By Joseph Morales

It is 2:15 PM on Saturday, August 8th in Forest Hills, Queens. 30-year-old sneakerhead Liam Anderson just woke up from what was a long night’s sleep at his apartment on Austin St and Ascan Avenue. In addition to being a sneaker fanatic, Liam is also a recreation specialist at the Al Oerter Recreation Center in Flushing and an aspiring fashion designer. The job entails developing and implementing programs in order to provide people with fun and enriching activities. He loved his job since it allowed him to help the community and develop new fashion design programs at the center. The programs would help people build skills that could be used to make clothing, such as sewing and tie-dying.

Today, Liam is hoping to pick up the pair of newly released Air Jordan Retro “Oreo” 6s that he successfully secured via Foot Locker’s online lottery at the Queens Center Mall. He thought he was lucky because he won the pair and the mall was just a 15-minute subway ride away. Liam actually thought that picking up one of the year’s most trending shoes was going to be a breeze. Unfortunately for him, he ran into multiple complications. One of them is that he woke up late after going to karaoke night with friends at KTV after work. Problem number two is that the R train is notoriously delayed, especially on weekends. The worst part was that if he arrived at Foot Locker after 3 PM, his pair of 6s could be sold to someone else. He knew that many other sneakerheads who lost the lottery would line up around that time hoping to snag whatever pairs people did not pick up. Liam would have to hurry.

“Oh shoot!” Liam yelled, glancing at the clock.

Without hesitating, he jumped into his gray Nike-Tech suit and swerved around Austin St pedestrians to get to the Forest Hills-71st Av subway station. Liam then bolted down the subway stairs and into the massive mezzanine. His emotions and the size of the station made it so that he couldn’t tell where he was going despite being a Forest Hills resident for the last five years. After fifteen seconds of being dazed, he found his way to the platform where the westbound trains are. His timing was not good, as the train had just closed its doors and he had missed it. Liam was watching the train leave in his face, feeling bitter and angry that the next one was 21 minutes away. The time is now 2:28 PM, and while he is cutting it close, there is still some hope. In addition to the subway ride, he would have to cross Woodhaven Blvd and then run all the way to the back corner of the mall. Liam normally shopped at the much larger Green Acres Mall on Long Island and only went to Queens Center for new releases. Hence, it didn’t register for him just how arduous this mission was going to be.

After 21 minutes of doomscrolling on his phone, the R train finally shows up. Liam enters the train car and listens to the announcement:

“This is a Manhattan-bound R Local Train. The Next Stop Is 67 Av.”

“Bro, come on,” Liam complained semiloudly, realizing just how local the R train is.

The ride feels really slow despite it being just a few stops representing a 1.5-mile distance. He opted not to drive because of how much parking would cost, especially if he stayed at the mall for more than an hour. This is without mentioning the need to find a parking spot on the street once he got home. Finally, he gets to the Woodhaven Blvd station and rushes off the train. Once again, he has to get through a behemoth mezzanine and long passageway to reach the closest exit to the mall. It is now 2:54 PM, and he is feeling confident.

Liam got lucky that the walk sign was on to cross Woodhaven Blvd, so he got into the mall quickly. Though he had only been to the mall a few times, he studied exactly how to get to the Foot Locker using the floor plan on NYCMallpedia.com. He saw the big circle at the main entrance, took the first right and then took a left at a bend, racing down to the end of that corridor. Liam somehow managed to successfully zigzag through Flushing-like crowds moving slowly on the walkway or turning suddenly to access one of the many skywalk kiosks. He thought he got to Foot Locker just in time and calmly went to the counter. It is now 2:59 PM. Liam was taking huge breaths of relief, expecting to simply receive his sneakers and go about his day.

“Good afternoon, picking up a pair of Oreo 6s,” Liam told the clerk.

“Oh, mens is right up the stairs,” the clerk calmly replied.

“Bruhhh,” Liam said.

