An Exclusive Interview With @jessylaw, Talking Top Sneakers Of 2019 And More!

The Sole Supplier have been catching up with some of the most popular female sneakerheads in UK and Europe, talking favourite sneakers of 2019 as well as their opinions on controversial kicks and more! Jess Lawrence, aka jessylaw, who has been killing the sneaker scene.

Check out our exclusive interview below and be sure to check out her Instagram @jessylaw for bold sneakers and fire fits!

What has been your favourite sneaker purchase of the year?

My favourite sneaker purchase of 2019 is a tricky question to answer, but I'd have to probably say the Nike x sacai Waffle Daybreak in Red and Blue. I love a collab between brands and what that means for the community, but also they look great and are a unique development from the waffle racer which I have also.

What has been your favourite sneaker release of the year?

I absolutely adore Melody Ehsani's Jordan 1 Mid Fearless - for copious reasons. Melody Ehsani is an incredible designer who stands for female empowerment and community, the colours are so stunning and can be matched with loads of different outfits, but most importantly it's a huge power move for women in sneakers. It made huge waves in the community, mentioned at Crepe City and Sneakerness as one of the top releases of the year, and they have dominated social media worldwide. Showing the world that women in sneakers mean business!

Coming in second… definitely the revival of the Nike Shox. I can remember rocking Shox as part of my PE kit at school and adoring them so much, so I'm thrilled they've come back into popularity and production this year.

Do you think the female sneaker culture has changed at all this year?

I think every year that goes by the archaic idea that sneakers and streetwear being a notoriously boys-heavy club (which it was undoubtedly) becomes more and more untrue and a thing of the past. With the help of social media, specifically Instagram, women more and more have a safe community of likeminded individuals to share and grow their passion for sneakers. Also, the rise of female sneaker pages such as The Sole Supplier, Crepe City Womens, Kith Women, Naked etc (and by etc, I mean hundreds more!) really prove that female sneaker culture just continues to grow and become more prevalent.

A lot of people find it demoralising to have women's and men's sneaker releases as separate entities at times, but I personally like a women's release and think we can grow our own lane to be what we want it to be, rather than always copying or bouncing off what the male community do. I like that there is crossover when needs be, but actually we can do our own thing. I think there is a huge way to go with the production side, we need more female designers and female creators given the platform to succeed - not just the notable figures such as Aleali May for example, but women all throughout the process - and visible!

If you could only wear one pair of sneakers for the next 5 years, what would it be?

I have actually thought about this a lot as its the same answer I give when people ask how to get into the sneaker world with minimal money. It would definitely have to be white Air Force 1s. White, because they go with absolutely everything (even black can be more restricting) and the AF-1 silhouette because it is versatile and will definitely stand the test of time (because it's been so prominent and popular since the 80s). They aren't crazy expensive yet are still extremely respected in the community.

What's the one pair of sneakers you always wanted but have never secured?

I'd probably say Sean Wotherspoon's Air Max 1/97 or Aleali May's Air Jordan 1 Black/White/Shadow Grey - I try to avoid resale where I can but these are my grails and when the right time comes around I'll definitely be purchasing by one means or another. Also, I love the Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White University Blue, but these may have to stay forever as a pipe dream as they are impossible to get hold of (unless you want to drop a cool £1.5k!!).

Image: @damianbnb

Most overrated sneaker of the year?

I would probably say the Travis Scott x Jordan 1 Low are super overrated. I think his collabs are good, but the hype and craziness around them I have found quite baffling. Maybe because I'm not a huge Travis fan, but still. The lows I think are super ugly and definitely very overrated (IMO).

What is a pair of sneakers you think everyone needs in their rotation?

Everyone who's passionate about sneakers definitely needs a pair of Air Force 1's which I have touched on previously, and I'd say a pair of Air Max 1s. These sneakers have been a foundation of the sneaker world we know today, and will never go out of style or popularity because of this. As you can tell I'm quite Nike-centric, but for me they are unmatched - even by adidas.

I also think sneaker staples should be accessible and not crazy expensive, which these aren't, while you can mix and match colourways depending on your preference. I don't like to always recommend 'hype' sneakers' because the process is unfair and difficult to cop, so would rather choices be accessible to everyone, rather than a small majority.