Keeping it 100 is a new series that you will find on Nice Kicks as we get honest, unfiltered, unbiased opinions from many different personalities in and around the sneaker world.
To kick off the series, we called upon your favorite YouTuber’s favorite YouTuber, Anthony Bartoloni better known to many as YoAnty.
The series takes on a new meaning as YoAnty recently crossed the 100k subscriber milestone on YouTube for his dedicated sneaker channel YoAnty Kicks. If you aren’t already subscribed – do it. Great reviews about products and great conversation are a staple in his videos along with some comedic staples like his cat, his love of Jet-Fuel (iced coffee), and a beard that is one of the best in the game.
Despite generating great content, working with major brands, retailers, getting to hang with athletes, Anthony is still as humble as they come. Great people doing great things!
*******************
Matt Halfhill: First things first, please introduce yourself for those who are not yet familiar with YoAnty.
YoAnty: My name is Anthony Bartoloni. I am known as YoAnty on social media. I have been making sneaker videos on YouTube for 4 years. I love sharing my passion for sneakers and bringing my personality into my YouTube videos.
Matt Halfhill: You started vlogging a while back, but started a sneaker dedicated channel. What was the “ah-ha” moment to separate the two and start a sneaker channel on YouTube?
YoAnty: I’ve learned a lot about YouTube over the years and am still learning. I watch a lot of vlog channels and got inspired to start vlogging on my channel. What I noticed though is there were people who only wanted to see sneaker videos and not videos of me drinking iced coffee and running around Target doing random crap. So I decided to make a separate sneaker channel: YoAnty Kicks. It turned out to be the right move. I can now post whatever the hell I feel like on my YoAnty channel and keep all my sneaker videos on YoAnty Kicks.
Matt Halfhill: Between the start of the channel and now, you’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things associated with sneakers. What has been your favorite experience?
YoAnty: I’ve had the chance to do things in my life because of sneakers and YouTube that I never could have dreamed of. I am a huge sports fan so the fact people believed in me and trusted me to go interview athletes such as Blake Griffin, Steph Curry, Julio Jones and Jamaal Charles is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
Matt Halfhill: I am sure you get noticed in public due to how many people see you online. What has that been like?
YoAnty: Getting to meet people that watch my videos is also up there with getting to meet and interview athletes. Anytime a viewer has come up to me they have been nothing but extremely kind and supportive. That truly drives me to continuing to make content. If you know anything about me I am a wear your heart on your sleeve type of guy. I get plenty of hate comments and people always tell me to ignore it and I do for the most part but it’s important to know the core of my audience are nice people who just want to enjoy sneakers. During All Star Weekend in NYC I did a viewer meet up with Kustoo, Mr. Foamer Simpson and Kick Genius. I don’t want to speak for them but I think its safe to say that was one of the coolest experiences we have ever had. Getting to interact with awesome people who enjoy kicks. Doesn’t get any better than that.
“Getting to interact with awesome people who enjoy kicks. Doesn’t get any better than that.”
Matt Halfhill: Being from Boston, you seem to have a lot of love for the hometown brand of Saucony and New Balance too. What are they doing that you like the most?
YoAnty: I am a huge Saucony and New Balance fan. Personally I think we have seen a shift from people wearing on court basketball sneakers casually to wanting to wear a more low profile comfortable runner. Saucony and New Balance are at the top of their game right now. Brandon Williams at Saucony has been generating a ton of buzz around the brand. They have had some of the better collabs in the last year than any other brand.
Matt Halfhill: I’ve noticed that you are a big fan of shoes that are inline and not just the collabs from these brands. Which brand do you think is doing the best consistent job in terms of releases?
YoAnty: Saucony has been putting out some of the best inline releases out of any other brand. I’m the last person to go after a shoe just because its limited. Sneakers aren’t baseball cards to me I don’t buy them to collect or because they are rare I buy them to wear. Saucony put out a Grid 9000 in a Tiffany/Mint CW earlier this year and it blew up. There were so many people buying it because it was just an overall good looking shoe. It was just an inline release no hype, no collab, not limited just a dope kick. I can’t express enough how good it feels to branch out in the sneaker world. A lot of people don’t like change and just want to stay in one lane. While there is nothing wrong with that I just personally know they are missing out on some great sneakers.
Saucony Grid 9000 “Mint”Matt Halfhill: How do you handle the balance of seeded product and your reviews? Many people have questioned the authenticity of the validation from YouTubers who are seeded shoes.
YoAnty: I made a video about my thoughts on seeding that I felt got a great response. A lot of people try to tell me who I am and what I should like. Personally I think that’s bullshit. The one thing I love about my YouTube channel is at the end of the day I truly make videos because I want to. No company can tell me what to do or how to feel about a product. That’s the whole fun in having your own YouTube channel you get to be your own boss and create any content you want.
Matt Halfhill: I’ve seen you working with big retailers on projects like Finish Line. What has it been like to work with them?
YoAnty: It’s been great to work with different brands and sneaker companies. Finish Line has some special people in their digital media offices. Guys like Nick Engvall and Brandon Edler have been creating awesome content. They have a lot of experience and knowledge in the sneaker game. It’s been amazing learning from them
Matt Halfhill: Who have been some of your biggest influences on YouTube? Are there some other channels our readers and subscribers should follow too?
YoAnty: One of the other great things about sneaker youtube is all the different content creators. I have got to know a lot of these guys very well and interact with them almost everyday. They are no longer my sneaker friends and are just my friends. I am inspired by every single one of them. Guys like TBlake, HesKicks, Mr. Foamer Simpson, Nightwing2303, Kustoo and Eddie Win just to name a few. We all have different personalities and flavors. Thats the beauty of youtube you get to select which channel you want to subscribe to and watch. Not everyone is going to dig your content and thats ok because there is so much out there.
Matt Halfhill: Speaking of Foamer, who has the better beard?
YoAnty: Mr. Foamer Simpson claims to be the Bruce Wayne of the beard game. If that’s so call me Bane. I will break him!
Foamer SimpsonMatt Halfhill: Brad Hall has been said to be the new sheriff in town for unboxings on YouTube. What tips would you give him in his reviews?
YoAnty: If Brad Hall had any balls he would wear a fake beard in a video and start YouTube beef.
Matt Halfhill: What would you recommend to anyone looking to start their own channel? Any tips or advice you can give to anyone starting a YouTube channel?
YoAnty: If you going to start a YouTube channel I suggest doing it for the right reasons. If you’re doing it just to try and get view and subscribers right off the bat you will be very disappointed. Be as organic as possible and be consistent. I used to be afraid to get in front of the camera and told myself I never would. What I noticed is there was a disconnect with the viewers that enjoyed my videos. They wanted to see who I was. It has taken me 4 years just to get to this point and I believe I am still learning and trying to grow not just as a YouTube but as a person. I know it sounds cliche but just have fun with your channel. Let it be a hobby and something you enjoy doing.
Matt Halfhill: Do you ever see yourself doing YouTube full time? What would it take for you to make that decision?
YoAnty: Doing YouTube full time? Now that would be the dream (laughs). I have thought about it here and there but I don’t think the time is right at the moment. I am the type of person that keeps their head down and tries to bust their ass. I am a believer of hard work and being a nice person will get you so far in this life. That’s all I’m trying to do is just enjoy my life and have fun along the way.
*******************
Thanks again to YoAnty for taking the time to speak with us! Subscribe to YoAnty and YoAntyKicks on YouTube and follow him on Twitter.
