Sneakersnstuff Interview: from the inside
Erik Fagerlind loves sneakers. That is just one of the reasons that led him to co-found Sneakersnstuff 15 years ago. Since then, his passion and love for the game have evolved.
He is one of the partners at Sneakersnstuff, one of the most important sneaker stores in the world. But, he is also a devoted sneaker collector, a fan who digs in the details, who really goes the distance to find that special piece. Erik found the time to share with us his views about the passion, the sneaker business, and more. Read below.
How would you define your passion for sneakers?
Well, that goes back a long while. When I was a kid, I played a lot of Basketball. Needless to say, Michael Jordan was my house God. That’s where it started. Then driven by the feeling of having shoes that nobody else had seen that thing grew.
Today the passion has evolved into something different. You can’t really wear sneakers no one else has seen – internet changed that. Today I am more passionate about details. It could be a story linked to the sneakers.
Or a particular detail of a certain sneaker that I like. Sometimes that makes me the same thing as all the hype. But it could also make me like a very general release.
How many sneakers do you have at the moment?
Ah, that question… Not sure to be honest. I set up the site because I wanted to create some order. But I am behind on posting up new shoes there. Would I guess between 700-900 pairs?
What is the most exciting thing about sneakers, the collaborations, exclusive editions, the whole deal?
Details. It could mean that the look and feel of a particular shoe make the cut – but other hyped collaborations do not. Exclusivity does not really sell it to me any longer – it has to be a good sneaker. Collaborations are good when the collaborators are good.
How is it to be a sneakerhead in Sweden? Do you have a big community, was it always like that?
Today it is not about being in Sweden, England, Germany or anywhere else. It is a matter of being online. Sweden is a pretty small country, but yes there is huge interest in Sneakers in general.
I find that you see more sneakers on the feet of people in the area of Stockholm where we have our store than you do in most places around the world. And I travel quite a bit.
And yes, we have people camping outside the store for a good release. But not like it will cause mayhem or anything. Online though it’s a different story…
What is the most valuable piece that you have in your collection?
I never liked the idea of valuing my collection. I have set a price on the shoes that I have put up after what I feel for the shoe. I mean, sure – I have some shoes that might be worth a lot of money – but it is more important if they are worth anything to me.
Obviously, the sneakers that we made for Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Converse, Asics, New Balance and so on means more to me than others. But to pick one up… If there was one that was worth more than others I probably would not have this many pairs at all…
What is the thing that you cherish the most about the streetwear lifestyle game?
That it is always changing, the trend that is. We have been doing this for 15 years, and we have re-launched the re-launches a couple of times already. Another thing that I like is that the people still have a lot to say.
The major companies can try to force feed you a trend – and sometimes the people jump right on it. But sometimes people just don’t pick up on weak things. I like that.
Apart from being a partner at Sneakersnstuff, Erik also currently manages SizeEleven, a site where he is currently selling some of his valuable sneaker pieces. Check it out.