Liam didn’t realize that this Foot Locker had two floors. The only Foot Lockers of that kind in NYC that he knew of were in Midtown Manhattan. He jogged up the stairs and didn’t go too fast simply because he was already in the store. Too late. The time, 3:01 PM, and roughly twenty people in line were now able to purchase the sneaker. He had forfeited the pair he reserved. Liam was standing there like a statue, stunned that he now needed a miracle after having his shoe reserved for him two minutes ago.

After about the fifth person in line purchased a pair, the clerk said loudly, “Oreo 6s are sold out.”

The crowd moaned loudly in unison and some even threw their arms in the air. Liam had his own reaction but stopped short when he realized that the kid with the last pair was one of his students at a youth fashion design workshop he held at Al Oerter. Given his reaction and what he knew the kid had gone through, he didn’t say anything to avoid seeming awkward. It made Liam feel good that this particular youngster was able to receive a pair even though he missed out.

The seventh grader, Alex, was bullied at school for not being fashionable. Alex never had the newest sneakers because he felt they hurt his feet. His parents always had him wear shoes that were on a list of healthy sneakers they received from their podiatrist. Almost none of the brands on the list were recognizable to the common person. Also, the shoes on the list were rarely sold in most of the sneaker stores his peers went to at the mall. The circumstances made him feel like an outcast. Liam knew his parents probably were not aware of Alex’s purchase and the shoes might not be good for Alex. However, he did not want to rain on Alex’s parade.

Liam looked around Foot Locker for other pairs of shoes. He felt that he might as well look for other sneakers to add to his collection while he was there. Liam went to the section across from the main mens section that was titled “Home Court.” It caught his eye because of a massive digital screen that included a video of Dylan Harper draining a three-point shot. He also hadn’t seen one at other Foot Locker stores he’s been to, so he decided to check it out. Liam saw a plethora of Nike and Jordan basketball sneakers on the rack and opted to purchase a pair of Jordan 12s in a color he didn’t already own.

After Foot Locker, Liam headed two doors down to Champs to browse for some other shoes. There, he saw another familiar person from the rec center. This person’s name is Henry and he was a regular participant in Liam’s adult fashion design classes. He is a middle-aged man who is an event coordinator at the Woodhaven Manor Catering Hall. Liam knew that Henry had talked about wanting a nice pair of shoes so that he would look good while managing parties. Like Alex, he also picked up a pair of Jordans, albeit a pair of 9s boots that were more suitable for a formal setting. Liam was happy for Henry because he knew that Henry was stressing about what type of shoes to get and he seemed happy with his choice. To ensure Henry did not get self-conscious, he went about his business as he normally would and left the store after making his own purchase.

Liam finally decided to go to the food court to get some lunch given how he did not eat breakfast before leaving the house. He was astonished by just how massive the lower level food court was. A trip down the escalator past the “Food Court” sign led to a mega dining room that was nearing capacity. There were numerous options to choose from, and Liam ultimately chose to get some chicken fingers and fries from Chick-Fil-A.

He sat at a table in the middle of the food court and was thinking about how happy Alex and Henry must be with the shoes they bought. Then, an unexpected visitor came to the table with their own meal from Panda Express.

“Hey, what’s up?” Chloe said, while sitting at the table.

“Oh, what’s good,” Liam replied in a somewhat shocked voice.

Chloe is a massage therapist at a physical therapy clinic in Astoria and one of Liam’s best friends. The two of them met at Queensboro Community College and bonded over a shared desire to have careers that help people achieve their desired wellness goals. This included physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Everyone they knew that didn’t study massage therapy thought that it was just touching someone in a certain way to make them feel good. However, both Liam and Chloe knew that it was so much more than that. Massage therapists needed to have a strong understanding of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology in order to safely do their jobs. This included knowing how different parts of the body work in order to administer massages that help to heal and comfort those areas.

Chloe noticed that Liam had something on his mind, so she asked what was going on. He explained what he saw with Alex and Henry’s shoe selections and how he was happy for them. The explanation led to Chloe making an interesting point that would start to change how Liam thought about sneakers.

