I am a sneakerhead episode 153 - @100bandits
My name is Joshua. I live in Maple Ridge, BC, one of the mountainous suburbs of Vancouver. I have many hobbies, sneakers being the one that takes the most of my time (and money). I often feel like a master of none. I even have two careers: I work as a videographer and jewellery appraiser.
It was probably through skateboarding that I developed a kind of “awareness” of sneakers, but the first pair that really got me into sneakers was an Asics Gel-Lyte 3 general release – a weird colourway with black, orange and gold. The year was 2008(ish) and I was living in Ontario. I walked a ton and wore mostly Converse and Vans and my legs and feet had had enough. I found the GL3s for like 30 bucks at Urban Outfitters. I fell in love with the comfort and shape and did everything in them. I rocked them to death – until the mesh toe box wore right through (and probably a little after that too). When they died, I couldn’t find another GL3 anywhere, but I was in love with the brand. I eventually found Groovy Shoes in Toronto and they had a great selection of Onitsukas at the time. I’d buy the best-looking pair off the shelf and when those died, I’d head into Toronto for another pair. Even when I moved back to Vancouver, I would order shoes from Groovy. It wasn’t until a few years later when I discovered Ronnie Fieg’s work, around the time the Gel-Lyte 3 was becoming a staple at sneaker stores, and the pair eventually returned to my life, this time in collab form.
What do you plan on buying next?
Besides the two pairs in the mail – the Kangaroos x WOMFT? x The 6th Floor “f14k3r” (maybe the pair of the year), and the blue and white GL3 Kithstrike from 2013 – I’m anticipating the next Sneep x Obscure Sneakers collab, which is due out soon. Other than that, you never know when that old grail will pop up for a great price! Always got my eyes out for those old Asics and Diadora gems.
What are your expectations of the sneaker industry for the remainder of 2020?
Expectations and desires are different. Mind if I list both? Yes? Too bad. What I expect are some of the same things that have been happening for the past while: a few new Jordan colourways that people lose their minds over, some new dunks that resell over a grand (or whatever the next hype model is after that), celebrities continuing to fuel the hype over New Balance, Crocs unironically making a comeback that should absolutely be an ironic one, etc. What I want to happen would be more love for the “other” brands, more collabs with unique artists and small shops, and more opportunities for fan-influenced releases (Asics and Afew are doing this kind of thing as I type this), and more pairs getting to those who are true collectors and combatting resellers in the process (I mean, truly combatting resellers, not just pretending to).
If you could change one thing in the sneaker community, what would it be and why?
I think there are probably a lot of things that could change to improve the culture, but I think there needs to be a shift in this whole idea around exclusivity. Exclusivity on its own isn’t bad, but when a pair has both hype and a limited run, it becomes harder to get and usually ends up selling for ridiculous prices at resell. Any true collector knows how frustrating this is. I mean, it’s exciting having that pair that so few others have – but what is it about this feeling that drives us to buy something that otherwise might as well be a GR? Why not just make the amount of pairs that people want? And make them available to those who truly want them? Sadly I think I already know the reason. Instead of fighting bots, punishing resellers, or simply making enough pairs, brands and designers crave the attention. It’s a mindset that isn’t appreciative of the consumer; it exists to make more money. There are plenty of amazing pairs with very limited runs (Kangaroos and Sneep to name a few) that are not difficult to get – but a lack of hype (or lack of swoosh) makes people shake their head at these pairs. Maybe it’s a double-edged sword; some low-key hype can bring certain brands the attention they deserve, while on the other hand, too much attention from the wrong type of “collector” can ruin a brand for those who are truly passionate. You’ll find a lot of New Balance collectors who are annoyed at the recent hype because pairs that would normally be attainable at a regular release are now next to impossible to get. I don’t have a solution, but maybe this is just an encouragement for anyone reading to just like what you like. Be unique; don’t just buy something because Bieber wore it—buy it ’cause he didn’t and you like it anyway. I think if we’re all able to tap in to a deeper level of individuality, we would find what we truly love, without caring about the hype around it, and we might enjoy the ride a little more in the process.
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