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| Sneaker Fiends is all about highlighting female sneakerheads, and with roughly 100 pairs of sneakers in her possession, Kourtnee Richardson fits right into the fold. She’s styled music videos and photoshoots for artists and fashion brands, but for her first experience working on a TV show, she’s tapped into a passion she’s been nurturing since third grade. As the stylist for Sneaker Fiends host Kia Marie aka The Notorious KIA, Richardson is responsible for making sure Kia’s outfit clicks with her kicks. “You can put on a dress with sneakers, you can dress them up,” says Richardson, who went to school with Kia at Temple University. “We wanted to elevate the feminine outfits with sneakers instead of dressing them down with sneakers.” | | If there’s one thing that I want this to show, it’s that sneakers are so versatile. You can literally make them your own thing. They’re an accessory to your outfit. - Kourtnee Richardson  | | Throughout the series, viewers catch Kia in a diverse mix of looks curated by Richardson, from suits to skirts to tie-dye shirts and bucket hats. And in a recurring segment called “One Kick, Three Fits,” Kia shows viewers how to match the same pair of sneakers with three very different outfits. “Especially if you travel a lot, you don’t want to bring 50 sneakers,” says Richardson. “You want to bring one or two pairs of sneakers and be able to do a few different outfits with just one pair.” Richardson is so entrenched in sneaker culture that she was already following the journeys of many of the entrepreneurs, designers and athletes who are guests on the show. In fact, her own knowledge is up to par with any of the guests. The stylist and sneaker aficionado was even sometimes called upon as a resource on set to help identify certain sneakers, and she’s as invested in the mission of the series as anyone. “If there’s one thing that I want this to show, it’s that sneakers are so versatile. You can literally make them your own thing. They’re an accessory to your outfit.” |
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| At around 8 years old, growing up in Connecticut, a young Richardson began to feel the power and joy of having a fresh pair of sneakers. It was her mom who would regularly take her shopping for sneakers, and the budding stylist reaped the benefits early. “I would see the reaction on my peers’ faces,” Richardson recalls. “That was a big part of being a kid, and just seeing the excitement on people’s faces.” Richardson was in it for more than the clout. One of her earliest childhood friendships was sparked in the fourth grade when she and another student were both wearing Nike Air Max “Macaroni & Cheese” sneakers in slightly different colorways. The sneaker bonds only got thicker as she aged. Another serious friendship formed in middle school. “I was just in the hallway at my locker and she was like, ‘I really like your sneakers.’ We wound up being best friends for like 20 years.” | | Coming from Connecticut, it was totally normal for girls to wear sneakers. When I got to school, there were girls from other places and they just thought, ‘This is a tomboy.’ It was almost a culture clash. - Kourtnee Richardson | | As a teen, Richardson was already mastering the art of getting her hands on the sneakers that were most difficult to track down. “In high school we knew people who worked at the sneaker store, so we would go and pick them up two weeks before the sneakers came out. You could get the receipt, but you couldn’t get the box.” Richardson wore a lot of lifestyle and basketball sneakers that she describes as more traditionally “boyish” when she was younger, but as an adult a greater part of her collection consists of sneakers she can pair with more “feminine” outfits. The change came gradually during her time living in Philadelphia while going to school at Temple. By the time she graduated, Richardson says she began rethinking her overall wardrobe. “Coming from Connecticut, it was totally normal for girls to wear sneakers. When I got to school, there were girls from other places and they just thought, ‘This is a tomboy.’ It was almost a culture clash. I had friends that were like, ‘I don’t own one pair of tennis shoes.’” Richardson gets a good laugh when thinking how some of those same friends now join her in proudly showing off their sneakers on social media. |
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| Many of Richardson’s fashion memories center around family. She attributes her early awareness of fashion to creative liberties her mother took with outfits when she was just a toddler. By the middle of elementary school, it was a regular tradition for Richardson and her brother — who’s three years her senior — to search through the Eastbay catalog and circle the kicks they wanted their parents to buy. As an adult living in Kentucky after college, Richardson roped her mother into one of her most adventurous sneaker expeditions over the latest pair of Nike LeBron “South Beach” kicks. “None of the Foot Lockers in Kentucky had anything past a plain sneaker. So I remember calling home and having my mom try to locate these sneakers for me. I don’t know how she did it, but I’m calling around, she’s going to different stores, and we located a pair. I was able to get these LeBron South Beaches and have her ship them to me in Kentucky.” Richardson’s mother and brother aren’t the only ones who have encouraged her decadeslong sneaker habit. “My dad volunteers to take my sneakers and clean them for me. He’s been doing that since I was a kid.” | | Don’t go with the hype. Especially if you’re casually into sneakers, don’t go with something that’s a trend because then you won’t like it after a while. - Kourtnee Richardson | | But several years ago his generosity backfired, leading to a loss Richardson can forgive, but is not quick to forget. “I had sneakers that were in a garage and my dad volunteered to clean them. Instead of just wiping them down, he put them in the washing machine and ruined a pair of Aqua 8 Jordans and a pair of Air Bakins.” For women who aren’t (yet) sneaker savvy but are looking for options outside of heels and boots to rock this fall and winter, Richardson’s got some quick tips. “Go for a classic silhouette, like a Stan Smith, or an Air Force 1. Just go for something that’s versatile and you can wear with different outfits. Don’t go with the hype. Especially if you’re casually into sneakers, don’t go with something that’s a trend because then you won’t like it after a while. And go with more neutral colors, like a white, tan, black, gray. Those are the types of colors that will stretch out the wear you get from your shoes.” Follow @houseofsneakerfiends on Instagram and tune in to a new episode of Sneaker Fiends each Thursday on YouTube. |
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| What’s the biggest sneaker-related disaster you’ve experienced? | | |
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