progressively continued to embody and convey a sense of personal identity , national identity , affiliation , race and even have the ability to reflect political positions . Ever-evolving , sneaker culture continues to permeate our society and Dion Walcott , the director and founder of iDEEa Consultancy Group , which specializes in community engagement through contemporary culture , has made it his mission to take sneaker culture to a whole new level .
From his humble beginnings in a lowincome area in Toronto , it all began in a fit of creativity - unable to purchase leisure shoes for a high school dance , Walcott coloured his white basketball sneakers . “ Many thought I did this to be cool , but the truth is , I did this out of necessity , and my creativity was born ,” explains Walcott .
Since then , sneaker culture has become a way of life for Walcott , and he now uses it as a tool for mentorship in his sneaker art initiative , MARTK ’ D . Walcott launched the first ever sneaker mentorship program which has since been executed across Toronto , and later , went on to become the director of programs and partnerships for the first ever Sneaker Exhibition in North America , which was hosted at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto .
“ I have a lot of respect for the knowledge the Bata Shoe Museum allowed me to gain while I was there . I learned about art and sneakers , and how there was an intersection where both meet to produce a unique culture ,” shares Walcott , “ MARTK ’ D is a community movement that creates , develops and hosts a