Community Curated #5 - @skg.jpeg

The year of 2021 is coming to an end and we’d like to finish it off with the 6th episode of our on-going Community Curated series featuring London-based sneakerhead Sandy Kaur. You also might know her from the community-renowned podcast channel “Her Story In Sneakers”.

Sandy’s been a long-term member of The Sole Supplier community and has secured a very visible presence in the scene, thanks to her long-standing love for trainers and street culture. While working in financial services by day, Sandy still manages to find time and space for her real passion, which has led on to a number of great achievements and exciting opportunities in her sneakerhead path. Read on to find out more!

I'm Sandy, @skg.jpeg on Instagram, and the founder of Her Story In Sneakers (HSIS). I've been into sneakers for as long as I can remember due to growing up as an avid 90's rap and hip-hop fan, and having an older brother that always had the coolest kicks!

I didn't start collecting until 2013 when I worked in Footlocker. Prior to this, trainers were always seen as being disposable to me, not because I had that kind of income, but because I'd see many celebs go through their pairs like underwear! But working in FL enabled me to buy the Air Jordan 4 "Green Glow" which was a pair I wanted since the official images came out, and once I had them in hand I knew I’d cherish them forever. Still to this day, people ask me if that pair is new whenever it's on foot.

Working in Footlocker also allowed me to meet other like-minded people who introduced me to the world of raffles and community. The rest is history, or herstory should I say.

HSIS is an online platform that I founded at the end of 2020 to revolutionise the way women are seen in the sneaker industry. The podcast allows me to showcase some of the waviest females I know who are either in the community, industry or doing something sneaker-related. It's here to bridge the gap between genders in hopes to educate those that don't believe we deserve a seat at the table, as well as to inspire those who are currently fighting for one.

I was tired of seeing men speak on behalf of women in the community as it was often from a misogynistic and narrow-minded view. Thus, instead of arguing with those involved, I decided to create a space where women could talk.

I'm very fortunate to know a lot of knowledgeable female sneakerheads, so I started reaching out to a few to see if they were down for this. At that time we were all tired of disrespect and the fire was ignited in a lot of people to speak up against it.

Since launching, it's been a passion-project because even if there was no mic or camera, the conversations you hear would've occurred anyway since those are the conversations I am genuinely interested in. I never wanted my platform to be divisive and only be interesting for women because then no change would occur, so I'm glad men find this interesting too.

Going forward, I hope to have more women in the podcast - sneakerheads or actual sneaker designers. And for the platform itself, there’s lots to come! Short-term is to create more YouTube content, and long-term is to collaborate with brands and be a recognised name across the globe because why not shoot for the stars?

In the midst of the pandemic, Nike By You announced the opening of the London workshop applications, so I crossed my fingers and applied. Fast-forward a few weeks later, I received an email saying I have been chosen as 1 of 20 guest designers. The brief was to design either an Air Max 90 or 95 to represent what “Unseen London” meant to me, so naturally I chose the AM95 because...well...London init.

Because I wasn't actually born in London, I wanted to encapsulate how I saw the city as a tourist, which was green. I also wanted to display how people go through the process of unlearning and rebirth from living in such a fast-paced city, because no one leaves the same person after they lived in London. I used the layering that surrounds the 110 to create an ombre effect using shades of green to symbolise this. I also wanted to highlight the co-existence of light and dark in London as it's a place that looks totally different depending on the weather, and it's a city where diversity does exist, which is why the lace loops are contrasting colours.

This project also arose during the BLM protests which occurred globally, and I wanted to pay homage to the progressiveness and resilience of the people of London during that time - hence the heel tabs of my shoe reading ‘Revolt’ when put together.

I want everyone that either wears or sees the shoe to remember that we all have a voice, and it can be amplified when we connect as one. I want everyone to feel confident enough alone and together to revolt. I'm also a first-generation Indian immigrant so the green was a slight nod to the flag of my Motherland.

Although I named the shoe “Reborn”, “Air Sandy” seems to be the name that stuck... but I'm not mad at it.

My first choice is of course the A Ma Manière x Air Jordan 3 because it is just hands down an incredible shoe visually and story-wise. The shoe was created to celebrate women and stripped back the undefined as we know it with the touch of luxury details, and the colour palette carefully includes women without excluding men. I think the concept is brilliant, and the fact the release was delayed due to the outcome of the George Floyd trial makes it even better because it is one thing to say you care about the black community, but it is another to actually show it.

The second choice is the Nike SB Dunk Low “Street Hawker”, again a visually incredible shoe, and I'm a sucker for detail so the box paper has me in a headlock! It's also one of those shoes that I saw circulating online and didn't imagine myself copping because we're in the year of the Nike Dunks and entering raffles feels like the next Boxing Day sale, so actually winning one was mind-blowing to me! I love that pair, and it's the first time I've really delved into the mismatched realm of shoes.

Lastly, my third choice is New Balance 2002R “Rain Cloud” from the “Protection Pack”.. I can't lie, choosing this as my third option is difficult because there have been a lot of great releases this year, but this 2002R was the first NB in my collection which I've actually worn numerous times. Coming from me, someone that's quite brand loyal, I think that says a lot. The distressed look is stunning as it contrasts beautifully against the material, and the colours chosen are very clever and easy to wear with a lot of outfits which is always key.

If I'm being honest my opinion changes day-to-day. Before I created HSIS, I was obviously disappointed in the community. Now, I am happy to see the progression but I feel like empowering women is the new-in thing whereby a lot of people, all genders included, are talking about it but nobody is really doing anything. I also feel like the disrespect is more internalised and hidden behind closed doors.

I'm extremely happy within my​ sneaker community, however I have had to shape it that way because outside of it, toxicity still exists. I am lucky because I no longer get ignored when I go into consignment stores since staff know who I am, but I know that is still not the experience for the average female and this is what I'm trying to change. If you cannot judge a book by it's cover, would you judge someone's sneaker knowledge because of their identity?!

In 2022, I’d like to see less people claiming they want women to succeed and more people actually supporting them. Talk is cheap, and if we want the future for females to change we have to go through the uncomfortable process of reshaping it. We need the difficult conversations of calling people out on their sexism, misogyny and even fake support. Brands should also start showcasing the actual female sneakerheads in campaigns, instead of the 'influencers' who just wear kicks, because we need the right people in the room to have these conversations.

I do love the sneaker community. Personally, I haven’t really ever felt excluded, either because of those around me or the fact I have thick skin, but I want everyone to be able to have the experience I've had. Because you cannot have community without unity.