Pair of aces: Sheela awe
Sheela's the name, awe's the game. Dancer and influencer shares her story of her first pair.
Hey guys, what’s up?! This is ‘Pair of Aces, The Story of My First Pair.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I’m half Taiwanese and half German, and I grew up in Southeast Asia and spent a lot of time in the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Shanghai, pretty much Southeast Asia. Which meant that the sneaker culture, the streetwear culture was very different.
Q: How did you first connect to shoes?
A: I connected to shoes growing up through dance. I moved to New York after graduating high school in Shanghai. And as a dancer, I was always into fashion as well. When you dance you’re mainly on your feet, so you want to show off your feet and the way to do that was by dressing it up. That’s how I got into sneakers, and sneakers and shoes were a huge part of it.
Q: What do shoes represent to you?
A: For me, shoes represent freedom. There are endless possibilities that you can achieve, that you can overcome. There are things that you can do that you never thought you could. For example as a dancer, when I put a specific pair of shoes on I feel like I can moonwalk - when sometimes I can’t do that smoothly, but then I put a pair of Converse on and I can definitely twirl on my ankles and typically I wouldn’t be able to do that.
Q: What was your first pair?
A: The first pair that mattered to me was the Air Force 1’s. As a dancer, I still wanted to be light on my feet, but I wanted to showcase my personality at the same time. The only way I could only do that was through these specific pairs, because of the variety of colors. I went for the bright pink ones because I just had to shine on stage, ya know?
Q: Would you still wear that pair today?
A: I’d probably still wear the bright pink forces today. It’s old school, and it reminds me of a time that was so fun and just care-free. And shoes tend to do that, as well as fashion in itself - the trends are always brought back. So I would FOR SURE rock the bright pink forces.
Q: Show us your closet!
A: This is where I keep all my treasures. We got the clothes, we got the shoes, we got the purses, the bags, all of Sheela’s favorite things!
Q: What pair are you feeling today?
A: One of my favorite Air Force’s that I still currently use, and do wear from time to time, are the Chinese New Year version that came out in 2020. I got these in Taiwan and I love them because they have the gold in the front and on the toe, and then they have that Chinese floral 2020 in the back. It’s my favorite! It’s Chinese New Year! And of course Jordans. You can never go wrong with Jordans. These pair are cool, chic, and so stylish. That’s why I love the Jordans.
Q: How do your favorite Jordans make you feel?
A: I feel like Jordans give a different vibe. They’re just cool. They’re cool to wear. They go with basically anything. They’re not the most comfortable, but they get me ready for the day.
