sneakHerbox.com (shbx): Just in case some of our readers have been living under a
rock, give us a little bit of insight on your background as the creator of
Female Sneaker Fiend:
Lori Lobenstine (Lori): Back in 2005 I was talking with Bobbito Garcia about his
beautiful book, Where’d You Get Those?, I asked him why there weren’t
any photos of female sneaker fiends. He said he’d looked for females in the
sneaker game, but hadn’t really found them.
So I thought to myself, ‘We gotta find a way to be recognized!’ I
thought a website could help us find each other (since many female sneaker
fiends also don’t know any others), and help others in the industry not
overlook us.
It’s definitely succeeded on both those levels, and it’s
been a great platform to promote female collectors, customizers and women in
the sneaker industry. And I’m honored that Bobbito had this to say about Girls
Got Kicks, "GIRLS GOT KICKS is about
as definitive of a book on the subject as one can read, and people of all
genders can learn from it….Lori Lobenstine and crew nailed it, and filled the
void for what all efforts prior, including mine, failed to uncover."
sneakHerbox.com (shbx): The female sneaker movement has had a digital presence for
most of the decade, we haven't really seen anything in print like we will be
seeing with Girls Got Kicks. What was your inspiration behind this project?
Lori Lobenstine (Lori): I always had it in my mind to do a book. To me it’s another
way to carve a lasting spot for females in the culture. It just took a lot
longer than I thought to track down close to 200 of the most insane female
sneaker fiends around the world…and I still missed you! (That sucks!) But I am
proud that Girls Got Kicks rewrites sneaker
history to honor the girls and women who have always been a part of it.
shbx: The book is described as a "photo documentary of badass
females, told from a unique angle, their passion for sneakers" - in
addition to seeing some dope photography, you've done a great deal of writing
to tie the pieces together. Can you tell us what the reader can expect to take
away from reading the book?
Lori: I combed through interviews from over 5 years on the site,
and really enjoyed picking quotes that summed up so much about our passion and
our community. There are pieces on our first loves, what we do when bad things
happen to good kicks, what it’s like being a “mama fiend”, and the surprising
similarities between tomboy and girly-girl fiends. Then there are individual
interviews with artists, athletes, designers, customizers and more. There’s a
lot in those 188 pages!
shbx: What kind of impact do you hope this book will have on the
culture?
Lori: I want it to stand by other great sneaker books like Sneaker
Freaker and Where’d You Get Those? But more than that, I want
females to feel like it’s OUR book. It’s not my book, it’s not Amanda’s book,
it’s all of ours. I think it also blows away the sexist notion that girls
should outgrow their sneakers.
shbx: In your travels across the globe, what have been some of the
similarities (and differences) between international female sneaker heads and
FSF'ers stateside?
Lori: A lot more similarities than differences. Girls everywhere
struggling with sizing, and we’re all reading the same sites, so there’s a
growing homogeneity about our kicks. That said, there are definitely regional
differences. I’d say the Europeans are way more into Air Maxes (and way less
into Jordans). They’re also more likely to rock a cute dress with their kicks.
shbx: During the process of creating this book, what has been some
of your fondest memories/ experiences?
Lori: Traveling has been great. I loved getting to be a part of
B-Girl Be in Minneapolis, Street Science in Rotterdam, Dunkxchange in Miami,
and so much more. I’ve loved working with Amanda, who’s such a tremendous
photographer. The FSF BBQ was a kick in the pants, too. Man, a lot of memories!
shbx: How do you manage to stay enthused and passionate about the
sneaker culture after all these years?
Lori: It’s easy for me. I love sneakers, and that hasn’t stopped,
and I’m really curious about people who are passionate, so I love the fiends as
much as the kicks. Even when a girl has a totally different taste in kicks than
I do, I love to hear her talk about her kicks, her crazy cleaning habits, the
lengths she went to to cop a pair, all the madness we do all the time!
(excerpt from Girls Got Kicks)
shbx: Any sneaker pet peeves (like stepping on gum, lol)?
Lori: I hate it guys assume girls only have nice sneakers if our
boyfriends got them for us. Half the time we’re the ones buying kicks for our
boyfriends! (Or girlfriends for that matter….)
shbx: The Girls Got Kicks! Book Tour will be rolling into a major
cities in the coming weeks, with its first stop in NYC on September 15th. Fans will be able to pick up their copy and
also meet with you. For those of us who
may not be in any of those locations, where else will the book be available?
Lori: Starting after our Goliath event this Thursday, the book
will be available via our new site, girlsgotkicks.com, with a link to our
publisher’s site, Levellers Press. They’ve been great. It will also be
available on Amazon for those of you who prefer that. Just leave us a review!
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