It’s that time of the week everybody, time for another 5Qs and 5As; the interview series where we meet members of Team KLEKT. Today, we’re sat down with one of Germany’s up and coming sneaker influencers @kixkevin. Kevin is a child of the ’90s, meaning his love of sneakers goes way back before all the hype. That’s not to say that he’s not got some heat in his rotation, trust us, he can compete with the strongest of collectors.
Today we’ll be sitting down with Kevin to learn more about his passion for sneakers, tracing it back to the moment it all began for him. We’ll be finding out about some of his favourite pairs, what his grails are and just exactly what shoe he first fell in love with. Kevin will also be running a special promotion on his Instagram so make sure you follow him to get involved. Without further delay, this is 5Qs and 5As with @kixkevin!
Hi Kevin, great to have you here. Who’s the person behind this account?
Hey thanks for inviting me! My name’s Kevin Palmeri, and I from German but I have Italian roots. I have the magical ability to attract every L on the SNKRS app but besides that, I like to spread positivity and good vibes.
How did your passion for sneakers start?
I am a ‘90s kid, meaning that I was strongly influenced by that era of hip-hop music. Although I didn’t have a particular model or sneaker that inspired me, the music drew me in and led me to the fashion side of things. Baggy jeans and oversized T-shirts were a part of the uniform back then!
In 2002, a friend of mine showed me a Nike SB Dunk with this strange “elephant print” throughout the Supreme collaboration. Although I wasn’t aware of Supreme at the time, it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money to cop them back then and, as a result, I missed out. I did buy them once, however…in my dreams!
Fast forward to 2016 and Jordan Brand released a colourway of the Air Jordan 1 called the “Un-Supreme” which had the same pattern as the Supreme SB Dunk from 2002! Now that I had grown up, I decided it was time to buy my first pair of sneakers as an adult. I ran to the closest Jordan store and bought them. To this day, this is still one of my most precious pairs.
Do you have a holy grail?
Of course, I have and I can happily say that I own it as well. It is the Tom Sachs x NikeCraft Mars Yard 2.0. I love the story behind it, the constant motivation to use better materials and offer better performance. These are shoes that are meant to be worn every day and I wear them regularly. After a short period of time, they became my daily beaters. Luckily, it’s one of the few sneakers I didn’t pay resale price for!
What was the most you’ve spent on a sneaker?
The most I have ever spent for a sneaker is €1.1k for the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High. It was certainly a hyped sneaker release! It was not the most affordable price-wise, but it was the first time that I really wanted a shoe so badly I was willing to pay the price. I also love Travis Scott’s music so for me it was a must-have.
So Kevin, can you tell us the top five pairs in your collection?
Damn, this is a tough one! I would definitely say the MarsYard, Union x Air Jordan 1 “Blue Toe” and Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 High. Because of my German-Italian history, I would also say the Slamjam x Nike Dunk High; this was definitely one of the most underrated collaborations of 2020 in my opinion! Finally, I would say the Civilist x Nike SB Dunk – I can’t wait to rock these this summer!
Make sure you follow Kevin on Instagram!
