Aaron Atayde is one of those dudes who’s everywhere–by day he’s the Online Managing Editor of SLAM Magazine Philippines and a Nike ambassador, and when night crawls in you’ll find him behind the DJ booth, where he’s been a long-time jockey for a major radio station. He hosts sporting events and stars in a SLAM podcast where he interviews some of Philippine basketball’s biggest names. Pretty safe to say he’s got a dope job, so check out which shoes he wore for the week (and yes, you’ll see nothin’ but Nikes here).
Sunday in the DJ booth with my beaters–Nike Flyknit Lunar 1′s
Mariana Mandanas: What do you do?
Aaron Atayde: I’m a radio DJ, which is pretty much my first gig. I’ve been doing that for 6 years now, but I’m also a sports commentator…something like that [laughs]. Basically, I work in sports. That’s been going on for about 6 years as well. On top of that, I’m also the Managing Editor for the website of SLAM Philippines, and I handle the magazine’s podcast. I’m just a normal dude, people just pay me to talk about sports and play music. I like to have everything I work on tie in together, because if it doesn’t it just sticks out like a sore thumb. With Nike it’s sneakers, with SLAM it’s basketball, with my radio show it’s about the music–if you add something to that dynamic that is out of the ordinary, it just becomes so fake and obvious. I try to have everything be as natural as possible.
MM: What are you wearing?
AA: Kobe 8 NSWs. Just picked them up 3 days ago from Titan. I just love anything NSW–I like Janoskis, Air Maxes. I love my Jordans, but I just feel like putting on Janoskis makes the world a better place [laughs]. There’s just something about putting on nice kicks and sets everything right, no matter what else you’re wearing.
Monday meeting with the fellow Magic DJs. On me, Air Jordan 1 Year of the Snake. On Suzy, white cements, and on Riki, OG Air Max 1′s.
MM: How did you get started collecting?
AA: My brother used to be the Sports Marketing Manager for Nike, so when I was growing up, I always saw the new Pennys or the new Peytons. We didn’t come from a rich family, so I’d have to cut out pictures of the shoes and paste them on notebooks and just look at them. That was the closest I could get at the time. When I started making my own money, that’s when I started collecting. I was already on the radio, doing TV stuff, so eventually Nike started to seed me and send me free gear, sort of like a brand ambassador. That was the best time. Until now I’m still affiliated with Nike.
Long day of doing basketball coverage. Tuesday in my big boy suit pants and Cole Haan Lunargrand Wingtips. Such a cool shoe.
MM: What’s in your current rotation?
AA: Roshe Runs, Janoskis–I got 3 or 4 of them that are just on speed dial right now. It’s a little tricky because of my job. Usually, I can get away wearing anything, but when I do things for the PBA [Philippine Basketball Association], I have to wear dress shoes. I thought to myself, “There’s no way I can do this…not wear my Jordans or Janoskis courtside.” That was crazy to me, so I ended up going crazy at Cole Haan and bought some Lunargrands just to add a little flavor in there [laughs]. I’m one of the younger PBA commentators, so I just wanna change it up and make it look different. A lot of the dudes are usually super prim and proper, and I’m over here with my button open like. “Yo what up!” It just adds a different feel–and that’s what I love about kicks. Anyone can wear a white tee and jeans, but the kicks complete it. And that’s what I wanted to do with the PBA–I wanted to wear whatever they were wearing–suit and tie, but put on my Cole Haans and turn up the sock game.
MM: How about shoes you don’t wear enough?
AA: Probably any of my Dunk His. I’ve neglected them, and I’m scared that they might start cracking, but they just don’t fit my jeans as well as more low cut silhouettes. I’ve gotta buy jeans that work better with them.
Wednesday chillin at my place in Nike Air Safaris.
MM: All time favorite shoe?
AA: Definitely have to be the Jordan XI Concords.
MM: Really? You’re like the fifth dude who’s said that to me this week, ha!
