Below is the main navigation for the website

Main Navigation

REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY | CREATED FOR STUDENTS BY STUDENTS

Sign Up for MyHIN News and Take Action

myHIN Blog

May 06, 2013

The Evolution of a Sneakerhead

As the days dwindle away and graduation finds its way closer, a lot of thoughts have been running through my head. Thoughts primarily centered on my college experiences and how those moments have shaped me into the person I am today. Being a part of the myHealthImpact project has meant a lot to me, from gaining tangible skillsets to traveling across the country to promote our efforts. Although my obsession for simplicity and design drove my involvement with myHealthImpact, it was this representation of realizing a problem and attacking it head on with a unique solution that initiated my thoughts with respect to footwear.

As a child I was always fascinated with various types of sneakers. I wasn’t interested in wearing ‘regular’ or ‘basic’ shoes. I was more content with the latest and greatest Nikes, Jordan’s, and yes even Fila’s! I would beg my mom until she gave in and purchased my favorite pair of sneaks; but for some reason I was never completely satisfied. As the most expensive shoes felt uncomfortable and irritated me when I walked. This was evident because I had already been diagnosed with femoral antersion, or walking pigeon-toed, a common childhood orthopedic condition.

For a short time, I also wore shoes with braces, which I despised.  While in middle school, I faced additional foot problems that made it difficult for my feet to stay on the foot bed of most sneakers.  As a freshman at NCSU the foot problems ensued and further measures were taken such as creating a mold that I would wear in my shoes to provide comfort as I walked around campus. Currently, I have to engage in daily rituals by performing various foot exercises to ease the pains I may encounter during the day. Needless to say I have endured enough.

Despite my constant foot problems, for those who know me, I have been a lover of sneakers from the beginning of time. My devout following to rocking the latest kicks really took off when I entered college and met a small group of individuals who also shared this same passion. After accumulating dozens of shoes and even hosting the first ever sneaker showcase titled "Sneaks and Beat's' back in 2010, I still felt the need to do more. Now that I have officially hanged up my sneaks and done a lot of reflection, I have been toying with the idea of ending my retirement and refocusing my career on designing athletic footwear in conjunction with the medical field for optimal foot health.

Post graduation, I hope to take my experiences and turn it into a career filled with passion while helping others along the way. Thus, my involvement as an Undergraduate Researcher for this project has tremendously influenced me to pursue @myHealthImpact.
 

Follow us at tumblr.myhealthimpactnetwork.org (Tumblr)
Follow us on Twitter @myhealthimpact
 

Share

Comments

comments powered by Disqus

In Partnership with: Poole College of Management, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Science Foundation, Penn State

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
My Health Impact Network

© My Health Impact Network