This Austrian blogger and sneaker enthusiast certainly knows her stuff!
Earlier this week, we chatted to @florinav, CEO of snkrempire and certified street style aficionado!
Florina shared her Top 5 must-have kicks with us, and explained how her love for sneakers inspired her to create a website dedicated to the culture. Check out the full interview below.
How and when did you first fall in love with the sneaker culture?
My love towards sneakers started some years ago. I always kept an eye on the releases, but I live in a small city with no sneaker store, so it was nearly impossible for me to cop them. After this, I started searching around on the internet for some outstanding colourways. When I did the research, I realised that some sneakers were harder to get hold of than others. I was fascinated and excited by the hunt for them, and I've been crazy about sneakers since then.
What is your favourite sneaker collaboration and why?
There are a lot of amazing collaborations. Definitely, for me, Nike x Off-White is one of the best collaborations. I like how Virgil Abloh reconstructed classic Nike silhouttes and gave them a new face. I think collaborations are a good way to bring different designers, artists, and brands together. There is always something special about a collaboration, I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future.
What are your top 5 sneakers and why?
That's a difficult question. There are a lot of colourways of many different models that are really unique. If I had to choose, these five are definitely the ones that I like the most, even though I unfortunately don't own them all myself.
1. Jordan 1 Retro High Rust Pink - it's pink, enough said.
2. adidas Ultra Boost 1.0 x Highsnobiety – the Ultra Boost 1.0 just has a perfect shape and this is just the perfect colourway for it.
3. Nike Air Max 1 Atmos Animal Pack – I like both the 2007 and the 2018 edition, but I am so happy to see the 2.0 in my collection.
4. Nike Air Max 97 UNDFTD Black – I love the subtle details in red and green, it fits perfectly with all of my outfits and is always an eye-catcher.
5. Off White x Nike Air VaporMax – I love the slim shape and their clean look.
Do you prefer luxury sneakers or classics from sportswear brands?
I like the way that luxury brands have become involved in street style recently, and I really love some of the sneakers. I also like having some of them in my collection. But for me, the real collectibles are from the sportswear brands like Nike, adidas etc.
What inspired you to create snkrempire?
We started the blog just over a year ago. To begin with, my boyfriend and I were just taking pictures of our sneakers and posting them on Instagram. The pictures weren't the best quality at the beginning but hey, everybody starts somewhere! Our Instagram gained more and more likes and more followers and we started to get more involved with everything from sneakers to street style. We started to think about starting our own blog. But how is this supposed to work? How do you create your own website? There were so many questions. One day, we decided to give it a try. We knew that if we invested a lot of time and heart into the project as a whole, we would achieve our goal.
How much has your website changed since you first launched it?
At first, we only had information about some sneaker releases on our website and the layout looked really bad. Gradually, our categories have expanded. The layout of the site has changed a lot since the beginning. I think it looks pretty good now. In general, our skills in terms of the website, but also in terms of photography and image processing in the last year, have strongly developed. I think we have achieved a lot since then. Of course, we are also happy about all the exciting projects that await us in the future. In the end it's just about sharing your passion and the things you love.
Florina's favourite sneaker fits
The release of the Off-White x Nike Air VaporMax White was almost three weeks ago, and it still grows in popularity. This marks the first time that I was able to get my hands on one of the rare models from the Off-White x Nike collaboration. I was super excited when the parcel arrived. At first, I wasn't sure if the white or the black colourway was my favourite… and I'm still not sure! But I guess this one is just perfect for the upcoming summer season.
I combined my Off-White VaporMax with some wide, patterned trousers. I think this fits together perfectly, as the VaporMax has a really slim shape and interacts well in contrast to the wide trousers. All paired up with my Off-White tee.
Nike Air Max 1 Animal Pack 2.0
The Air Max 1 Animal 2.0 is one of my favorite pairs, and with a casual outfit, nothing can go wrong. I've been waiting for this release ever since it was announced, and I am so happy that I could get my hands on a pair. I just love every single detail and how all the different animal patterns are combined. I particularly enjoyed threading different laces on the left and the right, which definitely adds something extra to the fit.
I think every good sneaker collection should contain at least one luxury sneaker. Gucci Ace sneakers always make a statement when they're worn. I think they go well with sweatpants, but they can also work perfectly when combined with a more elegant outfit. Either way, they're always eye-catching.
The Nike Air Max 97 is just such an icon. Since Nike's re-release of many different colorways it's back among the top sneakers for me. I think the Air Max 97 is always a good choice and fits with casual outfits as well as summer dresses.
