LVR: Let’s start from the beginning —What’s your story, how did you get into the sneaker game?
SJ:I started getting into sneakers when the Huaraches were resurrected, back in 2013-14, I think. I wore sneakers before that year but I had just started university and had multiple part-time jobs so when the Nike Huarache “resurrected” and got back into to spotlight I was sold! They were comfortable and different looking compared to what I had seen— a winning silhouette for me! I remember having my first study group and bidding on an auction to get a colorway I hadn’t seen before. It was my first time getting a pair from abroad and the feeling of getting something I knew that not everyone owned intrigued me. I live in a relatively small country which creates a tendency for people to dress pretty homogeneously and alike. Having a limited pair of sneakers only I knew of helped me create my own personal style. I felt empowered and confident and that feeling still remains. My collection grew rapidly and I had different stages of being into different models and brands. I fell more and more in love with the different stories that often come along with the different pairs.
Generally, we don’t have sneaker culture in Denmark as they do in the US or UK, so that was always a missing piece for me — not being able to share my passion or love for sneakers with a community. That’s something I’ve gained with @sallyssneakers when I started my page in 2019. I quickly found people who shared the same interest as myself which made it even more fun. For some people, it’s just shoes, but when you dive into the history of sneakers there’s so much to learn and talk about.
LVR: What’s the difference between collecting sneakers and wearing them? Do you wear all the sneakers you collect?
SJ: I wear most of my shoes — I acquire them with the intention of wearing them but I also have more than 300 pairs and only two feet so that’s not always the case. I consider myself a collector due to it being my passion and because of the number of exclusive pairs I have — either extremely limited or just speak volumes to me. At the end of the day, I know that they’re just shoes but to me, it’s part of my everyday life — my passion, my job and therefore a big part of who I am.
LVR: You have over 286k followers on Instagram. What role has the platform played for you in the sneaker game?
SJ: Sometimes it’s hard to grasp it all. I don’t think I’ll ever realize I have that many people that are interested in my page. When I started I was studying for my Master’s in psychology at the age of twenty-four, I had a completely different vision of how my future would look like today. When I finished my degree I applied to jobs for six months but then I decided to work on @sallyssneakers on a full-time basis. Having my platform has made it easier to pursue my passion. I get access to sneakers beforehand and get to work closely with brands I admire. With that being said, I still pay resale from time to time and have problems getting access. Sneakers are an extremely widespread phenomenon and the demand is high. To some people, it’s art, to others an investment. It’s also found its way to be a high-end luxury item — you can pay up to thousands of dollars, which even exceeds the retail price of luxury brands.
I wear most of my shoes — I acquire them with the intention of wearing them but I also have more than 300 pairs and only two feet so that’s not always the case.
LVR: What was the craziest thing you have done just to get a pair of shoes?
SJ: I’ve camped outside different sneaker stores for hours during -0 degrees outside, bringing my mom and sisters to stand in line with me sometimes — because you could only get one pair per person per colorway. In these scenarios, I’ve often been the only girl.
LVR: On being a female voice in the sneaker community. What actions do think have to be taken in order to amplify women’s voices in sneaker culture?
SJ: First and foremost I don’t think it makes sense separating women and men when it comes to sneakers. I’m hoping we reach a point where most releases are genderless and include all sizes — both small and big. The beautiful thing about our passion is how it’s something that unifies us regardless of our differences — location, ethnicity, gender, and social background. A simple fact is most of the time, we all want the same thing — we’re not at a point where the ladies only want pink sneakers and men want blue. I do want to clarify that we’ve come a long way already having more female designers and more women’s releases. However, there’s still a lot to be done. We need to start breaking barriers — which happens when brands listen to the community. As a woman I’ve often been left out of certain releases (because they don’t release my size) which has made me feel less part of the culture and less acknowledged by the brands I love and support. It’s odd how sneakers can still be considered something connected to a certain gender in 2021. This year we’ve had a lot of women’s dunk colorways releases that I know a majority of men would have wanted too which adds to the point that gendering sneakers makes no sense.
I don’t think it makes sense separating women and men when it comes to sneakers. I’m hoping we reach a point where most releases are genderless and include all sizes — both small and big.
