Earlier in the month, we took a look at the Titan 22 store in Manila and met up with co-founder Jeff Cariaso. This week, we’re sitting down with Titan’s resident everything-doer and SLAM Philippines Assistant Editor Miguel Rocha. At just 25 years old, Migs worked his way up through the Titan/SLAM family and has handled various projects from handling editorial content, organizing marketing events, creating a limited edition sticker pack for Titan, and interviewing some of the biggest names in the NBA. For this edition of Week in the Feet, Migs shows us another one of his (many) work perks: being able to call sneakers “business casual.” Can anyone say dream job? Read about Migs’ hustle below.
MM: What do you do for SLAM? Titan?
MR: I’m the Assistant Editor at SLAM Philippines, so I work on everything from gathering photos for local articles, downloading content from the States, writing and proofing, and doing lots of PR and Marketing stuff. We have monthly parties for the release of every new issue, so I take care of parts of that as well. With Titan, I work on a lot of marketing for the new releases, taking care of VIP clients in store, and other special projects.
Sunday in Stefan Janoski in Digi Floral. Hopping out of the ride, gotta do it in style. Prints on prints. Don’t be afraid–almost anything is acceptable in today’s society.
MM: How’d you get started?
MR: Crazy story, actually–I was actually working real estate after I graduated. Our office was near the first Titan store, so I would always go there during my lunch break and just hang out, play PS3, watch some basketball games. I started to get bored with my job, and I shared those stories with my bosses Dennis and Raoul. I literally told them, “If you guys have any openings–I’d do anything…except accounting. I’ll clean the floors if I have to” [Laughs]. So they were like, “Okay, give us your card and we’ll see.” Three months later, and nothing happened, but I was still going to the store. I’ve always been a loyal customer–I would camp out for releases and all that. I applied for another job, which I got–but the night before that Dennis DM’s me on Twitter and asks if I could see him the next morning. I meet him and Raoul and they tell me they have an opening for a SLAM editorial position, and I was sold.
Monday in Air Jordan 6 “GMP.” Just chilling, getting some coffee. Gotta have the Tommy Hilfiger mid-cut socks. Trust me they never left.
MM: You have a million guys’ dream job. What’s it like?
MR: Working with everyone on both teams is great–they’re all like my mentors. I try to learn something from everyone from both Slam and Titan, and try to put my own twist on it. With Titan, there’s [owner] Dennis, and with SLAM, it’s Mico Halili, who’s a really famous sports broadcaster here. It never feels like work for me because it’s basketball [laughs]. In the past year, Kobe’s been here and I worked closely on that, I got to interview Derrick Rose, watched the preseason NBA Global Games. I also got to interview Rondo, which was crazy. Probably the best interview I’ve done. I wasn’t a big fan of the Celtics, but when you see a player like that up close, you don’t just gain respect for them but you start to become a fan. It was just his natural swag.
Tuesday in New Balance 574′s. Another day in the office, closing the SLAM ish. Socks are as vital as the shoe. Go wild. I usually get my pairs from Uniqlo or H&M.
MM: Can I quote you on that?
MR: Yeah, for sure. He [Rondo] just doesn’t care. He thinks he’s the best player on the planet. That, to me, wasn’t cockiness, but it was self-confidence. People get the two of them confused, but that wasn’t the vibe I got from him at all.
MM: Locally and in the NBA, what are your favorite teams?
MR: I can’t say. What I’ve learned from working in a media outlet is that you can’t have any bias towards specific teams. I definitely have favorite players–locally, there’s Gabe Norwood, Jimmy Alapag. And I’ve always loved Kobe since day one.
Wednesday in Air Jordan X “Steel.” Watching the UAAP College Finals at a friend’s house. Rocked the Steels a day before release.
MM: Favorite sneaker of all time?
MR: Can I have like…five instead [laughs]? Definitely the Royal 1′s, Black Cement 3′s, Space Jams, the Yeezy 2′s, and probably the Nike Roshe Runs in general–I just love how comfortable they are.
Thursday NBA 2K in the Slam/Titan offices in Platinum Air Yeezy 2′s. Gotta keep it real, I represent Ye. Can’t wait for the Red Octobers.
MM: Out of all the projects you’ve ever worked on, what’s been your favorite?
