The 90's were an interesting time to grow up in Bulgaria. After decades of censorship and isolation, people suddenly got exposed to western goods and culture. And we, the kids on the block, found ourselves listening to House of Pain, playing basketball with an old Molten, and dreaming of owning a pair of Adidas or Nikes and being able to jump high like those guys from NBA. Buying a pair of good sneakers, however, wasn't for everyone's pocket, so most of us had to settle for cheap fakes - either Nikes with a swoosh in the opposite direction or Adibas with four stripes instead of three. These always smelled of cheap glue.
We lived in such buildings
At the age of 13, I finally got my first pair of Adidas originals for which I paid 115 leva. Little did I know that having such sneakers can bring both fame and trouble. One summer evening, while walking home after playing in the schoolyard, I was met by the local teen gang - dull boys, most of them also chubby, in their fourteens and fifteens. That evening, I learned the phrase "Jump out of your sneakers, we want them!" Little did these boys know how fast I was able to run!
Most kids play with smartphones nowadays
Yes, I know - it's hard to wrap your head around how such things could happen. But those early days of "democracy" were turbulent ones. While we could finally have the lifestyle of our neighbors to the west, we didn't have the money to afford it. The crime was on the rise, and my pocket money was stolen not once or twice. They never managed to steal my sneakers, though!
2PAC 4EVER
Do you have any peculiar stories from the 90's? Share them in the comments!
Dan
The shots are taken with Olympus G80 & Lensbaby 56mm f/1.6