“He’s the only kid in first grade that has Jason Markk wipes in his cubby,” Coltrane Curtis says as his four-and-a-half-year-old son Ellington pulls out sneaker boxes from his father’s desk.
Sneakers are a family affair in the Curtis household. Coltrane, who runs New York-based marketing agency Team Epiphany with his wife Lisa, grew up admiring kicks just like the rest of us, and it’s something he’s hoping to share with his son. At an early age, Ellington already knows each significant Air Jordan by number just as well as he knows his, well, numbers, and he can also point out Nike Air Maxes by year. You can say he’s somewhat of a sneaker prodigy, learning the nuances of Nike history along with his reading, writing, and arithmetic.
“It gives us an opportunity to bond over the fact that he has favorite sneakers,” Coltrane said. “Every Saturday morning, we get on our bike or our scooter to ride over to Stadium Goods and head to the kid’s section. It’s the joy of the Saturday morning sneaker hunt.”
Teaching his son about the value of an Air Jordan or how the manual pump works on the Air Pressure is one of the most enjoyable parts about their relationship. “I think it’s really cool that you can tie a shoe back to a moment that I used to have as a kid,” Coltrane said.
Curtis is one of a new generation of fathers who aren’t going to show up to PTA meetings in a pair of Air Monarchs. Instead, they’re taking their love for sneakers and sharing it with their children.
“Sneakers and shoes are one of the most important tools that help kids in taking their first steps in life,” says Matt Ting, global brand manager for adidas and father of four-and-a-half-year-old Caiden. “From there on it becomes a fun and a creative extension of their personality.”
As any collector would tell you, sneakers are a form of self expression. What better way to encourage creativity in children than to show them an appreciation of sneakers at an early age? The question is how early?
“I had to think if I actually wanted to pass along the addiction. I will if he’ll take it,” said John McPheters, co-owner of Stadium Goods and father of 1-year-old, Max. “…The right pair of shoes says a lot about who you are and how you carry yourself, so we’ll help steer him in the right direction. My hope is that he’s interested, but not too much of a zealot.”
There is fine line. As much as sneakers are a tool for teaching self-expression, it’s safe to say that you won’t find any of these dads letting their kids walk around in a pair of Skechers.
“That’s a nonstarter. We’re not doing no Crocs or shoes that glow up,” Coltrane said. “Only the fly joints. He’ll only wear fly kicks for the rest of his life.”
Understandably there are parents across the country who are in situations that relegate them to Payless and K-Mart. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it does spurn a lot of criticism to parents like these that have the means and the connections to keep their kids walking in hyped shoes. It's not about just looking fresh though.
“The main thing is teaching our kids to be good people and contributors to the community and culture. We’re teaching them the important values, but we have different ways of teaching it. It’s about discipline, creativity, and style is creativity, which is going to make him a good young man.”
