One thing we pride ourselves on here at CNKDaily is our commonality. We totally get that being a woman often feels like a full-time job and sometimes, you just need a little help, a little bit of instruction and, ultimately, a way to make your life just a LITTLE bit easier. So, we had an idea to tap into our network to pull knowledge and insight from some of our favorite go-getting ladies for a series of "CNK Guides" designed to educate, empower, and help you find inspo for your next fit.

For this SGG, we decided to tap one of our ladies who has a strong passion for culture and sneakHER style. She fully understands the intimacy in connecting through people, places, and things. When we think of Valentine’s Day, we wonder how can we dress up our kicks while remaining as comfortable as possible (and not be obligated to throw on that dress). Amanda stepped into the e-dressing room, to show us how to step OUT, and her look included one of our favorite pairs of 2019. SWOON.

MEET AMANDA WICKS. SNEAKHER ADVOCATE. BLACK GIRL MAGIC. OUR COMFORTABLE CURLFRIEND. LOVER OF LEARNING. THE MUSE.

“I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri but I’ve lived many lives since I left there. I went to undergrad at Clark Atlanta, grad school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, was a Team Leader in AmeriCorps NCCC for almost a year where I traveled and lived up and down the entire west coast, I’m currently a Ph.D. student At Vanderbilt University in Nashville but I recently moved to Houston. A lot of people would consider me a nomad, but I guess I just go wherever feels right at the moment.”

We caught up with Amanda in Downtown Houston to talk a little about sneakHER culture, her style, and admire her choice in footwear for the holiday of love.

AMANDA ON VALENTINE’S DAY SNEAKHER STYLE:

“On a regular day, I always start with the shoes. For V-Day, though, I’m leaning towards starting with the outfit just because that has to be based on the vibe you’re going for. If you’re trying to get sexy, you may not have a sexy outfit that’ll go well with that one pair of shoes you’ve been dying to wear, ya’ know? But if you happen to have some shoes that you really want to show off, by all means, work from the ground up!”

IF SHE HAD ONE WISH… RIGHT NOW.

“I’m actually really into the Nike React Vision in “Honeycomb.” I’m trying to step up my game with sneakers that are more comfortable and easier to wear all day with whatever I want to throw on, and these are perfect for that. I’ve been interested in the Nike React Element 55s, but I was waiting on them to drop a colorway I really like. The Visions took those to the next level and I’m here for all the details they added to the 55 silhouette.”

AMANDA ON SNEAKHER CULTURE:

“SneakHER culture is all about being unapologetically yourself. As a Black woman, I’ve been dealing with respectability politics all my life. The ideas of how a woman is supposed to act, what a woman is supposed to wear, and what spaces a woman should be in are frustrating to say the least. SneakHER culture breaks down all of those barriers in one way or another. It’s honestly ridiculous how male-dominated sneaker culture is so sneakHER culture is not only wanted, it’s necessary. All women and girls can love their kicks loud and proud and I’m here for it!”

RELATIONSHIPS? WELCOME TO AMANDA’S TED TALK.

“If I had to give one piece of advice, I’d say do what you want. Whether you want to be in a committed relationship or not, do-what-you-want-to-do. Don’t restrict yourself. Don’t ration your time out of fear of doing too much too fast. Don’t try to limit your feelings when you’re really into somebody.

Don’t try to limit how many conversations you initiate because you’re trying to see what happens when you don’t (that’s a stupid game to play if you really like somebody. Just send that text, sis). Don’t go out with somebody you don’t like that much just because you don’t want to be lonely (stay at home. You’ll be fine). 

I say all this to say that it’s really easy to get in your head about what you should or shouldn’t be doing when it comes to dating somebody or opting to be with yourself. We get so wrapped up in what other people will think if we just do what we want to do, but you won’t know unless you do it. Stop playing games with other people. Stop playing games with yourself. Be honest, be you, and bask in your glory regardless.

AMEN. Catch up with Amanda on Instagram and stay tuned to a very special CNK GIVEAWAY with our friends at Astro Lab. You WON’T want to miss it!

SHOP AMANDA’S VALENTINE’S DAY WISHLIST BELOW