Jared Morningstar "All-White Air Force 1s" Poem

We had the privilege of interviewing the brilliant Jared Morningstar, an esteemed author and teacher based in Michigan, in our recent Sneakerhead Spotlight feature. During our conversation, he graciously shared an exclusive excerpt from his critically acclaimed book of poetry, "Lost In America," which is now available on Amazon. The poem he unveiled, titled "All-White Air Force 1s," serves as a heartfelt ode to the legendary Nike sneaker.

Time to get some mud 

on those crispy white kicks;

the ones that you stalked

the Twitter bots for

and still ended up

paying more than retail.

They look better on feet

than they ever will on a shelf

along with other 

forgotten trinkets

in red boxes.

 

Take some time to love them

before they’re discolored by age.

At least you’ll always remember

that puddle you’ll jump in

that will remind you of the innocent days

before you started school,

and the orange pop

that woman with whom you’ll fall in love

will spill on them, 

leading to your first date,

and the game when you’ll go all out,

channeling old school legends,

and hit that last second shot 

from downtown to win the game,

scuffs and heel drag, like scars,

be damned.

 

Nothing perfect lasts forever:

diamond rings lose their luster,

those blonde locks will turn grey,

ancient kings turn to dust

within gilded sarcophagi.

So, get those fresh sneakers

out of that shoebox coffin

before they crumble,

let them breathe,

and enjoy every second

of the life you’ll share together,

stains and all.