Saving souls, while acquiring soles. This is how medical practitioners are re-inventing the medical scene, one kick at a time.
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Imagine coming in for a check-up and seeing your doctor reppin’ the new Retro High Travis Scott AJ1s. Crazy, right? Well, it’s a lot more probable than you’d think. Besides saving lives, many medical practitioners have taken a keen interest to sneakers. With streetwear fashion still at an indomitable rise, more and more people are turning to sneakers as their footwear of choice. And, those in the medical field are of no exception to that. Through a series of interviews, we found out that they are actually more inclined to splurge on kicks. When you’re working long hours on duty, it’s nice to be wearing a comfortable pair that give you all the bragging rights.
While still complying to the hospital dress-code, these three future doctors are incorporating their heaviest drips to their work outfits. We’ve got an exclusive on the sneakers they would usually splurge on and how much it truly costs to be a sneakerhead.
Walty Wassmer
Walty Wassmer is a 25 year-old Post Graduate intern at Makati Medical Center. He’s been a sneaker collector since 2014 and has over 50 pairs of sneakers. Despite having a vast collection of shoes, he opts to wear his adidas Triple Black Ultraboost Uncaged for 24-hour shifts on duty. On the other hand, whenever he needs to dress up for the job he prefers to wear his Cole Haan Lunarguard Wingtip Oxfords that feature a Nike insole. Walty’s eye for a good price and sensible taste in kicks sets him aside from other sneakerheads.
MEGA Man: Which sneakers do you love to splurge on?
W: Jordans, for sure.
MM: Can you wear them for duty?
W: If it’s all black or mostly black, then yes. But, I haven’t since I don’t want to get them dirty with blood and wearing them for more than 24-hours wouldn’t be super comfortable.
Neil Lee
Neil Lee is a 25 year-old medical student from University of Santo Tomas. He’s a streetwear style maven reppin’ brands, such as: Skoop, Assc, Thrasher, and the likes. He’s got an eye for trendy pieces, yet gives great consideration to comfort whenever coming up with looks. Nevertheless, his clothing pieces and sneaker collection still come at a hefty price. His most luxurious pair are the self-lacing Nike Adapt BBs, gifted to him by his girlfriend.
MM: What do you wear to a normal day at the hospital?
N: I like to spice things up when I wear my scrubs and match them with different styles of shoes. I think the best part of being a sneakerhead, nowadays, is variety. First, we’ve got super clean and sleek shoes for a minimalist vibe. Second, we have loud and proud Yeezys or Jordans, when you’re really feeling yourself and want to flex your style. And most importantly, we have sneakers that combine both style and comfort in the form of boosts and knitted materials.
LJ Wassmer
LJ Wassmer is a 27 year-old former Post Graduate intern, who is waiting to take the Board Exams this November. His go-to sneaker brand is Nike. From the Nike Air Max to Jordans, LJ has developed a penchant for comfortable sneakers that showcase his personal style. When choosing a sneaker to splurge on, his sneaker of choice are Jordans. Despite the recognition that comes along wearing Air Jordans, he prefers these kicks due to a personal reason rather than for trend’s sake. This is because his hero growing up was Michael Jordan, so wearing AJ1s make him feel just “Like Mike.”
MM: Do medical practitioners actually wear Yeezys to work?
L: Yeah, I think there are more than a few who find them pretty comfy, so they like them as a duty or work shoe.
MM: Do you see it as a way to show your personal style when you’re on duty or is it more for the comfort?
L: Definitely a way to show my style, since usually everyone’s in matching scrubs. But, it’s also just something to make yourself feel good.
