“Remastered” with Alissa Nevita: Getting Lucky on 2013 AJ1 “Royal” & Her Obsession with Nail Art

“Remastered” is reframing the way we tell sneakers stories and giving new characters from the sneaker world a place to shine outside of the main characters. The industry has rapidly changed, but a lot of the stories stay the same. “Remastered” shares real stories and perspectives about the past, present, and future true to the sneaker community, verified by SoleSavy.  

Alissa Nevita

Hailing from Hollis, Queens in New York City, Alissa Nevita (a.k.a. @yo_monalissa on Instagram and Twitter) has worked in or adjacent to sneakers for the better portion of her career. The once Comms Director for Packer Sneakers now is an Account Director at Game Seven as she takes on side projects in the sneaker space, too (even jumping in front of the camera for a Jordan WMNS NYC Collection campaign shot outside her childhood home in Queens). 

Despite letting some go to help with bills throughout the pandemic, Nevita has about 90 pairs of sneakers between her homes in Tampa, FL, and New York.

SoleSavy: What was your most memorable pick-up?

Alissa Nevita in the Air Jordan 1 High “Royal (2013)

Alissa Nevita: I think the first one I remember being like, “God. I got them. I love them,” was the Air Jordan I, Black and Royal Blue. I think it was around 2012 or 2013. It was the first time theyâ€d been retroed in a very long time. I was living in Brooklyn at the time, and I remember seeing them coming back out, and I was like, “Oh, I need to get these.”

This was before the SNKRS app. There werenâ€t even website drops. You literally had to be cool with some brick-and-mortar people or try your luck online at Nike.com.

So, I went to this little shop in Brooklyn, and I remember seeing them have a sign that said they have the Air Jordan I Royals. I went in, and there was a mini line, so Iâ€m like, cool, no one really knows whatâ€s up.

I got to the front, and theyâ€d been sold out for hours.

This was also a time where it wasnâ€t easy to get as much information as we can now, so I asked where to go. You know the Foot Lockers had already done their raffle systems, and this is the hood. This is not a mall. This is at the borderline of Bedstuy and Bushwick, where you would find all the little stores.

I must have looked defeated or something. There was another girl that had actually commented on the earrings that I was wearing. She was working the floor, and she asked if I was looking for the Is. She nudged me and pointed across the street.

Thereâ€s another shoe store across the street. She doesnâ€t tell me anything. So I go, and itâ€s empty. Itâ€s empty in the sense that thereâ€s no line at all. People inside are just casually looking at stuff.

There was an Indian man inside, so I donâ€t know if he took pity on me or what. I went up to him and asked if he had the Air Jordan Royal Iâ€s. He just looked at me for five seconds. He looked down at my feet and whispered, “Six, six and a half?” I said yea, and he literally pulled a box up from the counter, charged me retail—which at the time was $97 because it was GS—and I remember thinking, what the fuck?! This is amazing.

It didnâ€t even register. Out of respect for him, I didnâ€t want to make a scene. I found out he would always leave a full-size run for people he just felt deserved it. I remember walking to the train, and it wasnâ€t until I got on the train and sat down that I realized what just happened. When you look at the evolution of sneakers in the last five years, I think itâ€s rare to get a story like that where someone is just like, here you go.

SS: Whatâ€s your worst sneaker story?

AN: It was the Bred 11s in 2012. When they came back out, I remember everybody was so hyped because they were getting these special boxes. There was so much hype around them because this is a beloved shoe; itâ€s a beloved color, a beloved silhouette. The marketing was so amped up, and then everyoneâ€s gearing up for the holiday season, so it feels extra crazy.

I was able to secure a pair, and because it was GS, they came in the basic cardboard Jordan box. The box felt like such an afterthought. This was a time where it was very well known that women were buying GS shoes. It wasnâ€t when they were $60-90. I just remember thinking, “This experience is trash.”

I was so upset. It made me go on this whole rant about how brands know women are getting these sizes, and weâ€re treated as an afterthought. And, the material wasnâ€t even great!

SS: What do you miss about the sneaker space before the StockX and resale platform boom?

AN: I miss the genuineness of sneakers, like the genuine pick-ups, the genuine interest in it. From someone playing ball where they grew up to someone actually just fucking with sneakers and it not mattering which one was the most sought after. Of course with basketball culture, you had Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, even Allen Iverson, but I miss people liking what they like. 

If you were to poll 10 people and ask them why they like the sneaker theyâ€re wearing, I guarantee you that six out of the 10 would offer just the color, which is cool. But if you were to dive into asking if they know why this silhouette is dope; do you know why people go crazy over Air Jordan I; do you know why the story behind the Air Max; they probably wouldnâ€t know. I think itâ€s okay not to know, but when itâ€s led purely by hype, it irritates me, you know?

I used to date a guy obsessed with Foamposites, just obsessed. I donâ€t care for them. But I remember asking why he loved them. He said they are the most comfortable sneakers. He loved wearing them. He said it felt like walking on air and wanted to get every color to match his fits. And I was like, “Okay, you got it.”

SS: Whatâ€s something you want to go off about that youâ€ve observed in the sneaker space?

AN: Other than sneakers, Iâ€m into nails. Love nails. Thatâ€s my self-care. Thatâ€s my self-expression. I think itâ€s dope that weâ€re all taking photos with sneakers and nails. I love seeing when someone holds this sneaker, and they have crazy designs on them. 

One thing I want to school everyone on: while I understand you might love a brand and youâ€re doing something for a photo, you ainâ€t gonna catch me with a brand on my nails unless theyâ€re paying me for it.

Influencer or not, I totally understand if you just love it, and thatâ€s what you want to do in the moment. Sure. But one thing you will not see on my nails is a brand name unless theyâ€re cutting a check for me, and I want other people to think about that too.

Rae Witte is a freelance writer with bylines at The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, and GQ. Keep it locked on SoleSavy for the next edition within the “Remastered” series.