If Columbus poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib had a walk-up song, it might be called “Sole Man.”
The song title isn’t a typo, it’s a nod to Abdurraqib’s reputation as a “sneakerhead” whose affinity for athletic footwear is well-known.
“A sneakerhead is someone who has a deep passion for the history and culture of sneakers, and they’re interested in preserving that history,” he said.
Though he’s not brand-loyal, he mostly favors Nike and Jordan. On any given day, he’s sure to be sporting sneakers – probably not the ones you saw last week.
After all, he has 238 pairs.
“Within a year, I probably wear about 180-190 of them, depending on how much I’m out of the house,” Abdurraqib said.
For the 43-year-old Bronzeville resident, being a sneakerhead doesn’t
mean chasing trends or storing pristine shoes in display cases.
"I believe they should be on your feet; they’re meant to get dirty,” he said. “If you make a god out of them, you become a servant to this physical object.”
Abdurraqib shared a few more tidbits about himself in a brief Q&A, including the best way to make a certain campfire snack that he didn’t experience until adulthood.
What is the meaning of ‘Hanif’ and does it describe you? From my understanding, it means a righteous person or true believer.
It describes me not in a religious sense, but in the sense that I’m very committed and entrenched in my curiosities. That takes a level of belief that really shines through.
What was the first poem you ever wrote? I was 11 years old. It was a poem about Jackie Robinson. We had a unit on the Negro Leagues baseball in school, and he was the player I selected.
The poem was weirdly inflammatory and incendiary. The school called my parents. It was the first time I thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t write poems!”
What's the ideal marshmallow to chocolate ratio for s'mores? I recently had a Reese’s s’mores that I wanted more chocolate with than marshmallow. But normally, I prefer about 65% marshmallow, 35% chocolate. Less is more. Less gets the job done!
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hanif Abdurraqib owns 238 pairs of sneakers and wears them all