“You know both of those shoes cause unnecessary pain, right?” Chloe questioned.

“Really, how?” Liam asked out of shock.

Chloe explained how many Jordans are narrow in the toe area, which can lead to people feeling stiff and even pinched. Also, she said that the 6s lack arch support and the boots are so heavy that they can cause rubbing or even heel blisters upon first use. Chloe didn’t want to say Jordans were bad for everything or that they didn’t have good uses. However, she wanted Liam to know that they aren’t everything despite their prestige.

Chloe’s reasoning had Liam thinking. He loved Jordans and how they are a quintessential part of the fashion and sports world. However, part of his job as a recreation specialist was to promote activities and encourage habits that were healthy. He felt that there had to be a way to help people enjoy fashion and prioritize their health and comfort in the process. Liam decided to brainstorm during this conversation.

“What sneakers are good for the feet?” Liam asked.

“It’s not about good or not. It’s all about the situation, person, and type of shoe. Different companies make different shoes that are good for some people and not as much for others,” Chloe replied.

She further elaborated by discussing how sneaker features affected the movement of muscles, support to various parts of the foot, and how the foot functioned in general. Chloe then talked about the main features one should consider when purchasing a sneaker such as heel stability, ankle support, and cushioning. Liam knew that Chloe could go on forever when discussing the science of the body. He wanted to take it in because she was his friend and he really wanted to see if any of the information could help him develop his programming at the rec center. That’s when he had a lightbulb moment.

Liam had to give a massive all-ages workshop in order to spread awareness about his age-specific fashion programs and expose more people to fashion design. He had been debating a topic in his head for a while and was grappling with what might appeal to both adults and children. Liam decided he was going to give a presentation on how to pick shoes with health in mind. After seeing how many people pick shoes solely because of style, Liam wanted to show people how they didn’t have to choose between foot health/comfort or matching trends. His goal would be to demonstrate just how easy it is to get both out of shoes. Once he told Chloe about the idea, she was absolutely ecstatic and even offered to give the science portion of the presentation. The duo was excited to give the presentation and help many people to gain confidence, comfort, and wellbeing in more ways than one.

A week after their lunch in the mall, it was time to give the presentation. It was going to be held in a gym-turned-meeting room with chairs filling the basketball court and a projector/podium where the sideline is. The chairs were filled with everyone from elementary schoolers with their parents to senior citizens. Henry was in attendance and Alex was there with his parents. Both Chloe and Liam were curious as to how it would turn out.

Chloe did much of the talking as she was the medical expert in the room, albeit with fewer words than in her initial conversation with her friend. She also focused on how certain shoes are better for certain purposes and not others. Liam followed it up by talking about brands that frequently produce healthy and trending sneakers such as New Balance and Asics. He also discussed certain Nike and Jordan pairs that Chloe said could be good in certain situations and/or in moderation. Many of the sneakers discussed were considered to be recommended by podiatrists. Liam even showcased various outfits that could go with the sneakers that were focused on.

Throughout the presentation, everyone in the room seemed to have pleasantly surprised reactions. They felt good that they didn’t need to choose between shoes that were healthy for the feet or ones that were trendy and fashionable. The events of the next few minutes showed that the presentation was a smashing success. Alex was looking through a New Balance catalog with his parents to identify some shoes he can wear to school and seemed happy throughout the process. Henry took a liking to the Timberland PRO boots that were discussed and ordered himself a pair for work. In addition to Alex and Henry’s victories, there was a massive line to sign up for Liam’s workshop series, where he would teach people to design healthy sneakers and outfits to go with them.

Chloe and Liam were still standing upfront as everyone was getting ready to head out of the presentation room. They fist-bumped each other in celebration of their successful night. It was the kind of fist bump that was audible and made it evident these were two best friends who just did something great. Liam was looking forward to what the future held for his fashion program along with the information he and Chloe were able to provide at the rec center. It felt like the night was the start of new beginnings for both the fashion program and the foot health of the community.