PUMATALK recently interviewed Sneaker Queen, who is simply the “queen” of OSD. If you didn’t know, that is Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. OSD is the first online media that connects sneaker heads each week to discuss the hot and the not. She is an iconic figure in the sneaker world, and respected by many, mainly because of her artistry, and an entrepreneurship. Until recently she was the only female on the OSD, where she holds it down for female sneaker heads world wide. She has seen the good, the bad and the ugly but here is what she had to say about PUMA.
So Queen, lets get straight into this! For readers that don’t know who the Sneaker Queen is, can you tell them a little bit about who you are?
I wear so many hats that I don’t even know who SneakerQueen is sometimes. [laughs] Actually, I’d like to consider myself a female Rennessiance mogul in the making with sneakers as one of the platforms that drive my passion. That’s one of the many facets. Another is my participation with the first ever online talkshow for sneakers called Obessive Sneaker Disorder (OSD). That movement isn’t just a representation of me but of all the sneaker connoisseurs EVERYWHERE! People should get acquainted. Let me correct something too, you described me as “iconic.” NO SIR! However flattered, I am no where near iconic. Not even close. Not yet. Lord willing, I’ll have enough time to work at that though so stay tuned.
How do you feel about PUMA as a brand?
As cliche as it may sound, I’m an “80’s Baby”. Therefore, a lot of the urban hip hop elements paralleled my experiences in life. Outside of basketball, for anyone who was surrounded by the Hip Hop esthetic knows that Puma was definitely a brand whose presence was felt in that era. Being raised in Northern Jersey during the rise of Hip Hop…Puma was a staple brand. B-Boy’s, rappers, characters in movies..everyone had them. Hustlers even had them. The fat laces and solid colors were perfect matches for Kangol hats. The Clyde’s just made for the perfect silouette. Right now in my adult age Puma is more of a staple for me than ever because as a brand, they’re not looking to do anything that the other brands are doing. Puma as a brand has always remained true to itself. From their collaboration choices to their approach to the urban market. That’s why they’re one of the brands I lean towards.
Collaborations! Which one or ones do you favor?
It’s so hard to say because I pay attention to a lot of them. However, PUMA’s recent decision to collaborate with brands within fashion houses like Alexander McQueen is something I paid very close attention to. It showed just how remarkable a brand Puma truly is. Some recent brands have done colorways inspired by fashion houses. Puma has a collection of sneakers designed and released in conjunction with a fashion house. What most don’t know is the reason why PUMA as a brand is held in such a high regard is because of their membership in the PPR, which is the same holding company that the Gucci fashion house holds membership to. Connect the dots with Alexander McQueen falling under the Gucci umbrella of companies, and you begin to see just how these high end collaborations come about. Even the releases they’ve done with Ferrari show that as a brand they set their mark in the higher echelon and taste than most other brands. Now that’s on the high end side. I remember how badly I wanted the Yo! MTV Raps First Rounds, The Santa Cruz…Mahhnn!..There’s so many collabs that I’ve loved. I even wanted the Fresh Prince collabs that NEVER happened. I remember calling a friend of mine who works with PUMA and tried to coerce him into finding out where the samples were and selling them to me. He wasn’t having it though.
What was the first pair of PUMA’s you ever purchased?
What kind of question is that? [laughs] The Clyde, duh! For so many more reasons than one. My father used to rock Clydes and First Rounds so I had to have them.
Approximately how many do you have?
Believe it or not my collection only houses about 55 pairs of sneakers, not counting the customs and inventory of untouched sneakers for customs. So I don’t own as many as I’d like to. Out of my 55 pair, only 10 of them are PUMA. However, I have some Mongolian BBQ cooking on the iron so look out for this number to change dramatically.
In the future, what would you like to see from PUMA?
You know what, Puma does, hands down some of the best collaborations. The Undefeated x PUMA collaboration that just happened?One word.. PHENOMENAL! I loved everything about that release, especially the perforated suede. PUMA is such an international brand. They have so much range. As a consumer and fan of the brand, I get the most out of my PUMA experience when they work within the influence of brands that have had so much affect on where our sneaker community is right now. This is most apparent with their collaborations. So I definitely would love to see some more of that. It would also be nice to see some newer hi top models introduced to the urban markets as well. It’s always nice to see something new and refreshing from one of your favorite brands.
Do you have a get up and go PUMA?
Has to be my infamous pair of PUMA Deer First Rounds! I LOVE that shoe. When that sneaker dropped, I liked them so much because they stood out even within the parameters of Puma as a brand. The design was edgy which just so happens to be the whole premise of what customization and trendsetting represents. That’s what I represent and it’s what I always have so anytime I “get up and go” I want to be in a sneaker that most won’t be in. I mean, even on a down days, that sneaker has sparked some of my best and most memerable conversations.
Catch Sneaker Queen every Wednesday at 9:30 on OSD!
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