Get to know the Sellers at Sneakerness - Part 2

Sneakerness is once again upon us. On the weekend of May 27 and 28, 2023, the Kromhouthal in Amsterdam is filled with booths from Europe's biggest sneaker resellers. Besides a lot of sneakers, the two-day event has booths with streetwear and vintage items, and you can have your sneakers customised. During the day there are inspiring talks and different DJs play the best records.

Especially for the 2023 edition, Sneakerness has collaborated with Sneakerjagers, and we're highlighting some resellers and designers that will be present during the weekend. Meet some of the shops and artists you can find for sneakers and sneaker-related art during the event here.

Get to know

To introduce you to the sellers who will be present during Sneakerness, we asked them a few questions. Each reseller or designer introduces themselves and talks about how they got into the sneaker scene.

• Is this your job or a big hobby?

• Why did you become a reseller?

• What should people know about your stand at Sneakerness?

• If you could have an unlimited supply of one sneaker to resell, which sneaker would that be?

• What was your first and your last personal sneaker purchase?

• What's the highest price you've sold a sneaker for and what's the highest price you've paid for one?

• What makes Sneakerness so special?

Read below for answers from Sneakerbitch, The Kicks Don, Life of a Plug, and many more.

Sneakerbitch

Erwin van Dijk, also known as Sneakerbitch (@sneakerbitch.nl), is a Dutch reseller with a focus on the Air Max 1. With a wide range of retro Air Max 1 colorways, Sneakerbitch has been present several times at Sneakerness. The reseller will also be present this year.

• Job or Hobby? Sneakers are a hobby for me.

• Why did you become a reseller? I started selling jackets in 2011 during Sneakerness at the Westergasfabriek. When I saw all the sneakers, I started selling sneakers after that. Since then, I became a reseller myself.

• Tell us about your stand? During Sneakerness, you can visit my booth for unique sneakers at a good price. In addition, we always help you with a smile on our faces.

• Your unlimited supply sneaker to resell? One sneaker I could always sell is the Nike Air Max 1.

• First and last sneaker? My first sneaker purchased was a Nike Air Max 90. My most recently purchased sneaker was the 2023 Nike Air Max 1 'Design by Japan'.

• High and low? The most expensive sneaker I ever sold had a price of €1200. My personally most expensive sneaker cost me €600.

• What makes Sneakerness so special? Sneakerness always has a nice atmosphere and it feels like a big family.

The Kicks Don

The Kicks Don (@kicksdon1), run by Yassine Saïdi, is a reseller with a wide range of the most hyped sneakers. The reseller began selling sneakers on Marktplaats and other platforms in 2019. Today, the reseller has a comprehensive website with models like the Nike Dunk, Air Jordan 1 and a lot of YEEZY models.

The Kicks Don's sneakers are available through the webshop. The reseller will also be present at Sneakerness.

• Job or Hobby? Sneakers are a great escalated hobby for me that has resulted in a full-time job.

• Why did you become a reseller? I accidentally became a reseller. In 2019, I had to sell my personal belongings because I lost a lot of money in an investment I made. With disappointment and pain in my heart, I had to sell my deadstock Jordans that I was very attached to. I noticed that the shoes sold very quickly, which gave me the idea to try again. I started buying and selling sneakers and put a lot of hours into the hustle. Eventually, the dealing in sneakers grew tremendously, and now I run a full business and sneaker store. I found that I liked both the sneakers and the business, and that combination makes me very happy.

• Tell us about your stand? You should come by our stand because we have various models and brands and can offer a collection to suit everyone's needs. We know and love what we do. We want to share this passion with the visitors of Sneakerness.

• Your unlimited supply sneaker to resell? If I had to choose one sneaker that I could always resell, it would be the Dior x Air Jordan 1 High.

• First and last sneaker? My love for sneakers started when I was young and got my first Nike Air Max 1, which was my first pair ever. My last purchase was the Aime Leon Dore x New Balance 860v2 'Green'.

• High and low? The most expensive sneaker I ever sold was the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 for €16,000. The most I ever put down for a sneaker was €1,700. This was the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High 'Mocha'.