MR: I definitely have one each for SLAM and one for Titan. For SLAM, definitely our Gilas Pilipinas Issue, which featured our first local cover. Since Day 1, we’ve been thinking about whether or not we should do a local cover and how readers would respond to it. It’s hard because readers in the Philippines feel very strongly about their favorite teams, so if you put one guy on the cover, not everyone is going to accept it. We just thought, “Oh, why don’t we do the Philippine team?” At the time, it seemed bit far fetched but everything worked out. Their coach was down to do it right away. At the time, we didn’t know if the team would quality for the FIBA World Championship, but we went ahead and called the story, “History: Our Team, Our Time,” and that was a huge risk. We were either going to look really good or really bad. We planned all of this stuff before they even qualified, released it before the tournament even started, and everything just fit perfectly. We sold out every copy printed. And for Titan, it’s organizing the yearly NBA 2K tournament [laughs].
MM: Boys will be boys.
MR: Yeah. We turn a basketball court into a gaming arena, and have a bunch of TVs and consoles everywhere. Every year, we try to do it bigger and better. Our first year we had 128 players, last year 256, so I have no idea how big this year is gonna be. Last year’s winner got a year’s supply of shoes from Titan. Once a month, he would come into the store and get ANY pair of shoes he wanted. If Yeezy 3′s come out next year, he would be able to get those. Three years ago, I actually won the tournament before I even started working for the company. I just really wanted to win the shoes.
MM: So you guys get a lot of support from the professional league…
MR: Definitely. It’s a win-win for everyone. Of course the players want to be featured, especially in SLAM–the U.S. version has been around for over 20 years, so this is definitely something big for people in the local scene. Before the local version came, the U.S. version sold for around $12, which is pretty pricey for a magazine. What we did was cut the price into half and added more content–all the American content with our original local content.
Friday in Nike “Marble” Roshe Runs. Getting ready for the PBA Finals in the Araneta Coliseum. Marbles are tough. Add that extra layer to the fan favorite. Most comfy shoe ever.
MM: Most prized sneaker and basketball possessions?
MR: Basketball-wise, Lebron’s game worn headband. Another crazy story–I have it in a Ziploc bag and everything. In 2008, Team USA had an exhibition game in Macau against Turkey, so I had to book an overnight flight. I got first row tickets for $80. It was crazy. After the game, Lebron was being interviewed because he got Best Player of the Game. The other players were throwing their headbands into the lower box area, so I went up there. He threw his headband into the crowd after the interview, and I got it…may or not have pushed a guy [laughs]. I was so happy after that, shouting and everything. Shoe-wise, the Kobe Aston Martin Pack, which released here [in Manila]. I never wear them, though. I just plan on displaying them when I have my own place.
MM: Wow. Your luck is unbelievable. Are you a collector?
MR: Yes, it’s a sickness actually. I have maybe over 200 shoes all organized into one small room. When I was in San Francisco, I would get all the coins in my apartment, save up money from bus fare, ask money from relatives, and walk super far to Nike Town and spend it all on sneakers.
Friday in Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and camo pants. Post-ball game night out with the crew. Gotta stand out.
MM: What was your last purchase?
MR: I just picked up a pair of the marbled Roshes last night–they’re so comfortable.
MM: Basketball shoes or lifestyle shoes?
MR: Of course Jordans will always be up there because they’re just in a league of their own, but Jordans aside, I’m leaning more towards lifestyle and running shoes like Flyknits, Roshes, the Janoskis…just for a more mature look [laughs]. But I also have a tradition of getting every pair of numbered Kobe’s and Lebron’s. I don’t have all the colorways, but I have a version of every one of those shoes. I love the Lebrons. Some people find it bulky and feel like it’s a big man’s shoe, but I don’t find them heavy at all, they’re super light with the Air.
MM: Anything missing from your collection? What are you most looking forward to in terms of sneakers next year?
MR: The Black Yeezy 2′s. The Carmine 6′s too, but those are coming out next year so I’m stoked about that. I’d like to see a lot more consistency with different brands. Nike’s always been up there, but a lot of other brands are stepping their game up too.
Saturday in Lebron X “Floridian.” Favorite colorway of the Lebron X. Really comfortable ball shoe. Out here hooping after a 7 month layoff from an ACL injury.
MM: Any big plans for SLAM in 2014? How about yourself?
MR: We just want to do it bigger every year–definitely elevating our planning for the 2k14 Tournament. I’m working on designing my own clothing line and starting my own blog. It’s gonna be about the urban scene in Manila, my thoughts, etc. I’m pretty excited.
Stay updated with Modern Notoriety for Part 2, where we feature a special look into Migs’ collection. In the meantime, check out more of Miguel’s heat on Twitter and Instagram.