Sneaker Bar Detroit recently caught up with Evan Parks. Evan is a long time SneakerHead who has been in the game for a while.
Sneaker Bar Detroit: What is your favorite aspect of the black/red Jordan 11’s?
Evan: My favorite aspect of the black/red/white Air Jordan XI is the sleek look that it has and the patent leather on it just tops it off to have the makings of one of the best shoes ever made. The combination of the colors is just perfect. Definitely a classic sneaker. I believe if the Bulls had any other colors it wouldn’t be such a classic, but since they do it make it all the more better! And last but not least, these shoes are very versatile because they can be worn as a casual shoe with a pair of khaki’s and a cardigan, for basketball purposes, or worn for purposes to “bust” people’s heads lol
Sneaker Bar Detroit: What do you use these for? Hooping, casual, etc.?
Evan: If you look at the end of my answer to the last question you can see I laughed. This is because I normally use these for that purpose alone: To bust people’s heads. Most people who do own them have already put them in bad shape so I pull these out to “stunt” on them per-say because only TRUE SneakerHeads have them in great condition like I do. So in a nut-shell I pull these out on an unexpected day and make the dope boys and dudes at the barbershop go crazy!
Sneaker Bar Detroit: The last time these retro’d solo was in 2001. They were released again in the Count Down Pack with the 12’s. Did you cop both releases?
Evan: The pair I currently own are from the Count Down Pack, with the Taxi XII’s, from 2008. Funny story is I had the pair that retro’d in 2001 as well. They are long gone now though; I beat those up playing basketball in them. But, I bought them off of one of my good friends in high school who had them but didn’t wear them much and didn’t really appreciate them as much as I did. One day I complemented him on them and he said, “You can buy these from me if you want I rarely wear them and I only bought them because everyone else was getting them so I’m like what the heck.” I was thinking in my head, he purchased them for all the wrong reasons but, if I take these off of him I will cherish these and they will have a great meaning behind them. To make a long story short, I told the guy to stop wearing them and to clean them up and I will purchase them. He sold them to me for $80! I gave him the money in installments but, after I gave him the first half of the money, he just gave them to me then because he knew I was good for the rest of the money. After I worked my tail off at my McDonald’s part-time job I finally came up with the rest of the money and gave it to him. It was the best day of my life because I could finally appreciate this shoe and the significance behind it. These are truly my holy grails! My favorite shoe (Jordan or any other Nike shoe) period! Yeah, everyone might say that I am cliché for saying that but, my reasoning is totally different than everyone else’s because they hold a special place in my heart. And let’s not forget Michael himself wore these in the epic Game 6 against the Seattle Supersonics when he led the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA title on Father’s Day after his father had just passed away a year or so before. The stories behind this shoe are why this shoe holds a very special place in my heart.
Sneaker Bar Detroit: Word on the street says that you’re a sneaker head. How many pairs do you have?…Be Honest!
Evan: The word on the street is right man. Like I said earlier I am a TRUE SneakerHead. I don’t do this just to follow a trend or be in the “in-crowd”, I do this because I love it and I am happy with my collection. I would hope everyone who is a true SneakerHead does it for themselves and not just the competition because that is for the wrong reason I believe. I don’t do it for competition; I do it for the LOVE OF THE GAME! The sneaker game that is lol. And to be honest I truly have lost count on how many pairs I have. I don’t normally go around counting them, I just buy them to collect them and wear them as I please. Like I said earlier I don’t do it for competition so if I could estimate I would say I have ROUGHLY around 55 to 60 pair.
Sneaker Bar Detroit: What sneaker got it started for you?
Evan: The sneaker that got me all started into being a SneakerHead I would have to say was the OG white/ French blue Air Jordan XIII. One of my good friends, who was much older, let me borrow his while I was in the 6th grade going on a field trip. Man I rocked those like no other. All the girls were on me that day I got so many numbers and all the guys were jocking my shoes and everything. I felt like a King that day. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. After that day, it changed my whole perspective about not just Jordan’s, but shoes period. But, I was always afraid to ask my mom to buy me a pair in fear that she would slap the black off of me because they cost so much lol. So, I waited until I got a job in 10th grade to start my process. It has been a long time coming I can tell you that!
Sneaker Bar Detroit: What will be your next pick up?
Evan: My next pick up will be the Black/Metallic Sliver Air Jordan V. I picked these up when they retro’d back in 2007. I still own these but I messed them up when they kept creasing up on the toe. I told myself if they every retro’d again I will get them and just collect them so now is my chance to get them and I won’t pass it up.
Thank you Sneaker Bar Detroit for this interview, I check out your website every day. I think it is wonderful! Thanks Mike, you are a true friend man I appreciate everything you have done for me. I’d like to tip my hat off to all the true SneakerHeads in the world and just tell them to keep going strong!
Thanks again!