AA: Well you had to have been here in Manila when they re-released the Concords. It was a couple of years ago, and shoe game was becoming a pretty big thing here, but this release really set everything apart. People started camping out, the SLAM/Titan 2K tournament started, and that was how the shoe game lifted off here. It was around the time Titan first opened so this was one of their first big releases. This was the first shoe that was really pushed out there as a big release, especially through social media and especially by Titan, Nike, and resellers who were coming up. It was a crazy time for sneaker culture here.
MM: What do you think about sneaker culture in Manila?
AA: Like I was just saying, it took a big event to really have it take off. Right now it’s at a point where I don’t even think Titan or Nike thought it would be–I don’t think people thought it would be this big with people lining up at 5 different stores just to pick up a pair of Jordans. It’s gotten insane–I know people who have done really crazy things just to get their fix. It’s definitely still young, but it’s grown up so fast. It took a long time to get to this. It’s insane, but to be a part of it and to go to releases, and to be a part of the companies that are doing that just makes me blessed. We need a store like Flight Club out here, man. And eventually one day, it’ll get to that, especially since we have the right people “handling” the game right now.
MM: Are you a strictly lifestyle dude, or are you big into basketball and running shoes too?
AA: I love Flyknits. Growing up, my mom always told me never to wear my basketball shoes out to church or something, so I grew up never really getting into wearing basketball shoes–unless they’re Jordans. Not really into Lebrons and Kobes, usually I’ll break those out when I’m doing a basketball event for Nike. I’m more of a lifestyle person when it comes to sneakers–Tokis, Jumbles, Roshes. The Flyknits are a performance shoe, but I wear them for lifestyle. But then there’s shoes like my Lunarglides which are solely for the treadmill or working out. Those get beat up in the gym.
Commentating on a NCAA Final Four game on a Thursday. Wearing Janoskis.
MM: Any pair you wanna add to your colection?
AA: UGH, YES! The Yeezys. Damn Rocha [SLAM Assistant Editor Miguel Rocha] got those Yeezy 2′s in the raffle with Titan a while back. Did he ever tell you the story about the Yeezys?
MM: Haha, no. Please indulge me.
AA: Well the story with those was that there was going to be a raffle for the Yeezys…and for the entire two weeks before that, he wasn’t listening to anything else except Kanye–all his albums on repeat non-stop. And every once in a while, he would say to himself, “Yeah, those Yeezys are mine.” So weird, but he ended up winning them. So when he won, I was like…”Damn! I should’ve done that.” He’s the only type of person that does these secrets to his shoes. So when he got them, I was really heartbroken. He got the 2′s, but either the 1′s or 2′s would’ve been awesome. Or the Mags. I just love those shoes. I love my sneakers, I love my hoops, I love hip hop, but at the end of the day I’m a big geek. So when those Mags came out there was a raffle here. I had to have them, but again, I lost. My sneaker game sucks because I’m horrible at raffles!
MM: Does your exposure to basketball influence any of your sneaker choices?
AA: Well yeah, definitely. I see players on and off the court, we hang out…that’s just the nature of it. I see them wearing the new Hyperdrunks and all of a sudden I want them. I’m not a sneakerhead really, I only have like, a slight fever with my sneaker game [laughs] but dudes who are just sick are probably Gabe Norwood and Paul Artadi–he’s nuts about sneakers, DJs Mars Miranda and Ace Ramos have crazy collections too. Boom Gonzales, too…he’s been collecting for mad years. He has shoes stored in his pantry, man. I wish I had more time to ball, but I only have about an hour and a half to myself everyday. If I did ball more, I probably would have more basketball shoes [laughs].
MM: You get to preview a lot of the new releases, but what Nike technology are you most excited about?
