Sneakerheads of Instagram: @cerebralkicks

It has been a minute since we’ve done a special on the Sneakerheads of Instagram, but we are back this week with a special catch up with my boy Matty Ice (a.k.a. @cerebralkicks). Now a lot of you may know this top dude from around the conventions and of course around the ‘gram – and for those of you who do, you may not know a lot about his story. Matty was kind enough to share his life with us and you guys. Enjoy the read and give the homie a follow!!

The biggest obstacle for me was mentally being subconscious of the disability when I’m meeting somebody for the first time, afraid of being judged before they even know me. Once I let that fear go, my life changed.

HOH: It’s no secret that Cerebral Palsy sucks, but your attitude on life is simply inspiring. Tell us what it was like growing up with, struggling with and living with CP, and how it’s influenced your outlook on life.

MATT: To be honest, I never really let it bother me growing up. I knew I could do everything everyone else did. I just did it a little differently. I actually thought that it was dope that I had my own way of doing things.

I’m sure you’ve dealt with some shit, so what is your advice to anyone suffering from CP?

The best advice I can give is don’t let it hold you back. Ever. You can do anything you want. Don’t let anyone tell you different. The biggest obstacle for me was mentally being subconscious of the disability when I’m meeting somebody for the first time, afraid of being judged before they even know me. Once I let that fear go, my life changed. Before, if I didn’t get along with someone or they had a problem with me, I’d say what’s wrong with me? Now I say what’s wrong with them. If someone doesn’t like you for you, that’s not your loss at all. It’s theirs.

Nothing is impossible?

I’m a huge sports fan, my favorite sport actually really depends on what month it is. So the idea of having the same sneakers as the guys I was watching was so cool. Even now, I look at the Bred 11’s for example, and picture MJ going against the Sonics in 1996 finals and smile.

Matt with the Mamba

When did you start serious collecting?

I’m not 100% sure, but the earliest picture I have is a pair of Taxi 12’s in 1996. I have to thank my mom for making sure I had dope kicks before I even knew what they were haha.

Another My top 3 favorite : Bred 1, Black Cement 3 & Space Jam 11 OG "UNC" PE Arrives at Chapel Hill?

I started the collection I have now my sophomore year of High School, so 2010, but I’ve been into sneakers my whole life. It just became easier once my foot stopped growing.

Right now, 200?

How has your love for sneakers bettered your life+.

My top 3 favorite : Bred 1, Black Cement 3 & Space Jam 11?

Value wise : Cement 3 “88”, Shattered Backboard 1 & White OVO 10

Nothing is impossible

It’s no surprise to me that you’ve made some great friends through sneakers – because you’re just a positive dude. But who are some of the best people you’ve come across on the scene? And what make them important to you?

Man that’s a really tough one. I’ve met so many amazing people so I don’t want to offend anybody & leave them out. I will say owe a ton to Daniel (@oneleggedlister – you can see his interview here!) because he inspired my page & got it off the ground. I sent him a DM when I had 0 posts, 1 follower & 1 following & no profile pic telling him that he inspired my page & he hit me back right away saying how dope that was & followed me right there & reposted my first picture right away the next day. That led to the best & craziest week of my life. I got 1,200 followers in 24 hours. What was crazy to me wasn’t the number, but the big names that followed me so fast. I was blown away. This page has truly changed my life in so many ways.

Matt and Kenny G (a.k.a. @the_perfect_pair)

How has your love for sneakers bettered your life?

It definitely has in a lot of different ways. Now it’s helping me see the world and meeting amazing people everywhere, which is so awesome. Growing up, they gave me a sense of comfort, if that makes sense. They provided a sense of normalcy. Yeah I was different then everyone else, but at least I had some dope sneakers on.

What do you enjoy outside of sneakers?

I’m a huge Boston Sports fan, but just sports in general. I’ll watch almost any game because I like watching guys all around the league. I hope I get to meet some of the guys I really look up to someday, like Odell Beckham. That’d be crazy. I also love music. Mostly rap & r&b. I actually know how to DJ, I even DJ’d a couple college parties while I was undergrad. It was a really fun experience.

Last question – not sneaker related at all, but I just love to hear about people’s approaches to life: From everything you’ve been through to where you are now – what’s your philosophy on life?

What was your very first pair of kicks.