KYW Holiday Gift Guide — 🎄 Shopping for your favorite sneakerhead with $100 or less
IT. IS. TIME!!!!!
Gooooood morning, family! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for giving me some of your time today. I appreciate you. It’s officially the holiday season! It’s gift guide day! This honestly might. be my favorite send of the year, man. Christmas is my vibe. Yes, I’m annoying about it.
Next Friday the KYW will be back with the final mailbag drop for 2023. I’ll drop the mailbox in the thread next week so be on the lookout for it.
Let’s jump in! Time to shop for your favorite sneakerhead!
Shopping for the sneaker lover in your life ❤️
It’s that time of year again, folks. The time when that weird anxiety shows up because you’re worried about buying a bad gift as if there was such a thing. (I’m one of those “it’s the thought that counts” people).
I know that feeling. We all get it. The holidays are amazing, but this stress is for the birds. Stuff like this should be easy.
So don’t you worry: I’m going to make it a bit easier for you — especially if you have a sneakerhead in your life.
The thing about us is that, more often than not, we don’t want you to buy us shoes!
Of course, we’ll take them. Nobody is licking a gift horse in the mouth. But at the same time, sneakers are expensive! And who are we to ask everyone else to support us on our fiscally irresponsible — yet highly satisfying — journey through life?
Fret not, folks. You don’t need to buy anyone sneakers. There are plenty of other things to choose from, too. I’m here to point you in the right direction.
Here’s the Kicks You Wear’s annual guide to buying your favorite sneakerhead a gift for under $100.
Happy holidays, everybody!
Create your space! ✨
Everybody needs a sneaker room, man. It’s a must. The vibe has to be set just right, too. Organization is key. So is the fun.
I’ve got a few options here that bring a little bit of both.
Wayfair stackable shoe storage boxes ($68.99): The container store drop front boxes are always a good option, but these joints from Wayfair serve the same purpose while coming in a larger pack for less money. Can’t complain about that!
A sneaker clock! ($69.99): I’ve always wanted to tell time by Jordans. This clock is so fun. I might have to get one for myself.
Sneaker Decoration Rug ($79.99): What’s a good sneaker space without a rug? Especially if you’re one of those folks with a hardwood floor. You’ve got to properly give yourself a space for those IG pics, man.
Let’s get out more! ✈️✌️
Traveling is always fun! Packing your sneakers up is not. Not only do you have to limit yourself to just a few pairs, but you’ve also got to find a way to store them without messing them up!
Here are some suggestions that might help out with that:
KicksKase Sneaker Duffle Bag ($59.00): Packing sneakers up is easier with a duffle bag like this one. The separating barriers will allow you to carry up to four pairs with you on a trip.
Handmade Dust Bags ($21.00 per bag): Dust bags are slept on! It’s not just for the trip to wherever you’re going. If you have a nice pair of shoes you don’t want to wear all trip long, this is a good way to store them while they’re outside of your travel bag.
Reshovn8r Shoe Trees ($20): Have you ever been on a trip only to pull your shoes out of your bag and see that there’s a crease in them? That’s my worst nightmare. It’s why shoe trees are important, folks.
Good reads! 📚
I’d like to think that this newsletter does a pretty good job of keeping you all abreast of the sneaker world and all of the little nuances that come with it. But, of course, there are going to be things that I miss here and there.
You’ll probably be able to find some of what you’re looking for in a good book! There’s been plenty written about the culture and its history out there.
Here are some good options:
A History of Basketball in 15 Sneakers ($26.44): The homie Russ Bengtson gave us a treat this year with this one. This book tells the history of basketball through the lens of 15 sneakers. It’s a perfect gift for any hoop head or sneaker lover.
Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There ($35.52): The homie Brandon Martinez recommended this joint to me a while back. It’s a book written by J.B. Strasser, Nike’s first advertising manager. She wrote this book about Nike’s meteoric rise and what it really looked like behind the scenes. Yes, this is Rob Strasser’s wife. There’s lots of drama and palace intrigue. You’ll love it.
Soled Out: The Golden Age of Sneaker Advertising ($59.25): This is a fun one for the OGs out there. This Sneaker Freaker drop tells the history of sneakers through the lens of ads we saw through the years.
Find your inner ar-teest 🖼
We’ve all had that urge to customize some sneakers at one point or another, haven’t we? Some of us (ME) just aren’t that good at it. But, still, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a shot!
If you’re looking to tap into your inner artist, here are some options:
Acrylic leather paint kit ($24.99): This is what you’ll use if you ever want to customize a pair of ice-white Air Force 1s or if you want to turn a pair of Jordan 1s into a classic colorway. The acrylic paint is the way to go.
Foxtrot Uniform Sneaker Stainer bundle ($59.00): There’s no better resource out there for doing the neo-vintage thing with your sneakers than Foxtrot Uniform. Their stainers are top notch and they come in multiple colors.
Foxtrot Uniform Chalky Edges bundle pack ($36.00): The same goes for Foxtrot’s chalky edge liner. This stuff is really good. Your sneakers will have a nice look to them.
Keep it clean! 🧽
Some things change, but some remain the same! Every sneaker lover is always going to need to clean a pair eventually. If they’re wearing their shoes, anyway.
These are the cleaning products I swear by:
Jason Markk cleaning kit ($31.17): I’ve told the story about how I spilled Jerk sauce on a pair of Dunks before, haven’t I? Please don’t make me relive that nightmare. Jason Markk saved my shoes, man. I cannot swear by this enough.
CREP Protect spray ($25): I’m telling you, folks. That waterproofing spray? That’s the real deal, man. You need it.
That’s all, folks! There’s your holiday gift guide! Everything is under $100, as promised. I hope you find something on this list that you like! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to hit me up.
Mailbag coming at you next week! Can’t wait for that. Talk to you then. Peace and love, fam. Be easy, be safe, be kind. We out.
-Sykes💯