Sole Friends: Miguel Feliz.

Meet our Sole Friend, Migz. (@mig.feliz)

New York.

What was it about sneakers that got you in the game?

What primarily cemented me in the sneaker game was the storytelling aspect of it all, along with being a product of my environment in the Bronx. The captivating stories that influenced certain colorways and the designs of models were really fascinating from a

young age. Sneakers were the gift that kept on giving. I’d spend my days watching reviews of sneakers on YouTube learning about everything that there is to know about the latest releases and the insane stories of how certain shoes came to be. That

storytelling inspired me to want to become a footwear designer myself.

As most people would say as well, I fell in love with sneakers through the allure of not having many of them too. Not that my family couldn’t afford them, but my mom worked three jobs to support me, my sister, and my grandma in a one-bedroom apartment when I was younger. So anything above a hundred dollars was really a stretch for a single mother.

Finally, I was an athlete too. I played basketball recreationally in the hood and ran track in high school. So I felt that it was my responsibility to learn the ins and outs of how a sneaker was constructed along with how it was supposed to function. With that, I learned about sneaker technology systems across brands, not to mention the features and benefits they provided. That way, I knew exactly what kicks to look for in order to perform at the highest level without breaking my mom’s pockets. I also wanted to get fly too as best as I could of course.

What was your first sneaker?

The first sneaker I ever had? I have no clue but I know mom’s always had me laced in either a fresh pair of white on white Air Force 1’s or Reebok Classic Leather’s since I was a youngin.

As far as the first sneaker I purchased with my own money, it was a pair of black and sail Asics Gel-Lyte V’s on sale from Foot Locker for $72 online. I had just gotten my first job ever as an intern at an ad agency and I wanted to treat myself to sneakers, of course. I

copped those because Gel Lyte V’s were revered as super comfortable, plus I wanted some kicks I could dress up in the office or dress down outside of work.

What is your favorite pair? (or top 3)

The top three pairs I own are:

- The “Freshwater” Nike Air Griffey Max 1’s because they’re my grails.

- New Balance 327 x Levis “Levis for feet”. This sneaker is special to me because it was sent to me by New Balance due to how strikingly close one of my concepts was to the actual retail pair. I came up with a “Denim” New Balance 327 inspired

by selvedge denim and Japanese Americana. Not having a clue that this New Balance/Levis collab was coming, when I saw them online for the first time, I was kinda in shock. Getting a pair from the brand directly after the fact felt like a nod, letting me know that I was headed in the right direction as a designer. It made me

tell myself “These brands see me. I’m slowly but surely on my way”.

- Lastly, my autographed “Panda Pigeon” Nike SB Dunks signify how being at the right place at the right time can get you far in life. I ended up winning a raffle at Extra Butter in order to cop these. I met Jeff Staple, got my sneakers signed, and got to take a picture with him. About eight months later, I ended up going to

another Staple event in order to get the sneaker box autographed. In doing that, I ended up bumping into the marketing director at the time from Staple who proceeded to invite me to Staple HQ to talk about internship opportunities.

Your favorite sneaker memory?

One of my favorite sneaker memories was the release of the Air Jordan 1 “Bred Toe”. This was my second campout ever. My cousin, my sister’s boyfriend at the time, and I all camped out at Nohble on Kingsbridge for these kicks. The release got so wild that we

had to crawl under the gate of the store, pressed up on the store’s glass doors, and ended up literally falling into the store in order to cop. Cops showed up, a fight almost happened, it was an experience, to say the least.

As far as career accomplishments, I think the journey in totality has been my favorite memory of them all. Looking back at my short career, all the times I’ve failed, all the

missed opportunities, all the times I’ve come close to an actual design job but missed the mark. All the highs and lows, it’s been tough and it still is but the perseverance and the

unwillingness I have to give up in order to show not only myself but other kids out there that becoming a sneaker designer, an artist and a creative IS possible is what keeps me

going. No matter how many times I may or may not believe in myself, overcoming that imposter syndrome for them.

Do you consider yourself a collector of sneakers? & Do you wear your sneakers?

I’d consider myself a sneaker collector. However, I’m of the camp of wearing your shoes unless you purposefully bought doubles of sneakers you already own. My collection has gotten smaller than it was because money can get tight.

Sneakers represent memories that I lived through. Nine times out of ten, I could tell you, when, where, why, and how I got certain shoes I got.

What's your favorite brand of sneaker and why?

There are things that I love about every brand, but if I had to choose, my favorite brands at the moment are Nike, Salomon, and New Balance.

Salomon is really cementing itself as a force and presence in the space with an aesthetic that is becoming timeless. Collaborations like the one with Hidden.NY were really cool. I really liked the one with Comme De Garcons as well.

New Balance as well. They’re having a renaissance of sorts now. They were always and if you know you know kind of brand, especially when I first got into sneakers but now they’re more prominent than ever before. It seems like that’s going to be the status quo

going forward.

Nike is Nike, I don’t have to speak too much about them.

What are a pair of grails to you?

The grails that I own are the “Freshwater” Nike Air Griffey Max 1’s. The Griffeys are what started it all for me. In 2009, I was in the fourth grade. My childhood best friend was a bigger size than me at the time so he was fortunate enough to get a pair of Griffeys.

They didn’t come in my size at all, plus, my mom wasn’t going to spend a ton of money on a pair of sneakers I’m eventually going to grow out of in a few months. Therefore, I was stuck with Griffeys as my computer wallpaper, waiting for the day I could eventually

cop.

What is Your favorite sneaker campaign?

My favorite all-time campaign? You might have to come back to me on that, there are too many in my mind.

This year's favorite campaign was the Nina Chanel Abney x Air Jordan 2. Artists and sneaker collaborations aren’t new. We’ve seen this time and time again. However, for a woman, an LGBTQ woman at that, from Chicago to get her own take on the Air Jordan 2

was really cool.

Those Air Jordan 2’s, both high and low, were designed to look exactly as if she had made a painting of them. You can see that on the artwork on the packaging of the sneaker, and on the hangtag of the shoe. That hangtag is CRAZY! Even though I’m not a woman, from Chicago, or a part of the LGBTQ community, however, I find it admirable as a fellow artist that she got to present her art in one of the best ways possible, on someone’s feet.

A must-have for your closet?

I’ll give you three.

An all-white sneaker: Air Force 1’s are the best

A running sneaker: depends on preference but you can’t go wrong with a Nike Pegasus for a run or a workout

A waterproof sneaker: you gotta stay fresh in the rain! A bunch of brands make shoes with GORE-TEX but if you can find them, I’d recommend the Salomon XT-6 GORE-TEX.

If you got the chance to sit in a meeting w/ a sneaker brand, what would you ask/recommend/say?

Can I have a design job, please?

Haha, but on a serious note, if I had the chance to sit down with a footwear/sneaker brand I’d ask them if they could create a more streamlined pipeline in which they could find talent.

I speak, not only for myself but for others when I say that college isn’t for everyone. However, that doesn’t mean that people don’t like to be educated. There should be a trade school of sorts where design hopefuls that don’t want to go to college can attend and become certified footwear designers who get scouted by established and or upcoming footwear brands.

In that process, future designers not only save money but also can set themselves up with a dream career right out of high school. That also leaves room in the future for them to attend college if they so wish to desire to without the worry of not being able to afford it.

Most you ever spent on sneakers?

On a single pair? $350 on my Desert Moss Union 4’s.

Overall, definitely have spent somewhere around ten to twelve thousand on my entire collection and I’ve downsized a LOT than where I used to be.