I am a sneakerhead episode 163 - @B42l8t
Hi! I'm Loïc, I'm from the northeast part of France but I've worked in many places in my country. I'm 32 and work as a science engineer, consultant for industry.
I grew up in the '90s and the hip hop scene started to be something big. Sneakers were a key point of the style and the air max was the pair to have on your feet ... but my parents didn't spend that much money on kids’ shoes. So I started to look at these air max: one, 90, BW, 95 or the famous "TN" called "requin" that means shark in french, legendary pair of the french street style ... At 11 or 12, I had my first pair of Nike air. Not a "hype" model, something from an outlet, but it was crazy for me, I didn't want to kick in the ball with them or walk in the dirt. A few years later it was more about the gangsta rap scene and sneakers like AF1 or silhouettes in this style. I also remember the day when i found a reebok "G-Unit" pair in a factory store. I had some success with them in high school!
Do you have any favorite brands?
Yes! For some years now I'm more focused on New balance sneakers. Not truly exclusive but that's most of my purchases. I bought my first pair when I started to work and earn my money. It was love at first sight with the 1500 but they were more expensive than what I was able to buy before. So after a few pays, I pulled the trigger. The classic style combined with great material convinced me. However, it's all about made in England and USA pairs, even if I have two 'made in Asia' pairs and some other good ones. But my main choice remains the 'made in England' products for the "local" consideration and the style. Considering this point, I like other 'made in Europe' products: made in France Le Coq Sportif, made in Italy Diadora, made in Germany Kangaroos, ... It really means something to me.
What are your top three sneakers you own at the moment?
‘Choosing means eliminating' haha, always hard to choose between pairs but the one that comes to mind is the New balance 997 x JCrew "Butterscotch". These were more on my list since day one but expensive for us in Europe and I finally found a pair in my size this year for a decent price. Grail status for me.
I could name the New balance 990 too because the grey V4 is my everyday sneaker, no matter my clothes, the weather, or my activity, if I have to jump quickly in a pair they're ready, next to the door. I recently got a pair of V5 in army green, definitely one of the rare colorways that sold me on this new version.
And I'll end this top 3 with my favorite model, the New balance 1500. I regularly change the color but they're always in the rotation. If I had to name some cw it will be the "chosen few" from Hanon or the "surplus pack" for a fantastic 'general releases.
What do you plan on buying next?
More New balance! Some nice pairs have leaked recently, no collaborations but that's my thing. I'll probably try to get some dunk too but it's pretty annoying to shop through raffle ... I might buy a new pair of Karhu with their sweet colors, some old gems, track few pairs I missed...
If you could change one thing in the sneaker community, what would it be and why?
I would like to encourage people to buy what they like, get their own style, try new things, and stop this madness about sneakers. There is a ton of nice products, brands that make huge efforts to release dope pairs and colorways but too many people are focused on "what will be hot", "what does this star wear", "how much pairs are produced", "what is the expected resell price", ... It has nothing to do with the love of sneakers and kills the fun. Retail prices are high enough to not pay extra to a reseller that is just speculating on limited stock. Keep it simple and fun. There are still good people to connect with but a lot of vultures around. Choose your people and don't hesitate to give some help to the good ones. It's just shoes!
Make sure to follow Loïc on Instagram: