It’s no rare thing to be shoe-obsessed, but when it comes to the sneaker-obsessed, writer, producer and actress Lena Waithe is one of a rare breed. Waithe owns over 100 pairs, using her kicks to accent an eclectically casual wardrobe primarily comprised of “queer designers who happen to be brown and makin’ shit,” as she told Vanity Fair in March.
Previously, Waithe has taken her sneaker fetish to comical heights as psychotherapist Dr. Dana Sole in a series of spots for Nike titled “Shoe Therapy.” Now Waithe will bring her passion for sneakers back to the small screen in an unscripted series titled You Ain’t Got These, produced with Boardwalk Pictures and set to air via famed producer Jeffrey Katzenberg’s new short-form video company Quibi. As reported by Vogue:
[The series] promises to get beneath the surface of sneaker culture and explore how sneakerheads and the dealers and companies they buy from are influencing class, gender, race, and politics. ... Waithe is outspoken about politics, race, and LGBTQ rights and her latest project promises to explore all of those themes through the lens of sneaker culture. Waithe will also capture the addictive personalities who thrive on getting their hands on the hottest kicks, as well as the self-expression that a single pair—or 100, in Waithe’s case—can foster.
No further details on You Ain’t Got These are available yet, but we’re hoping that one of the “addictive personalities” featured is legendary DJ, author, filmmaker and sneaker aficionado Bobbito Garcia (co-host of NPR’s “What’s Good With Stretch And Bobbito” podcast) who authored the similarly titled 2003 ode to sneakers Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987.
Of the upcoming production on the new short-form network, executive producer Andrew Fried (Boardwalk Pictures) told the Hollywood Reporter:
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Lena. She is a singular creative voice of her generation, and her passion for this subject is infectious ... Quibi presents the opportunity to tell stories and reach audiences in a unique way and we are excited to be among the first unscripted series on this new platform.”