• What makes Sneakerness so special? Sneakerness is an inspiring event that brings together cultures, creatives, and talented people. Attending the event always inspires me because I see new styles, learn new things, and can connect with like-minded people. I don't see my business or work as work. I see it as enjoying the things I am most passionate about, and it energises me to see like-minded people coming together at the same event. I also love sharing my passion with visitors for the first time at the event!

SneakerMood

SneakerMood (@sneakermood), run by Joël Mombarg, is a Dutch reseller with a wide range of today's best sneakers. The seller is no stranger to the sneaker scene and could also be spotted at previous sneaker fairs. This time he will be at Sneakerness with his collection.

The sneakers of SneakerMood are also available in his webshop.

• Job or Hobby? I have been working in the sneaker scene for a long time. First I worked for KLEKT, which was later taken over by Crep. I learned a lot about salespeople, products, and business during my time here. Before starting here, I had a passion and had my own sneaker blog, 'SneakerMood' (2017). After doing some affiliate partnerships and writing many blogs, I had to stop because it was too time-consuming. Later, this passion turned into my own business - SneakerMood. In addition to my experience and expertise, I want to offer customers the best shopping experience with our exclusive sneakers. Currently, I do SneakerMood one full day a week + all evening hours, in addition, I work for Maxilia 🙂

• Why did you become a reseller? What makes SneakerMood so unique, is that we offer returns. This is not so common in the reseller market. In addition, we have a friendly customer service team where customers can put all their questions. During this Sneakerness edition, we proudly collaborated with our partner Woovin to showcase our selection consisting of the Air Max 1, Dunk Low, and Air Jordan 1. All in all, a great atmosphere at our booth.

• Your unlimited supply sneaker to resell? If I had to choose one sneaker model to always release, it would be the old releases of the Nike Air Max 1. Many attendees at Sneakerness in Amsterdam are always big fans of these.

• First and last sneaker? The first sneaker I ever purchased, was the Air Max BW in a brown-gold colorway. This was way back in 2008 or so. My latest purchase was the Air Max 1 OG 'Big Bubble,' a return of the classic and a must-have in the collection after I sold my 2018 pair. Even though I wasn't born in the 1980s, this sneaker has such an impact that I had to have it.

• High and low? The most expensive sneaker I ever sold, was the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High 'Mocha' for €1600. The most I ever laid down for a sneaker myself was €400, which was the Solebox x adidas Ultra Boost Uncaged (first release).

• What makes Sneakerness so special? As for myself and many other visitors, Sneakerness is a great place to meet sneaker lovers. Especially the ones you normally only talk to via Whatsapp, Facebook, or other online forums. Making contact in the perfect environment with good music, food, and of course the best sneakers from sellers from all over Europe. For many people, visiting Sneakerness is like visiting the zoo. A perfect day out!

Custom Islands

Custom Islands (@customislands) is a Dutch designer and customises well-known sneaker models like the Nike Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 1 Mid. All designs are hand-customised and come in colourful designs. Besides sneakers, Custom Islands also designs accessories that are loved by many. The designer will be present at Sneakerness again this year.

The Custom Islands website allows you to buy sneakers or place a request for a design of your own choosing.

• Job or Hobby? Custom Islands started out as a hobby, but nowadays, in addition to my studies, it is also my job.

• Why did you become a reseller? I'm not a reseller. I make custom products on demand. I design custom sneakers, but I also turn basketballs into bags and flower pots.

• Tell us about your stand? My booth at Sneakerness is full of colour and accessories. I sell all custom products and everything is handmade. Also, at my booth, you can style your just-bought sneakers with charms. I also sell necklaces and earrings designed for sneaker lovers.

• Your unlimited supply sneaker to resell? If I have to sell one kind of sneakers for the rest of my life, it's custom sneakers of course!

• First and last sneaker? My most recently purchased sneaker was the New Balance 550 'White'. I customised the sneaker with a marble print. My first sneaker purchased? I wouldn't even remember.

• High and low? The highest price I sold a custom sneaker for was €330. This was a Jordan that I had spent more than 15 hours working on.

