MY WORKPLAYCE: SIMON “WOODY” WOOD
Name: Woody
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Occupation: Publisher
Affiliations: Sneaker Freaker, Fitzroy Muscle Car Club, G-Street
Background: Simon Wood is the founder of the International publication Sneaker Freaker magazine- the ultimate sneaker aficionado collector’s guide. It was launched independently back in 2002 and is distributed in over 40 countries worldwide. He has a background in fashion, film, graphic design, copy writing and of course sneaker collecting.
Website: www.sneakerfreaker.com
Let’s see what’s on Woody’s workspace:
1. Logitech Skype headphones
You can’t run a global business from the ass-end of the world without spending QT on the phone and SKYPE. It has saved me a fortune over the years! With these headphones I got over looking like a call centre worker a while ago…. having your hands free when you make calls is actually pretty useful, especially if you’re Italian. Which I’m not.
2. AIRMAX1 A DAY book
Awesome one-off book by Matt Stevens, an amazing illustrator from the US. Why hasn’t Nike hired this kid?
3. Sneaker Freaker x PUMA Clyde Book (suede edition)
A year in the making, this book was a labour of love that came out at the end of 2010. Only a few copies were bound by hand with vintage PUMA suede… super dope book!
4. New Sneaker Freaker scarf sample
Coming soon to a neck near you.
5. G-Shock DW001 (Jason model)
One of my sought after vintage G-Shocks of all time… I spent years looking for one and then last year they rereleased this badboy in yellow! I’d still prefer the vintage one of course… my collection is now out of control – and still growing.
6. Pantone Colour chart
You can’t live without one. I can’t either…
7. Olympus D30 Digital Recorder
An essential item for any cadet journo.
8. Sneaker Freaker
Last year we started publishing the magazine in Russian and German, along with the Spanish version. This is the second edition in Russian and just arrived by courier today… its nuts to think the magazine is printed in different languages.
9. Jordan’s for babies
Too cute by far… these will come in handy in June.
10. Converse by Sak – Chuck Taylors
One of my favourite releases of 2010 for sure… these were released in very limited numbers and are 100% made by the hand of Sak, a Japanese designer living in Italy. The quality is amazing…
AWKP: Your office is exactly how I pictured it but way cooler. There are shoe-filled boxes everywhere, 6 apple monitors on one ‘megadesk’ and various toy collections. Can you locate anything at any given moment? Is it the type of setup that if everything was neatly organized you wouldn’t know where to find it?
WOODY: Thank you. That means a lot coming form someone who sees a lot of offices. I don’t know about neat. I’m just not that kind of guy… just when we get on top of things and cleaned up, 10 boxes of shoes will arrive and it’s a disaster site once again. Everything is more or less logically displayed; even if I don’t know exactly where everything is at least I know where I’m supposed to look. The toys just seem to appear. Right now I’m obsessed with two foot tall Jumbo Machinders, but the ones I don’t have are worth thousands so I’m at that fork in the road where I really have to step up if I wanna go deeper. Aside from that we have thousands of shoes, mostly singles in boxes. I’m trying to work out what to do with them and still waiting for the brilliant idea to hit… maybe some crazy installation where we glue them to a wall somewhere? If anyone has any ideas hit me up.
AWKP: Can you tell us the story behind the crumpled envelope picture?
WOODY: Oh yeah, they just came from Moscow… it’s the second issue of the magazine in Russian. It’s always cool when the new editions turn up.
AWKP: Sneaker Freaker has done numerous collaborations from the Asics “Alvin Purples” to the Puma “Blaze of Glory” shoe. What company would you love to work with and what would you propose?
WOODY: I’d love to hotrod a new LE Sneaker Freaker Camaro or a Challenger, design the one-off wheels, custom paint and insane engine package.
AWKP: With the recession (supposedly we are out of it, who knows) going on in the U.S. and the closing of many streetwear/sneaker boutiques all across the nation, where do you feel street culture is heading? Just a few have remained successful in the retail game but there are many out there that are going through tough times. Any advice you have for those still trying to make it?
WOODY: Street culture is going nowhere fast. Maybe I’m a little old but I just don’t see the vibrancy or where the fun is going to come from. It’s stale. Product is arguably at an all-time low. I don’t blame anyone in particular and it’s probably a pretty normal fluctuation, but it could certainly do with an injection of pizzazz. We need some new brands to step up and shake the cage. I’ve seen FEIT and OUTLIER making moves recently and I was impressed by what they’re doing. As far as retail goes… I honestly have no idea. I’ve never worked in a shop and don’t know the first thing about retail. I did write a pretty big piece on independent retail here. I think that answers your question… but if I had one overall comment, it’s don’t give up. If you believe in what you do, persistence is key. if you’re in it for the wrong reasons, you’ll be exposed. Mall culture is strangling everything.
AWKP: We noticed the inclusion of a baby Jordan jersey and some baby air max shoes. You even hinted under your Jordan item that ‘it will come handy in June.” Your future son or daughter will be exposed to sneaker culture straight out the womb. Would you want he or she to follow in your footsteps? Maybe take over the Sneaker Freaker Empire one day?
WOODY:Well I already have two young boys at home called Sonny and Claude, but we’re all expecting another addition to the family in June. Boy or girl? I’m not sure… but I’d say the chances of a sneaker dynasty are slimmer than none! I’m never giving up my job… I wanna be like Hugh Hefner in a dressing gown, still engaging in sneaker orgies at 80 years of age.
AWKP: As a huge sneakerhead , you have been probably asked this a million times so I am going to flip this a certain way. What are your top 5 collabo non-Nike shoes ever?
WOODY:
CONCEPTS x NB 999
PROPER x REEBOK DUAL PUMP RUNNERS
SNKR FRKR x ASICS ‘ALVIN PURPLE’
PATTA x ASICS GEL LYET 111
ADIDAS EQT x SOLEBOX
AWKP: What are your plans for the New Year? Where do you see Sneaker Freaker going in 2011 and into 2012?
WOODY: Sneakers, more sneakers and then just when you think we’re done, you can guarantee there’ll be more sneakers! We just launched the mag into Russia and Germany so I’d expect some consolidation in Europe, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you never know what’s around the corner. Look out for a few new SF collabos as well… we have some crazy stuff coming.
AWKP: Any last shoutouts?
WOODY: Thanks to all the Sneaker Freaker staff Hans, Mafia, James and Anthony! It’s a pretty good team down here and I owe them a lot!
