Washington, D.C. native Kavon Martez has long believed that sneakers are more than just footwear—they are memory, identity, and culture stitched into leather and laces. That belief is now immortalized in his new book, A Kid from D.C. and His Shoe Game, a collection of stories that span childhood joy, family connections, and the lessons sneakers carry through generations.
For Martez, writing the book was both a creative journey and a personal breakthrough. “When I was creating the book, I had to go back into what the sneaker meant to me,” he reflected. “Sometimes I was laughing, sometimes I was crying… it was like the 34-year-old me talking to the 14-year-old me. That conversation was something I’ll never get again.”
The book also became a lifeline. Martez admitted he was in a dark place before he began writing, but discipline and storytelling pulled him through. “My mental health wasn’t strong before this. The book helped me get out of that dark place. Now, I wake up at 6 a.m., go to the gym, write, meditate. I live a disciplined life. That routine saved me.”
The authenticity of Martez’s story caught the attention of Hassan Johnson, the famed actor best known for his role as Roland “Wee-Bey” Brice on HBO’s The Wire. Johnson was brought on to narrate the audiobook version, and what started as a business collaboration quickly grew into a genuine brotherhood.
“I was in the studio session with him in New York, and the energy was just so real,” Martez recalled. “It felt like I had found a lost family member. When I asked him to come to D.C. for the book tour, he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ That showed me he was real with it.”
For Johnson, who has spent over 30 years in the entertainment industry, the project resonated deeply. “When Kavon talked about writing down his stories and how it made him laugh or cry, that’s therapy,” Johnson said. “We’ve all got trauma we don’t even realize. Putting it on paper, reading it, saying it out loud—that’s clarity. And that’s longevity: staying true, staying disciplined, preserving yourself.”
Together, the two men are bridging sneaker culture, mental health, and community storytelling. Johnson sees sneakers as more than fashion—they’re cultural history. “From Run-DMC with the shell toes to the retro game today, it all comes full circle. Sneakers used to just be about hoping they had your size in stock. Now it’s lines, wristbands, hype. But what Kavon’s doing is bringing it back to family and storytelling.”
That intergenerational vision is central to A Kid from D.C. and His Shoe Game. Martez explained: “I wanted the book to be a bonding experience. A parent can sit with their kid for 20 minutes, read it, laugh, talk about the sneakers they wore growing up. It becomes a bridge between generations.”
Both men also emphasized the bigger picture—success not measured by fame, but by character. “Success for me now is just being a great person,” Martez said. “Having integrity, being a good son, brother, mentor—that’s what matters.”
Johnson echoed the sentiment: “Success is about making the right decisions, preserving yourself, and staying true.”
With the audiobook set to release this holiday season, narrated by Johnson, and a growing buzz around the D.C. book tour, Martez is confident the project will inspire sneaker lovers, families, and anyone looking for a story of resilience. “I’ve done everything right to market this book,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s about sharing the feeling we had growing up with sneakers, and giving that to the next generation.”
For Johnson, the collaboration has been just as rewarding. “I’m thankful Kavon selected me,” he said. “He’s bridging the gap between youngsters and the old heads, showing where it all started and where it’s going.”
A Kid from D.C. and His Shoe Game is available now, with the audiobook set to drop around Black Friday.
