As the continuous rain and gloomy skies attempted to stand in the way of what was supposed to be a productive day; one Saturday evening, I managed to sit down with Creative Director, Snooty Judy, at Amelie's French Bakery in the NoDa arts and entertainment district in Charlotte, North Carolina. My priority to was to get an in-depth idea of what inspired an event like the Sneaker Ball ‘ 18, taking place at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture, on Dec. 15, 2018. We ended up having an hour and a half conversation about a myriad of topics, within the context of the Charlotte Sneaker Ball.
Judy hosted a Sneaker Ball event in her hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina on October 12, 2018. But prior to this event, she already had the Charlotte event booked and set up — it was only a matter of timing to start the promotion for Charlotte. She proudly expressed to me, “the day we released the tickets to the Charlotte Sneaker Ball, the numbers quickly surpassed Winston”. I asked her why she wanted to bring the event to Charlotte, and she undoubtedly replied “Charlotte is always ready for new things”. The validity in her reply is justified by the unyielding grievances on social media platforms from young Charlotteans, who are far removed from going to nightclubs and breweries every weekend. Furthermore, her response resonated personally, as I had never heard of a sneaker ball — and I was profoundly fascinated at the mere thought of an event that embraced fashion, music, and most importantly, philanthropy.
A sneaker ball is a black tie charity event, but instead of six inch high heels or Stacy Adams hard bottoms; sneakers are the footwear for the occasion. A sneaker ball is generally prioritized in partnering with local non-profit organizations and collecting gently worn sneakers to donate to families that are in need.
For Judy, the Charlotte Sneaker Ball was intended to be a formal Christmas party. But her deep rooted passion for philanthropy was the vehicle that drove her to have a Sneaker Ball instead. Seated in an upright posture as if she was interviewing for a job, and her fingers interlocked with one another, she asserted, “I refuse to do anything if i’m not giving back”. Judy views the sneaker ball as something far more than a fancy black tie event. For her, it's a Christmas celebration to bestow an actual experience for families — rather than the traditional charitable events during the holidays that provide something tangible with great intentions; however, lack the necessary emotional connection. “If i can make someone's Christmas come alive, that's all that really matters” she says.
Upon meeting her, Judy’s personality was just as I assumed after only having a single phone conversation with her prior to us meeting in person. Seemingly very confident and self assured, I wanted to know how she arrived at such a state at this point in her life. To my surprise, it was quite the opposite. As a teen she was a bit shy, and very cautious about people and her surroundings.
She explained to me “that's why they started calling me Snooty Judy, because I didn't say much and people always thought I was being....Snooty!”.
Judy's positioning and demeanor later made sense as to why even in her cautiousness, she remains graceful and humble. In light of this, her transition from Winston-Salem to Charlotte was a pleasant one — and it was undemanding for her to network and connect with like-minded individuals in a new city. She reiterated that other young African-American women such as Autumn Rainwater and Saloan Goodwin, played an integral role in introducing her to the Charlotte culture once she arrived. Through networking on social media, she also met Charlotte creatives such as, Mariah Scott and Alaetra Chisholm. Along with one of her close friends from college, Ojialah Cook—inevitably, all of the young Africa-American women mentioned have been essential in working with Judy in some aspect, through every step that lead to her bringing the Sneaker Ball to Charlotte.
Judy’s vigorous love for fashion and culture led her to study Fashion Design & Marketing at Meredith College, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Sneaker Ball very much embodies a sizable portion of what she gained during her time in school, as well as what she's passionate about. The philanthropy is slightly more of a priority, compared to the fluidity of the event. “We’re not only here to have a good ass time” she says, “but were also here to talk about the community”.
Working alongside a Winston-Salem based non-profit organization, Experiment in Self Reliance(ESR), Judy and her team set out a goal to collect 250 new and/or gently worn sneakers by the end of the event. Reaching the 250 sneaker goal, more so than anything else, is what’s keeping her attention leading up to the event.
The Charlotte Sneaker Ball will feature shoe cleanings done by local business Rinse and Repair. They will be onsite to repair sneakers that individuals might have been reluctant to donate due to the conditions of the sneaker. Surely, this addition to the event stemmed from Judy’s persistence in ensuring an overall experience that she wants to provide for the families receiving these donations.
The philanthropy and networking go hand in hand for an event like the Sneaker Ball, but the overall shopping experience for the families that will take place after Dec. the 15th is what brings joy to Judy. Following the celebration of the Sneaker Ball at the Harvey B Grant Museum, Judy plans to create a pop up shop style experience for the families; including but not limited to, refreshments, music, games for the children in attendance, and an overall welcoming atmosphere during the holidays.
Always working and planning the next event, Judy recognizes these things require a lot of money and time — as well as the prioritization between the two. “if I got a flat tire, am I gonna buy a brand new tire, or am I gonna buy a used one and make sure I pay the DJ for the event?” she asked of herself cynically. A familiar decision that most of us have to make within our journey to make a living doing what we are passionate about.
Normally, I would direct you to a link to purchase your tickets to the event, but exactly a week away to the day of the event, Judy took to her Instagram account to announce that the Charlotte Sneaker Ball tickets were officially sold out. A testament to her and her team's hard work and attention to detail with visual promotional packages, partnerships with local media platforms, as well as securing live performances from Lute West, Autumn Rainwater and Samoht.
Judy wants to continue to build her website to provide information that some people aren't privy to. She’s interested in providing a platform for everything within Black culture — and she wants to continue to host cool, innovative, and philanthropic events wherever she goes. As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Judy what was most important for me to articulate as it pertained to the Charlotte Sneaker Ball — she reiterated “nothing really, just please remind everyone to Donate! Donate! and Donate!”
(Below are some drop off locations to donate your new and/or gently worn sneakers to help Judy and her team to reach their goal of 250 sneakers, and more importantly, to provide something special for families in need during the holidays)
Jon Olangi is a senior editor and writer at TTT Media, where he covers culture.