AA: This is where my gym craze is gonna come in–watch out. The Fuel Band 2, when that comes in….that’s gonna be some dope shit. [Laughs]. But honestly, the next generation of Flyknits that are coming out is going to be really awesome. Nike Philippines actually brought me out for the first launch in New York and it was INSANE to see the technology, so because of that I’ll always have a soft spot for the Flyknit. I’m super excited for whatever’s next. You know they’re gonna mess around with it and create like, a crazy Flyknit Air Force 1 or something. In terms of a specific release, I wish I was more of a sneakerhead that I knew these things. Usually, it’s friends who tell me what’s coming up if I’m not attending an event. But again, when it comes to sportswear and lifestyle, there aren’t that many big releases and for some reason, that’s more appealing to me.
Breaking out the Roshes at a friend’s wedding to kick off the weekend.
MM: Most memorable shoe experience?
AA: The first Hyperdunk release about 4 years ago. It was the first time I went to New York, and it was me and 2 or 3 other writers from the Philippines that Nike sent. Nike Asia had 3 delegates to send, but because the basketball market is so strong here, the country ended up getting all the expenditures. So anyway, we all went, I got my tote bag and I was all like, “Yo, this is badass.” I get my bag, it had a new Hyperdunk in it, but there was also new basketball clothes, so I’m thinking…what is going on?!” We’re in MSG, we go upstairs, put on our shoes, and I get a 1 on 1 interview with Kevin Durant! After that, they tell us that we’re leaving to break in our shoes and they bring us to freakin’ Rucker Park! That was my first time there, they had the speakers going on, nicknames were being called out, and it was just crazy. So that was my favorite experience ever. Nike markets their products that way and that is why they are so successful–they could’ve brought us wherever but they brought us to MSG then to Rucker. I’ll never forget that.
MM: Do you ever wear loud shoes?
AA: Yeah, I’ll wear a loud shoe. I just picked up those Jordan 1 Year of the Snakes. I saw them in the Titan offices recently and thought, “Wow I need to have these. The colorway is sick.” The craziest shoe I wore was this AF1 that looked like it was straight out of Ahhh! Real Monsters! I wore them to an event I hosted, they had the clear swoosh on them any everything. But even my Lunarglides are aquamarine–color adds flavor, but at the end of the day I’m still a white on white Air Force 1 guy.
MM: Those are my favorites. I have like, ten pairs. Lows or Mids?
AA: Exactly! You get em a little dirty, then “Ahhh damn, gotta buy another pair.” I wear them low top. I’m always hoping for that lick-friendly Jay-Z 365 white on white AF1 type of deal. That’s the dream.
Rainy Saturday doing this interview with Modern Notoriety in multicolor Nike Kobe 8 NSWs.
MM: Favorite shoe to see on a girl?
AA: Well right now, I’ve been seeing the Sky Hi Dunks a lot…it’s like the gateway sneaker for female sneakerheads today. Those are cool, but see…if you’re gonna wear dunks, just wear the dunk without the heel on it. Just a regular dunk and you’re fine. But really with me–and not because you’re wearing them right now–any Air Maxes. Awesomesauce. [Ed's Note: I was wearing the Nike x A.P.C. Air Max 1's to the interview].
MM: Ha, thanks.
AA: Sneakers on girls though…that just strikes a certain chord that many girls don’t know is so attractive to guys. Because hey, if I’m going out with a girl and she has a better sneaker game than me, then that’s just not fair. That’s always a big turn on. I gotta step my game up. But if a girl is wearing matching Jordans with her boy…I’m not into that. I got my Jordans, you got yours, I’ll get you a different pair but you gotta have a little bit more taste than just to wear what I’m wearing.
MM: Sneaker trend you can’t jump on?
AA: Oh! Wearing two different shoes…I can’t do that. It’s disrespectful! They’re a pair. On Halloween I saw a dude wearing Fire Red 4s and Bred 4s. I’ve seen a lot of different combos. Different laces, fat laces, I can get with that. But I don’t know, I guess I’m a purist [laughs].
To keep up with Aaron, follow him on Twitter and SLAM Online.