Shade is a window feature that many prefer to iconifying. Instead of minimizing a window into an icon, it scrolls the window contents up into the titlebar. It is nice because you do not have to define an icon for the window in the "database" file, and many find it easier to keep track of windows if they still appear in the middle of the screen.
This isn't really an AfterStep issue, rather an X question. Download and install a TrueType font server, such as xfstt. Many distributions are now shipping with some sort of TrueType font server. Consult your documentation to use this feature of your distribution.