• What makes Sneakerness so special? Sneakerness has so many fun aspects. I love meeting people who have ordered custom sneakers from me, because you have actually worked together to create someone's dream shoe. I also think it's cool to meet other sneaker lovers and chat about our shared passion; sneakers.

Robin Klever

Robin Klever (@robinklever.nl) is a Dutch artist who focuses mainly on sneaker-related artwork. The artist creates illustrations, cartoons and designs logos and does so with passion. At his stand, you will find mainly drawings of your favorite sneaker or hip-hop artist.

You can learn more about Robin's artwork through his website. The artist will also be present again in this edition of Sneakerness.

• Job or Hobby? Illustrating is my full-time job.

• Why did you become a reseller? I am not a reseller, but I make art.

• Tell us about your stand? At my stand, you will find artworks of sneakers, legends, and custom-made art. Last year Sneakerness Rotterdam I made a custom Cartoon for Diego de Soysa, which was very cool. This year I have a surprising collab with another artist who will also be present in Amsterdam!

• First and last sneaker? My last bought sneakers were the Air Jordan 1 'Chicago Lost & Found' and the Air Jordan 3 'White Cements'. My first purchased pair of sneakers, I wouldn't even remember.

• High and low? The most I ever paid for a sneaker for the Off-White x Air Jordan 5 'Sail', or for the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 6 'Khaki'. I paid something like €500 at the time.

• What makes Sneakerness so special? What I find so special about Sneakerness is that everyone shares the same passion. This and live music, art, and good food of course. Sneakers is life!

Life of a Plug

Finally, reseller Life of a Plug (@life.of.a.plug) will also be present during Sneakerness 2023. The company was founded by the Dutch guys Joachim and Ray and has grown tremendously in a short period of time. Life of a Plug has a wide range of Nike Dunks, various Air Jordan models, and YEEZY sneakers.

You can score your dream sneaker through Life of a Plug's webshop. Or take a look at the booth at Sneakerness next weekend.

• Job or Hobby? Sneakers reselling is both a hobby and my job for me. Sneakers have been my hobby since 2007 and in 2018 I was able to make this my job.

• Why did you become a reseller? I love this question. Unlike many others, I became a reseller out of love for sneakers. I've been doing this for so long, and essentially, the times haven't changed that much. Only the hype has driven up prices, and the advent of the Internet has made sneakers more accessible to people without any affinity for sneakers. Reselling started for me around the year 2007. I looked for steals on eBay and sold them for a bit of profit. From the profit, I could then buy new sneakers. To come back to the question of why I started reselling. Instead of hating the game, I saw the opportunity to take my chance and live my dream. I am surrounded by the best sneakers, have more opportunities to build my own collection, and constantly feel the thrill of the W.

• Tell us about your stand? Of course, we want to sell our sneakers, but we also want to welcome you to our booth to chat about sneakers. We love meeting new sneakerheads and I love talking about historic pairs from the 2000s. Let's meet, we are part of the community!

• Your unlimited supply sneaker to resell? One sneaker that I could resell forever would be the Air Jordan 1 'Lost & Found.' I think it would be cool if we had more pairs of that pair of sneakers, so a good price for the iconic sneaker is created.

• First and last sneaker? My first sneaker purchased was the 2003 Nike Air 'Safari'. I still have this one to this day. My last sneaker purchased was the Air Jordan 3 'White Cement'.

• High and low? The highest price I ever sold a sneaker for was €2400 for the Off White x Air Jordan 1 'UNC'. The most expensive sneaker I ever bought myself was the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 'MCA'. I paid €1100 for this at the time.

• What makes Sneakerness so special? Sneakerness I personally think is a very special event. We do a lot of sneaker conventions all over Europe, so we can compare a lot. Sneakerness is more than shoe shopping, it is a community-driven event that offers much more than just sneaker shopping. I met a lot of people here that I wouldn't have met without the event.

These are just some of the sellers who will be at Sneakerness - if you missed part 1 of our seller overview, click here! Keep an eye on our news page for updates surrounding the event. Tickets are still available for the event on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, 2023. Click the button below and score your tickets.