the museum.





The show also featured some performances from Prynce, R.City (Rock City) and Big Boi. The homie Amir Shaw was out selling his book 23 as well. But before I get to that, I have to tell you about what was probably one of the more memorable moments of the show.

Now, if you've never been to a sneaker head show, it goes like this. If you walk in there with some fakes, you're going to get noticed. Hell you might get noticed more than the person with the freshest, loudest shoes on. When I say fake, I don't mean as in those XJ9000's, Pro Wings or Hoop It Up's folks used to wear when we was in 8th grade. I'm talking about shoes that look real, but are fake.

When you are spotted, you get called out and brought on stage.


From there they ask for your shoe, hold it to the crowd and explain why its fake. In this case, the culprit was rocking a pair of green see-thru AF1s. Apparently, they only came in red for girls, and blue for guys. Green was not an official colorway.


Very embarrassing. But, the thing is, after the embarrassment, 99% of the time, their going to give you a new pair to go home with so that you won't be walking around with fake sneakers on.

Well, the unsuspecting sole (ha, get it?) who got called out wasn't aware of this. So when Sneaker Pimp co-hosts Dave Jeff and DJ Clark Kent proceeded to set his shoe on fire...


Dude got mad and kinda bucked on them...


I ain't gonna lie. Not that I would walk around wearing fake sneakers, but if I didn't know any better and happened to actually pay to go to a sneaker event and some dudes I didn't know started setting my shoe on fire? The shoe I walked in wearing and had to wear when I leave and go home? Yeah, I woulda bucked too.

Anyways, they gave him his burnt up shoe back and escorted him off the stage. In hindsight though, dude might have deserved that, solely off of the dumb answer he gave when they asked where he got them from. He said he got it from his "drug dealer." GTFOH man.

Anyways, fake sneaker guy was forgotten about quickly as Big Boi took the stage and rocked!



Now, I've seen Big Boi perform numerous times since Dre 3000 decided to fall back from rapping. He's always done his thing. But on this night, it just seemed better than usual. He rocked so hard that it actually made you mad at Dre. Like, dude where the f*ck are you? Especially when you're accustomed to hearing Outkast songs in their entirety, not just with Big's verses on there.

But yeah, that's pretty much it. Shouts out to the homie Sean Falyon for looking out with his extra ticket. I was prepared to support and buy a ticket, but that extra change they tacked on at the door? Whew. Wasn't gonna be able to do that. Preciate it homie.