Sneakerheads of Tulsa: Isaac Villarreal
We asked Tulsa local Isaac Villarreal a few questions to kick off our new photo series, Sneakerheads of Tulsa. Check out the pics on IG @silhouettetulsa.
You picked the Pure Money 4’s as your favorite pair of kicks. Tell us about that.
I kinda got back into Jordans a few months ago, and it started with these. My brother was like, “Yo, I got a beat pair of Jordans, do you just want em?” I was like, “Yeah, I want em.” He’s away at college. I cleaned them up a little bit, replaced the laces, and it’s turned into my favorite sneaker. That off-white coloring that’s just from the damage from the wear on them just gives them so much character. I can put them with shorts, I can put them with these crazy pants I’m rockin, I can put them with sweats, like anything I really want to wear. They always complement them, so it’s become definitely my favorite sneaker I own for sure.
How long have you been into sneakers?
Shoot, so I got into sneakers like junior high. My first pair of sneakers that put me on was a pair of Air Max 97’s and I freaked out. My dad got em for me. I was pumped, I was ready to go, all laced, got my little junior high ego ready to get it. And then I ended up getting my first pair of Jordan’s, the Legend Blue 11’s. Those two shoes kind of got me starting to collect, starting to get a lot of J’s, a lot of Nikes. Then I went through a whole Yeezy phase like everybody does. Sold all my Jordan’s, got a whole bunch of Yeezy’s, got tired of those and sold all of those, and now I’m back at Jordan’s.
What’s your grail right now, if you could cop any shoe?
Those Pine Green [Jordan] 1’s you got on the shelves, with the cream, that off-white behind the Nike check is like money. Everytime I walk in here, everytime I see em, I’m like that’s the shoe I would love to have.
What do you love about Jordan’s?
It shows how not only sneaker culture but fashion in general is so versatile in a way. These sneakers came out before I was born and when I was really young, and they’re still doing their thing today. You can be anybody, you don’t have to have a lot of money, whoever you are, you can rock a pair of Jordan’s and feel good and feel confident. Michael Jordan is an influence to so many people on and off the basketball court, and wearing his shoes has meaning.
How would you describe sneaker culture in Tulsa?
It’s unique. You got different your parts of town, your different types of people, all rocking different things. Especially with a store like this [Silhouette] that has such a variety of shoes, it really shows the variety in our sneaker culture. People are pushing fashion and shoes and art and music and finding their niche, and what they wear reflects that niche. In Tulsa, you got people rockin Air Force 1’s, you got kids rockin Yeezy’s, and then you have people really looking for something different, the Cactus Plants. You see it all in Tulsa, which is cool.