Thedewsperspective

Slick Since ’83 by Cornell Dews

Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you I am a sneaker connoisseur.  I love sneakers!  The ones that I adorn the most are probably Air’s (Nike Air Force 1s). Just to be clear, I’m from the mob that only wears high top or low cut Air’s.  We don’t call them Uptowns.  We call them Air’s. And just to be clear again. I wouldn’t wear a pair of mids if you paid me.  Or threatened me. 

I’m from the ‘80s.  That’s the decade that I came of age.  The last greatest decade if you asked me.  But that’s a whole different editorial. 

Born and raised in Baltimore City.  East Baltimore to be exact.  I’ve been slick since 1983.  As a matter of fact, that’s my slogan and the title of this piece, “Slick Since ’83.” 

I had the original Jordan 1’s as a kid.  They weren’t called “breds” then.  We called Nike Cortez’s, “project Nike’s.”  Converse were fish heads. And Jack Purcells were smilies.

The Adidas Forum was thee most expensive shoe of its time. It cost $99.99.  They were the original dope boy shoes. Before Fila’s. White with the sky-blue stripes.  The Carolina blues..  I couldn’t afford them. Only dope boys had them.

I had the shell toe Adidas like my superheroes, Run-DMC and Jay. However, my favorite sneaker of all time might actually be the Ivan Lendl’s.  Man those were the days. If you know, you know.  Adidas killed the ‘80s.