Daire Feeney is the first-generation son of Irish immigrants who, after enduring financial hardships and a failed suicide attempt, returned to his high school job as a Fifth Avenue doorman.

Feeney suffers from severe dyslexia, a challenge he overcame by immersing himself in crossword puzzles. This practice, which involved identifying jumbled and hidden words, helped rewire the connection between his brain and eyes, assisting him in reconciling his perception of the world. He applied this analytical method throughout the extensive 10-year process of writing and rewriting the BOAT SHOES series.