| Talk about sneakers has been going on for years, but when does talk, obsession, and lifestyle reach the point that a culture is formed?? Maybe is it the influence of art or other forms of expressions?? No one knows the true answer to that, but one thing that is for certain is that sneakers, or should we say the love and obsession for sneakers, has formed a major culture globally.
Sneaker Pimps, the longest running sneaker show, is touring the US yet again with a major stop coming June 26th to New York City – the mecca of sneaker culture.? We caught up with Peter Fahey, the founder and operator of the Sneaker Pimps.? Click here to get the inside scoop on the show and what you can expect to see in NYC later this month. For ticket to the June 26th show in NYC get tickets while you can at Ticketmaster. |
Nice Kicks: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Time has flown by for many of us.? The Sneaker Pimps has been going for a few years now hasn’t it?
Peter Fahey: Yeah man the first show was in Sydney Australia in 02 – I started this show when I was 20, so it seems like it has been a lifetime almost.
How did you come up with the concept of the Sneaker Pimps show?
Right out of high school i started throwing different types of events – hip-hop shows, skate demos etc. I always tried to put on events with elements that were part of my interests and everyday life. Sneaker Pimps was created as a part of that.
What was the biggest obstacle to overcome when getting the tour going?
Having NO money – I was beyond broke.
The tour has gone around the globe to a number of countries.? What are the major differences you have noticed about the attendees from country to country?? Do you feel a different vibe from city to city?
Yeah man for the most part sneaker culture is identical all over the world due in part to the major brands releasing the same product globally and websites like Ebay, etc.? However, the people in each city, and the levels of fanaticism varies, and is also related to how much they have been exposed to the culture.? For instance, we did a show in Manila (The Philippines) a few years back and there were people there who were coming up and thanking me for bringing the show there and hadn’t seen 80% of the shoes we were showing, so it was all very new to them.
Also you notice that in certain cities kids love certain styles of shoes, in NYC, they are all about the J’s.? In Japan it’s definitely more of a Dunk thing.
As you said earlier the tour has been going to 8 years.? What are some of the things you make sure you put into each show to create a unique experience?
Always getting new shoes, always bringing in major and dope new hip-hop acts to perform live. We love to have skate demos at our shows along with live artist installations, Xbox 360 video game battles – we just keep mutating the show making it bigger and better.
