Sneakermood Interview

Today, we have the pleasure of conversing with Joël, the founder of Sneakermood. With a deep-rooted passion for sneakers and a keen eye for developments in the sneaker industry, we delve deeper into Sneakermood and the market from founder Joël’s perspective.

How did your fascination with sneakers begin, and when did you realize it was more than just an interest?

Sneakers, we’re really going back to the elementary school days, playing street football on the playground. You needed good sneakers for that, and if possible, they had to be somewhat fashionable. Then you come home, and your mother is dissatisfied with the condition of those “new sneakers”. For me, it was important to have good sneakers. Through acquaintances, I came across someone who showed me the Air Yeezy 1 Tan. I was blown away, and soon I immersed myself in which models were available in the Netherlands, but that ended in disappointment. We’re talking about the year 2009, and soon there were more Air Yeezys, and of course, the Air Yeezy 2 Red October. I was looking for something cheaper; the prices for those models quickly soared towards €2000+. For me, it started with Air Max BW, Asics Gel Lyte 3 or 4, and Adidas Ultra Boost. The Adidas Ultra Boost, along with the Adidas NMD, were highly hyped from 2015 to 2019. Every model went for resale, and on top of that, there were exclusive collaborations with sneaker boutiques like SNS and Solebox. Every time, I missed out on a release.
 

What inspired you to found SneakerMood, and how did the idea come about?

Each time I saw a cool sneaker release from Adidas, I had no luck. The bots and in-store raffles weren’t accessible to me because I lived in a village. Everything had to happen online. This led me to the idea of creating a website to solve this problem. After a few months of research and reaching out to affiliate partners, I had my blog website up and running in 2015, named SneakerMood. It was super simple, but mainly aimed to inspire and inform people about when a particular sneaker was being released. The specifications of the model were explained, as well as collaborations with various sneaker retailers. This was a success; not only did the channel grow quickly on Instagram, but visitors from all over the world found SneakerMood for all their release information needs.

The name SneakerMood already hints at it – being in the mood for sneakers. The concept and execution were there, although at that time, there was no ChatGPT to write beautiful blogs, and Canva wasn’t around either. I spent a lot of time putting together a comprehensive blog with good text. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time left after my studies. I started working, which was at Klek’t in Cologne, a startup known for its sneaker marketplace concept. Here, I gained a lot of experience, from the models themselves to the entire sneaker scene, including events like Sneakerness both locally and internationally.

The blog was put on hold, and I continued solely on Instagram. Not long after, I decided to stop altogether. However, my passion for sneakers never faded, and that name SneakerMood stuck with me. Combining my experience from Klek’t and my passion gave me the motivation to set up a website with zero experience in online software and tools. I just thought, “Why not give it a try?” This was always alongside my 40-hour workweek, but it turned out to be a success with yearly growth.

Sneakermood at the WOOVIN Gallery

Could you share some notable highlights of SneakerMood since its beginning?

It’s exciting to mention that as a startup founder, you’re thrilled with the first orders through your own website. Customers have found you, giving you the affirmation that you’ve done something right. However, let’s be honest, with just a few orders per month, you can’t sustain yourself. You have website costs, time invested, and material expenses. The motivation to do better was there, and soon I started offering multiple models. After all, I have connections with resellers and parties that can supply both me and the customers. My SEO ranking positions kept improving, and my old visitors from the SneakerMood blog also found their way to the website.

In summary, the journey to various milestones has made it enjoyable. This includes the Sneakerness events with WOOVIN, achieving the first 100 orders per month, the first collaboration, and giveaways.

What challenges have you encountered in building SneakerMood, and how did you overcome them?

As the founder of SneakerMood, I’m also employed at another company. This makes planning, growth, and focus challenging. Time is crucial; of course, orders need to be packed, and administration must be done meticulously. At the same time, you want to be present on social media, and the product range must remain constantly relevant, which also involves inventory risks. Some models may not sell as expected, or perhaps I was too late to jump on a trend. All these points are part of the learning process. As the business grows, certain activities can be outsourced. Additionally, innovative software solutions can be a remedy, such as chatbots, payment solutions, and return management software.

Sneakermood & WOOVIN Gallery

Could you tell me about your own sneaker collection and what makes it special to you?

Currently, I have around 30 to 40 pairs of sneakers in my collection. I must say, I regularly wear about 15 to 20 pairs, depending on the season. A sneaker collection is very personal, and tastes vary, which I find fascinating. My collection started, as I mentioned, with Asics and Adidas Ultra Boost, purely for comfort, but over time, I’ve also started wearing and buying more Air Max 1s. It all began with the Air Max 1 Watermelon from 2018. One sneaker that has always stuck with me is the Air Max 1 Omega Pack Black Yellow. I wore these back in 2010 and managed to score a pair two years ago via Vinted. Whether it’s comfort, nostalgia, or cool color combinations, these elements make it enjoyable for me to add a new sneaker to my collection. However, I’ll add a small disclaimer that I don’t really buy new sneakers often anymore. This is partly because, as a seller, I deal with new models every day and end up seeing them too often. To summarize my collection: Air Max 1s, Adidas Ultra Boost/NMD, and various other models like AM97s, New Balance x Patta, and Nike Sacai.

What is your view on the evolution of the sneaker resell market and how do you think it will develop in the future?

Nice question, as a seller of exclusive sneakers you have to be on the platform of your target group every day. Trends and hype releases determine the market together with the brands that enter into a collaboration. Popular models can now be seen again in the form of classics such as the Adidas Samba, but also last year’s Air Max 1. These models are therefore released in large quantities, which is less interesting for sellers. Yet I believe that buyers themselves also want a bit of exclusivity, after all, you don’t want the sneakers that everyone is wearing. The buyer will therefore always look for something exclusive. The resell market is very accessible and more and more companies in the shopping street are showing this. Nowadays you also see many clothing stores that want to appeal to a specific target group by means of exclusive sneakers in their window and the exclusive segment in general is also popular. Think of Louis Vuitton sneakers and clothing and limited sneakers are a nice addition.

What are your personal goals and ambitions regarding SneakerMood and how do you hope to achieve them?

With SneakerMood I want more interaction with our existing and new customers, we do this as much as possible by being present at a sneaker event such as Sneakerness. I hope to expand this later in the year by creating fun content on Social Media. So that followers or potential customers can really gain inspiration. In addition, just grow with our range and cool new sneakers in our webshop.

Sneakermood Cat

What does the ideal future of SneakerMood look like for you?

The coolest and widest range of exclusive sneakers. That SneakerMood is known among Dutch people and beyond. I personally want to devote even more time to SneakerMood. In addition, I am always open to fun new concepts, remaining unique is important. This is of course also for all readers of this blog!

What kind of projects does SneakerMood have in the pipeline that we can hear more about soon?

I want to start a loyalty program for our regular customers. They can expect something fun from us this year. Most customers are loyal to a certain model or brand, so I want to respond more to that through a bit of personalization / email marketing. In terms of other agenda: Of course Sneakerness Amsterdam in May 2024 & hopefully a great collaboration with a larger Brand!

Interviewer: Gijs van Benten

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