Sneaker Appreciation: Deja Monet

Welcome to the #MadefortheW Sneaker Appreciation segment, where we introduce you to women who are associated with sneakers, inside the footwear industry as well as in sneaker culture. This week, we introduce you to one woman who has been active in the game for more than 10 years.

“Hi, my name is @Dejvmonet, I am a sneaker collector from the South Bronx. I started collecting sneakers in 2007 while I attended Fashion Industries High School. When I was attending school, I developed my own style and picked shoes that were the unconventional kind. I always rocked vans, converse, and Nike but my choices were less mainstream. I started collecting again after leaving a long-term relationship so I could feel like my old self again.”

“When I was 14-years-old and had my first job, I bought a pair of Uptowns (AF1s). It was a great moment for me because they are a staple in the Bronx and I felt good about having something that I bought with my own money. I remember walking into Journey’s each time they had an exclusive release and strictly purchasing from them to find the shoes that fit my style. When the Jackass x Converse collab came out, I remember I HAD to have that sneaker and I purchased them with the allowance money I saved up. There were also times my friends and I would trade or give away shoes if we didn’t want them anymore.”

“Growing up, I didn’t see much women displaying sneakers. One woman that caught my eye was Teyana Taylor. I loved her style, after seeing her in MTV’s My Super Sweet 16.  I loved the fact that she was tomboyish but added a feminine touch at the same time. She also hung out with my other style influence, Pharrell, and he was also the reason why I loved a lot of different shoes and fashion.”

“My favorite sneaker in my collection are my Air Max 97 Silver Bullets. They’re so versatile and you can wear them with anything. Recently, I wanted the Mister Cartoon x Vans Sk8 Hi but I know finding that shoe in a 6.5 is going to be hard. I didn’t know he had a collaboration with Vans and started searching for the pair after watching his documentary on Netflix.” 

“I will never forget when my mom bought me my first pair of Jordan’s for Christmas. They were my Spizikes with the OG White Cement and I was in high school when I received them. I still have them in my closet! What makes that moment come full circle is when I met Spike Lee at the BlacKKKlansman premier and I was wearing my Black Cement 3’s. I told him I wore them because I was so inspired by his Mars Blackmon character’s style in She’s Gotta Have It and the nostalgic Nike commercials with Michael Jordan as a teen. He smiled! Also OMG, nothing beats the day of The Ten x Nike launch! Imagine taking ten Ls in one day, along with the SNKRS app crashing. Safe to say that day prepared me for future releases.”

“Not to sound biased, but I truly think Vans are killing it this year. Their attention to detail is always on point and I’ve been pretty impressed by their collaborations.”

“I would like to thank Made for the W for their platform and I want to shout out my friends, DD of course for this piece, along with Babz, Liz Beecroft, Gabby Serrano, Shanely Smalls, Melania and Alex of Vainglory, Werd, Hella, and Dani of the Mature Kids, Taylor of Letaytellit, CNK Daily! They are all making strides in this industry, be it big or small, and I believe we will see amazing changes in the future. If there is one message that I want brands to hear from me, is please get rid of the bots. That’s all we’re asking for lol. And remember, every girl doesn’t like pink or glittery sneakers!”