Hip-hop and sneakers have always gone hand-in-hand. From Run-D.M.C. to Kanye West, music and kicks are and will always be synonymous. And there’s no better example of that very overlap than breakdancing, blending both sneakers and music into a perfect marriage.
As a part of the Monster Energy Heat Check series, we sat down with famed bboy Moy Rivas and talked about his journey, how Monster is helping him achieve his dreams, and how sneakers play a fundamental role in his craft.
Learn more below.
SoleSavy: What was it about dancing and bboy culture that got you excited and pursue it?
Moy Rivas: What got me excited and hyped about the culture was the idea of being yourself with almost no wrong or right way of doing it — the ultimate right way is you being yourself in its truest form. I grew up being a shy kid, so expressing myself in a way that people had to look at my art form and skillset what I was going through. That’s what drew me to this; it gave me an outlet.
That’s exactly what hip-hop culture is. It’s a platform that allows us to be ourselves.
SS: Growing up in Houston, how did that shape your bboy experience?
MR: I started breaking in 1995 in Houston. At the time, dancing and the artist world was big. Hip-hop and underground were big. But you only knew about it if you were around the culture. Clubs, block parties, whatever. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity at the time.
We started building our parties and events that helped the culture thrive. It existed in Houston but at the underground level. It was the students, ambassadors of the culture. It’s like any other city. Every city has its subcultures; it’s contingent on how much work you want to put in to drive it forward.
SS: In the Monster Energy Heat Check video, you discussed how the Air Jordan 3 stood out to you in the early days of your career. Is there any other sneaker you remember?
MR: Early on, I had my favorite shoes to get down in. The Air Max 90 and the Air Max 1 have always been my favorite. They have so much history in the culture. Of course, the traditional PUMAs and adidas are hip-hop. Outside of that, especially in the 1990s, I started paying attention to the new sneakers coming out. When the Air Max 95 dropped, I tried to get every colorway available.
Another important shoe to me and others was the Air Zoom Spiridon. It was well-rounded, and bboys & bgirls started calling it the golden shoe because it was so hard to get. It was so easy to dance in, and it looked fresh.
I also used to break in the Air Jordan 8. For me, they had a lot of ankle support. It was a little bulkier, and a lot of people would trip on me when I would get down. How do you go from an Air Max or Spiridon to a Jordan 8?
I like the weight on my feet. It allowed me to move efficiently. I used the Jordan 3 and 8 to move better with heavier shoes.
SS: In the video, you mentioned how you like to switch the simple things around, and you compared it to the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low and its backward Swoosh. You’re someone who likes to stray away from the norm, the status quo. How much has that helped you in your career?
MR: Taking something so simple and flipping it is a principle that I love to live by. We like to make everything difficult, not just as artists but as human beings. When you look at things simplified, you get a different perspective and move forward. We create problems that don’t exist.
Talking about the TS x Air Jordan 1 Low, it’s like any other shoe with a reversed Swoosh. This made the shoe special. Of course, a celebrity endorses the product, but the concept is so simple. As an artist, we forget that if we look at something and make it simple, we’re able to move forward easier.
When we run into that creator’s block, it’s because we’re trying to focus on the things we don’t have instead of what we do.
SS: In the video, you also talked about the intersection of fashion, sneakers, and music. You mentioned the late Virgil Abloh, Kanye West, Jerry Lorenzo, and others. In your eyes, how is your partnership with Monster Energy and the Heat Check series bringing these worlds together?
MR: The beautiful part that Monster Energy is doing, especially with Heat Check, is that it allows creatives to have the platform and be a voice. The creative freedom allowed in the process speaks volumes. It helps us amplify who we are.
In today’s world, a lot of corporate entities try to control creative freedom.
You don’t find a lot of companies to let you be you, and Monster has allowed me to be me. I’ve been a Monster Energy partner since 2013. For them to back me for breaking culture speaks volumes. one thing I’ve enjoyed about the partnership is that not one time did I feel like they were telling me what to do. Instead, Monster asks, what can we do together?
I’m just a kid that grew up in the hood, but Monster is helping things become possible.
SS: What inspires you to keep going?
MR: My family is my inspiration. They’re the reason why I want to wake up every day. I also have an organization, Breakfree Worldwide, since 2011 that focuses on educational components that help amplify the underground hip-hop culture and create jobs within it.
It’s an ugly world out there. When you find the beauty in things, that’s what inspires.
I get to do what I love to do by representing Monster. It’s all I have to do. My job is easy. And companies like Monster that believe in my vision make it even easier.
Learn How to Buy Sneakers for Retail
Join SoleSavy to buy the sneakers you want for retail. We’ll help you grow your collection with our technology, such as Drop Alerts, Assist by SoleSavy, giveaways, exclusive releases, and more.
