Friends - Woody
Sneaker Freaker Founder and Editor-in-Chief Location: Melbourne
Years ago in a galaxy far, far away, we were introduced to Woody and Sneaker Freaker for a Size? activation we called "Meet the Freaks". We recreated their bonkers studio and created newspaper dispenser-style displays for their stores.
His encyclopaedic knowledge celebrates the culture and scene we're passionate about, examining great sneakers multi-dimensionally and spotlighting pivotal releases, design insights, and broader cultural commentary through collectables and curated collaborations. Always available to share his expertise, he's an invaluable voice in the community.
Sneaker Freaker remains essential reading for our team, particularly the retrospective anniversary issues that inform our heritage projects.
How would you describe yourself, and what drives you?
Since I can remember, alI I ever wanted to do was make stuff, presumably to leave my own tiny mark on the world.
What pivotal moments have shaped your journey so far?
My introduction to Apple computers in the very early 90s was a proper epiphany. The little grey box with a squeaky mouse was so magical I immediately flipped my studies, devoured the Quark Xpress manual and ended up in London advertising doing what was known as ‘desktop design’ at that time. It was one of those flukey right place/right time moments. Starting Sneaker Freaker was another, not that I appreciated it until much later.
What is your relationship with Rosie Lee, Unorthodox Blend, and/or Mark & Russell?
Sneaker Freaker flew to London to launch Issue 10 at Size? in Covent Garden way back in 2007. Russ and Mark nailed it with a ‘Meet the Freaks’ concept that used an enormous image of our unkempt office mounted to the store wall and bright yellow newspaper stands. It was refreshing and reassuring to meet a creative team that instinctively understood the weird world we lived in. Over the years we managed to stay in touch and I’ve always admired the Rosie Lee team’s inherent curiosity and their Nike work in particular. I’ve also bought some of the books recommended in the newsletter.
What does being unorthodox mean to you in your work?
When I started Sneaker Freaker in 2002 I didn’t have any grand ambitions other than loads of free shoes. The ridiculously niche audience, multiplied by our Melbourne location, makes for an unlikely global success story, but once brands realised ‘sneakerheads’ were a zeitgeist ripe for the plucking, my fringe cultural expertise suddenly held huge cachet. All these years later, in a world obsessed with digital ROI and numeric social clout, the fact that I somehow have a job writing enormous books about sneakers is a neat circular way of keeping things just as unorthodox as when I started out.
What beliefs have guided you through tough decisions?
Your first reaction is nearly always the correct one, but that has never stopped me from changing my mind, ever.
How do you balance creativity with structure / order with chaos?
Planning makes perfect no doubt, but my artistic temperament thrives on micro chaos and I’ll always be inclined to push back against tedious bureaucracy. I really just prefer to roll up the sleeves and just do it, but the higher the stakes, the tighter the scrutiny.
What cultural shifts are you noticing in your field of work?
The changing of the guard in the sneaker world is causing generational ripples. After two decades on the frontlines, quite a few comrades are drifting off into retirement or other careers, while some long-running indie retailers, sadly, are facing the toughest of choices. In my own case, for the first time ever, I recently employed someone who wasn’t even born when I started Sneaker Freaker, Once I got over that shock, it made me think about how nostalgia doesn’t just define trends, it drives billions of dollars in business. What is intrinsic to my cultural identity has very little cross-over appeal to a teenager – we are literally born in different worlds. Just look at how retro footwear has unthinkably lost its shine in the last 12 months. The Air Force 1 is just one of Nike’s perennial cash cows but is now seriously uncool. The Jordan 1 is similarly cooked, and the collaboration model that generated so much hype and money for so many is no longer a sure-fire formula. Disruption demands creativity and hopefully this vacuum opens up space for a new breed of youngins to add their flair to the industry. For the first time in decades, it feels like we’re about to find out exactly how robust the sneaker game actually is.
If you could master any skill instantly, what would it be?
I would give my left nut to play any musical instrument and make it look effortless.
What’s one experience everyone should have at least once?
The most exhilarating moments all came after periods of intense creative energy. Watching a sneaker I designed sell out in seconds never gets old, but nothing beats the moment you crack open the first box of books and that smell of ink and paper smacks you in the face. All the dramas and compromises suddenly drift away and you can enjoy the glow for a few minutes. Right in that moment, I’m always torn between brutal scrutiny while also knowing that if there is even a tiny mistake, FA can be done, so best not to look too close.
What has inspired you lately?
Brilliant Substacks and fresh sneaker colourways I jealously wish I’d thought of are always inspirational, but aside from that, I’m always on the look out for artists with a perverse viewpoint. In a world where mass commercialisation seems to be the ultimate (and only) goal, I appreciate outsiders with zero care for what’s ‘cool’. Even better if they are self-taught and even betterer if they exist outside the proper art world. A glimpse of idiosyncratic life through unique eyes is the antidote to the same-same crap that is so prevalent these days, especially in music.
@c.j.pyle
CJ has been drawing amazing acid freak-out heads on 12-inch album covers for several decades.
@xhuntsoulx
Crazy illustrations, self-published books and mysterious hand-painted toys. Look out for a special Sneaker Freaker collab soon.
AI rightfully frightens many of us in creative fields but when it’s done right, I love the weirdness, such as these ‘maximalist dreamlands’ filled with melted tribal heads and sausage fingers. I much prefer the theoretical idea of an artist’s hand on a paint brush IRL, but when AI inputs are this good, originality is not in question.
What advice would you give to young people starting out in their career?
Mentoring students from my alma mater has given me a keen insight into how scary it is to kick off a career these days. Given the world has become a far meaner, dog-eat-dog place than it was in my day, I have to say I’m quite content with my greybeard Gen-X heritage, but to answer the question specifically, it seems to me that figuring out exactly what you want to do with your life is the single most important gift you can ever give yourself. Making a dream come true is relatively easy in comparison.
How can people connect with you, get involved or take part in any of the projects you’ve highlighted above?
Sneaker Freaker is all around you, we’ll pop up somewhere soon!
Or just DM me… I’ll eventually respond.
Instagram: @woody_snkrfrkr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/woodysneakerfreaker/
Website: sneakerfreaker.com
Preferred contact method (optional): IG
