We are very excited about bringing ‘Chicks with Kicks’ back to you. Here at YaBoyLV.com, we have endeavored to showcase/feature female sneakerheads. In the past with ‘Chicks with Kicks,’ we have had some great female sneakerheads showcase their love for sneakers and the community. Now we are back with another feature that is definitely worth you reading and sharing. Our latest female sneakerhead holds down the ladies with sneaker news as a relevant and strong brand sneaker journalist. When I attended Windy City Sole Summit in Chicago back in September 2011, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Sneakherbox. When I met her, she was very cool and down to earth. I knew she would be perfect for ‘Chicks with Kicks’ and I was right.
Tell the world your name.
My name is Brandy but most folks call me Beedee.
Beedee, what do you do to bring in some cash?
I am a sneaker journalist.
Beedee, I know your personal brand as a sneaker journalist is really strong and blossoming. At this moment I press the cue button to a snippet from Jay-z song from back in the day. ‘Cough up a lung, where I’m from. Marcy son ain’t nothing nice.’ So now that I got that out of my system. Beedee, where are you from?
Chicago, IL
For those who do not know, you are the owner and operator of www.SneakherBox.com. How has sneakHerbox.com helped you in your love for sneakers?
It’s definitely kept me informed about the industry that I love and it’s powerful. It has allowed me to continue discovering new ideas in innovation and history about sneakers that I wasn’t previously up on. It has also helped me bring information to other female sneaker enthusiasts – thus helping to grow the community and I love that.
How has the feedback been with owning and operating www.Sneakherbox.com?
It’s been a terrific journey and my readers are the best. When I see things from the site get retweeted or liked on Facebook I get to see directly how our readers feel about the site and its content. It’s been really great feedback so far. I always felt like there needed to be more diversity in sneaker news and I get the sense that other female sneaker enthusiasts feel the same way.
I always tell people all the time that my love for hip-hop & sneakers came from my older brother influence in my life. Who or what got you into sneakers?
I grew up in Jordan’s but the one pair that solidified my love for sneakers was the Super Jewel Nike Air Force 1. I had a white and maroon pair in 7th grade, it matched my school uniform and I was the first kid in school with them. It was over from then on.
You started your journey into sneakers expressing yourself while rocking a school uniform kind of reminds me of a female Will Smith from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I think everyone in the Midwest were on Jordan’s and Nike Air Force 1s. Since you are from Chicago, IL there is an easy connection to Air Jordan’s. Everyone has had a sneaker that has eluded their reach. What sneaker was too far out of your grasp?
Air Jordan VII ‘Olympic’ …Missed out on them before but luckily I’ll get my hands on the 2012 Retro this summer.
I cannot wait until the Air Jordan VII ‘Olympics’ drop in the summer. One thing that is cool and common amongst sneakerheads is the fact we always get comments on our sneakers. What is the craziest comment you have received about your sneaks?
I had one guy stop me in the street while wearing the ‘Newcastle’ SB Dunk Lows, he said they reminded him of playdoh, lol.
Ha! I guess he never had a tall Newcastle at the bar. I’m still chuckling slightly about that one. Let me gather myself and get back to the sneakers. Are you a fan of dead-stock or rocking your kicks?
I love to keep a fresh pair (or pairs) on the rocks, lol. There is no greater feeling (for me) than to break out something dead-stock (DS). Time and weather doesn’t always permit rocking my kicks on a daily, so my sneakers are usually kept well, so when the time comes on a weekend or for a special event, I break out something ‘new’ and it feels good.
That sounds like a good balance way to enjoy your sneakers. Also sounds like you buy multiple pair of sneakers at one time. Do you ever find yourself justifying your budget for sneakers to family and friends?
Sure, when I was younger. My mom thought I should be doing other things with my time and money but I explained to her that it was somewhat her fault for always keeping me in a fresh pair. Most of my friends are into sneakers themselves so the conversation of restraint hardly comes up lol.
Cue DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand.’ How has the response been from male/female sneaker enthusiast?
I get love from the fellas and the chicks and it’s nice. I think when you are around individuals who share the passion, there’s always good energy and an appreciation for someone else’s style.
The sneaker community does have good energy and appreciation. From your perspective, what are some of the positive and negative things you see in the sneaker community?
One of the strongest positives in the community is that it brings people together to converse. Whether you like a certain brand or a certain model, or you have issues with the way things are released, or you think this girl or that guy isn’t “authentic” with their purchases or style (which can be a negative) – it keeps us talking. Being able to discuss the things about the culture that we like and dislike keeps us involved and keeps the movement going. It’s a great thing.
Let’s shift gears briefly and talk your sneakerhood of Chicago, IL. How would you describe the sneaker scene in Chicago?
The scene in Chicago is evolving. There will always be an incredibly large mass of people wearing ‘Nikes’ without question, but I’ve also seen other styles become trendy here (like the surge in Foamposite popularity). Nike SB has been a growing footwear trend in Chicago as well. Every once in a spell, you see someone in an Adidas, maybe a Reebok or New Balance.
Seem like Chicago has some diversity of sneakers that folks are rocking. Where do you pick up your sneakers from?
I pick my sneakers from the internet. I used to frequent stores a lot and sometimes you can come across a gem or two in store but it’s rare nowadays. Resellers have just about pillaged the mom and pop stores here so I look and purchase a lot of older and current things online.
Some sneakerheads are upset at resellers and now Nike is transforming the way we purchase sneakers with the whole Twitter RSVP system. The community is growing and ever changing before our eyes. I know with all the changes and conversations, the sneaker community will stay strong.
We are so glad to have you bring back ‘Chicks with Kicks’ here at www.YaBoyLV.com. What women bring to the sneaker community is so unique and ground breaking and we are excited to have you Beedee dead smack in the middle of it with Sneakherbox.com. Before we leave and let you get back to work, how can people stay in contact with and follow your brand?
Your readers can always find new women’s and grade school sneaker release info on www.SneakHerbox.com. We can also be found on facebook.com/sneakHerbox and twitter.com/sneakHerbox. SneakHerbox may be joining Instagram soon, so stay tuned for that as well.