Why a sneaker social network?
A social network just made sense; there were more than a few blogs floating around by the time we started back in ’06, plus message boards were a staple in the culture. But there was really no interactive community site that catered to sneakerheads specifically.

Did you ever imagine the site would blow up like it did? Was that part of your plan?
I’d love to say that this was all planned but I’d be boosting. In my opinion SP blew up because people needed something more, they needed a little piece of the web they could call their own and connect with likeminded heads, share pics, or get silly and battle kicks. The blogs showed us a lot of love early on, and our invite-only policy also really helped us focus on quality over quantity.

Are you making a living off the site?
Can’t complain! We’ve had a lot of solid brands supporting our community from the very beginning.

What were you doing before the site?
Ironically, before Sneakerplay, I dabbled with blogging and was contributing to a few of the “cool culture” blogs, going to school and running a business.

What’s the most rewarding part besides money?
I would have to say being able to connect people and seeing them establish real friendships.

It seems like everyone’s always trying to swoop everyone, but how do you actually swoop the other sites?
All our content comes from the community, so we don’t have any issues with that. If you go to our gallery you’ll see close to 200,000 pics—that’s all user-generated.

What’s your favorite blog on the interweb?
Here’re three: Techcrunch, Hypebeast and Zenhabits.

What are your five favorite shoes?
Don’t have a fave five. Right now I’m feeling more of the casual sneaker-inspired footwear from independent brands like Ubiq, Clae, Visvim and skate brands like Supra and Lakai.

Least favorite five, or most overrated.
This list is a bit longer and is pretty much filled with a lot of the releases from the big boys. Mind you that smaller labels are not immune to putting out garbage either.

What attracts your eye to a particular shoe?
Simple silhouettes are key, quality materials and comfort. Also, indie labels get a heavier rating on my scale—support the independents!

Where do you see designs going from here?
Less vintage and more future-forward designs, eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes. Hopefully the future will bring more quality products and a new wave of conscious consumption.

Lastly, do you own a pair of flip-flops?
I actually have one pair a friend got me from Uniqlo. I haven’t worn them yet. You could say I’m keeping them on ice indefinitely.