PAIR OF ACES: L CARDENAS
L Cardenas shares the story behind her hunt for a Pair of Aces: Nike Air Zoom Talaria
Where did your love for sneakers start?
I was really inspired by my brother and his sneaker collection and I wanted to be also just like him but just to note my sneaker collection is way better than his ever was.
What’s your relationship with sneakers?
My morning ritual with my sneakers is my early morning meditation. It’s how I become one with myself. It starts with my shoe horn. You gotta try on a couple of shoes and see what feels right. Because the outfit starts from the bottom with sneakers... otherwise nothing else matters.
Tell us about that special pair
The most special sneakers in my collection has to be the Nike Talaria. It’s a Tinker Hatfield shoe so you automatically can’t go wrong. It was a shoe that I wanted my whole life. When I was eight years old I first saw them and I needed that shoe! But I was eight and my parents were not having it. They were not trying to buy me an expensive pair of shoes. So once I got older I decided as every eBay journey starts, let me just take a look and I took a look and found these babies! I could finally put them on my feet all of these years later wishing for them since I was eight years old. And I got them below retail! That’s the win here.
How do you take care of them?
Since these shoes are retired you have to take care of them in a very special way. I went on an internet black hole search and found UV protected shoe boxes. Yes, UV Protected shoe boxes! And I keep those in this box in my closet. So there’s not even any sun in the first place, but you can’t be too safe when it comes to your babies. You can’t!
What’s something you’re a stickler about when it comes to your sneakers?
My biggest pet peeve when it comes to sneaker wearing is dirty shoe laces. There’s just no excuse for dirty shoelaces. Because it’s a real world out there and I know stains happen, I pre-treat my shoe laces when I first get the shoe. And then I do my little lace up and then you’re good! You can walk out if there’s a disaster it’ll be easier. You can just wipe it off and be done with it. But if you don’t then you’ll end up with these crusty shoes that are probably only a couple days old but because you’re running out here like La La Palooza, they look crazy! And we can’t do that.
What’s your top grail?
My grails out of all the grails have to be...You know what this just for Common Ace, I don’t break these out because it’s dangerous. We can’t take them out of the UV glass, but for you guys I will do so. And these are the Air Jordan 3’s 201. Got them as a gift and then went on this hunt actually for Tinker himself. I knew they were opening up the new Nike store in Soho and he happened to come into the store that I was working in down the block. And I had my Jordan 3’s downstairs. I knew to keep them downstairs. And when he came that was it. My moment was finally coming alive. Tinker Hatfield signed the shoe! Not only did he sign the shoe, he took a picture with me! This memento, what! You see that combo right here… this is a combo of happiness.
What’s the next grail? What’s the next Hunt?
The shoe that I’m currently on the hunt for right now...like there’s a hunger for it..I need this shoe! The Travis Scott Jordan One lows (the new ones). I know when there’s a new release everyday but these babies, I have to have them! And I don’t even know why I have to have them, I just look at them and I’m like I need them! That’s my shoe bro, you have on my shoe! Can I have my shoe back? So the hunt is on! My scope is ready and I’m going out there and going to secure this pair. You have to speak it into existence. It’s a number one shoe belief for me
