Before the time of high-speed Internet and online shopping, sneakerheads and basketball connoisseurs had to wait monthly for the new Eastbay in order to buy sneakers. I was “The Man” when I brought the new Eastbay to school. People who did not acknowledge my existence suddenly asked to see the catalog with me. A huddle of teenagers would surround me while I was flipping through the pages.  People would point at the shoes they wanted to ball in or wear out on the weekend. The people who initially ignored me soon gave me attention because a like interest was discovered. It’s funny because I only got a few catalogs before they cancelled my subscription; one had to be a customer to get it every month. My funds at the time were low so I could not get the catalog sent to my house for long. Other people would give me their catalogs and I would just look at them thinking one day I would get those Eggplant Flightposites. I remember teens cutting out the shoes they wanted from the catalog and taping them inside their locker. One guy I knew adorned the inside of his locker with old Christmas Eastbay catalogs for the holiday season. Those were the days.