This time, he’s going all out against the counterfeit sneaker industry with his new project SnkrsDen – an online platform for buying and selling kicks. When I first heard about it, I just knew I had to get some more details from the man himself.
It wasn’t easy to schedule with him, I must say. It seems like Yaniv is always busy with something – fine tuning his Instagram pages, refreshing the collection in his online shop or just cruising around for a new pair of shoes. Eventually he found the time to sit down and have a chat about this interesting new venture.
A little about the man behind the project
I’m not sure you really need an introduction but introduce yourself to our readers anyway.
“Haha, OK. Hi everyone, my name is Yaniv Bar and I’m a professional sneakerhead. I started collecting kicks back in 2016 and now, four years later, I’m getting really close to 700 pairs.”
Wow, that must have cost you a fortune.
“Well, not as much as you’d think. When a hobby like this becomes a passion, you also learn where (and when) to shop for sneakers. You can always find good bargains, but you must always be careful from the phonies – and I guess we’ll talk more about that later on.”
So why did you decided to turn this hobby – or passion – into a business?
“I started off by creating an Instagram page for sneakerheads because I couldn’t find enough of them around. I mean, there are a dozen superb ones but that’s just not enough. It wasn’t too long till I had thousands of followers, which just proves that people were thirsty for this kind of content. Today, with all three pages I run, I have over 220 thousand followers.
“I kept getting a lot of positive feedback, but people were also asking me where they can buy the sneakers I post. That led me to creating yankeekicks.com – my own online store for top quality sneakers.”
Crooks and scammers, beware!
And today you’re unveiling your most recent project. Tell us about that.
“Gladly. I’ve always hated fake sneakers, just like every other true sneakerhead. But once I opened up my own online store, I realized just how big and powerful the counterfeit industry really is. At first, I posted a few guides on my website on how to recognize fake kicks but I quickly understood that it’s just not enough – and that I had to take action against this disgraceful phenomenon.
“I was thinking of a way to make people buy sneakers with a guarantee that they won’t be cheated, and then the idea of actually creating a marketplace for sneakerheads popped up. From there, it wasn’t long till SnkrsDen was created and the website was on air. In this short time, SnkrsDen has managed to attract over 33 thousand followers on Instagram alone – and there’s also a buzz on Facebook and Twitter as well.”
Sounds nice, but how does it really work?
“Simple. We created a virtual space for sneaker buyers and sellers to interact, chat, get to know each other and close a deal. That way, the buyer has a face and an address when they buy kicks – not an anonymous supplier or a big mega-store.”
Ok, but one may ask: What’s in it for the seller?
“Good question. My logic led me to believe that sellers are looking to raise their credibility in order to make a bigger profit. Think about it: When you have a satisfied customer who actually knows who you are and what type of kicks you sell, you increase your chances of selling more. Word of mouth travels fast, especially when people try to stay away from crooks.”
So, it actually works for both sides. Amazing. How come nobody’s thought of that before?
“Hmm, well, I’d have to guess that people did give it a try before me, but maybe the internet just wasn’t ready for it. Today, when almost anything can be bought and sold online, it is time to try again.”
Great. When can we start?
“I plan to launch the SnkrsDen app in December this year, but until then you’re more than welcome to visit the SnkrsDen website for more details, sneaker news, exclusive peeks at new kicks and – of course – a guide to telling real sneakers from fake ones.”
