Having grown up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Kim Jaydes childhood was conservative. She had the kind of upbringing where girls were taught to wear dresses, stilettos, and always have their nails, hair and makeup done. Moving to South Africa exposed her to an entirely different world - one that enabled her to express herself freely without restriction.
I learned about sneakers and sneaker culture, she says. And what it really boils down to is the fact that you can express yourself however you wish to. And at the time, it was a very male dominated space. You did not see a lot of girls wearing sneakers and definitely not wearing sneakers on the red carpet.
While working for MTV Base Africa and traveling the globe, Jayde was exposed to international fashion and culture, which is where her deep love for sneakers first took root.