Question 1: What’s in your current sneaker rotation?

Wendell: UNC 1’s, Japan Navy 1’s, Travis Scott dunks, Travis Scott 6’s, yeezy slides daily(WFH), (vans,blazers,trainers, foamposits, and yeezy’s [on occasion] for the gym)

Question 2: What's the last pair you UNDS'd?

Wendell: Wutang dunk highs. AKA Iowa’s, but Iowa ain’t make March madness, so I’ll call them Wutang’s because WUTANG is forever B and it’s for the children #nuffsaid #protectyaneck

Question 3: What is your fave sneaker you currently own? 

Wendell: UNC off-white 1’s. Reason: I couldn’t get my Chitown cousins to lookout when all the reserves were happening. Skip a year and my OOOG ooped them to me like Lob City for 100$. That’s why they are my favorite.

Question 4: What is your must-have grail? 

Wendell: I got 2...if that’s allowed. Kaws Grey 4’s. I’m a sucker for glow in the dark and reflective hints, and subtle details. SBB OG’s because the orange and black goes good with my hometown Denver Broncos colors and my Ghanaian Kente clothe.

Question 5: What got you started in the sneaker game? 

Wendell: Story time...I’ve been into sneakers since LA gears and British knights, I had a pair of bk diamond cells in 4th grade. My pops had the OG white Barkley’s and UNC Jordan 9’s, that I remember vividly, if only I could of fit 10.5 in middle school it woulda been on! Pops had me on a Payless and Famous Footwear diet back in elementary & middle school days, except the Christmas I got the BK’s. The money I could get, came from being a janitor at Denver public library, first job. I used that cash for Bball kicks. My Bball kicks was my all around kicks, couldn’t do both coming up on section 8 back in the day. Fast forward to college, got team kicks for hooping at LCCC(running lopes). Left LCCC and went to ORU and I had some V.Carter Nike shocks I hooped in. Tmacs too, I used to kill intramurals! I actually played too much Bball attempting to walk on the squad and had to play the homies’ couch for 4 months after school. A year later after some odd jobs in Tulsa, I wake up stationed at Kadena AFB (67FS HOME OF THE FIGHTING COCKS #IYKYK) in Okinawa, Japan. I remember The BX never got retros but I remember getting the lebron zoom soldiers (25 straight) and balling out in them for the base squad from time to time. Getting kicks at the BX whether stateside or Afghanistan was impossible as a crew chief because-of 12-14 hour swing shift days.

I did score a couple AF1’s on TDY one time at Osan AB, Korea (Golden Gate). 2010 I remember seeing the Lebron 7’s and I had to have them to play in, because they were like Bred 11’s with an air max full length bubble. What’s not to love about the best Lebron shoe ever? I was a walking bucket in those joints. I actually still got them. Around 2013 though I got my first salaried job and a mortgage, so I figured I could spend some extra cash and get into casual athletic kicks. The  cav 4’s reenergized my Jordan craze, like the first time I saw the concords in the 90’s, except now I got the money for them. l saw the Cavs on IG I think, and they went perfect with the OG Broncos Mitchell & Ness fitted I had. Thought I would just go to a store and pick them up...not so. Went on a 3 year hunt, searching and dealing with random sites like kicks on fire, IG retailers, IG scammers, bad pairs from stockx, rummaging local shops, to settling for a size 12. I finally found an 11 in great condition and my search was complete. I wear them for special occasion Bronco Games like Super Bowl 50 and other Denver repping events or when I’m feeling special.  In the middle of that hunt I also found other sneakers that spoke to me and opened a golden gate to the sneaker community and streetwear, and I’ve been lost in this painful yet wonderful wonderland ever since, because I’ve met some really cool people along the way.

Question 6: What's something that most people don't know about you? 

Wendell: Story time again...Man I know I’m getting old...cuz I got stories like an Uncle. Anyhow, I’ve ridden a real life BULL. I’ve never been on a mechanical bull. That is, unless you got video evidence but ima still plead da 5th. The real bull happened when I was 12 and in a scout group called the Royal Rangers. Scout leader tells us, “we were going to a rodeo”. And being a kid from Colorado BLVD & Colfax I was like cool, sounds exciting, I guess; but what he didn’t tell us was that we were the actual talent for the rodeo. We found that out when we pulled up and get introduced as such. The shock I felt as I watched each of my preteen comrades get thrown off these massive beast, I can’t describe. When it was my turn, I picked a bull. Reason: The guy before me got stomped on by his horse after he got dumped on his head, and he screamed bloody murder for what had to be 30 minutes. For some reason it didn’t register to me that bulls can be much bigger, I just thought they don’t stomp on people. So, it’s my turn, and I get on the bull, and I immediately want off this ride with that thing snorting, growling, rumbling, and racking itself against the cage. I tell them I changed my mind but I’m already strapped in. The cowboy controlling the cage says...”you know that movie white men can’t jump?” I say “yeah”. Well, show them black men can ride!”. Then he flung the gate open and I held on for what seemed like eternity but was probably 3 seconds. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Especially for a 12 year old.

Question 7 (optional): What do you do for a living? 

Wendell: I have worked in technology 10 years and most of it for a fortune 1 company. My passion projects are diversity and inclusivity initiatives; as well as STEM/STEAM exposure and representation for black and brown children specifically, but any child really because they the future. I also have moonlighted as a model for 9 years. Not as much since covid but hopefully that picks back up again this summer along with non-virtual educational and recreuiting events. Zoom conferences just don’t hit the same. Technology, Fashion, Art, Photography, food, and music are a few of my favorite things because they make the world smaller and express the diversity, humanity, and commonality across cultures and communities in a multidimensional dynamic way that resonates. In the end, for me, it’s all about ubuntu/unity and humanity by any means necessary.

Question 8: where can people follow you on social media? YT, Snapchat, IG etc. 

Wendell: All my Social is BrothersBreakingBread or  YokoWendingo (Yoko is my Ghanaian name and Wendingo was an old college nickname I got for being a Wild Dingo at ORU)