An entrepreneur who first caught our attention from his popular instagram page @YankeeKicks
Yaniv Bar had a brief moment to chat with us about his businesses Yankee Kicks. He has also worked in other venture capitols for small companies, as well as currently investing in the real-estate industry. Lets find out more about him in the interview below –
When did the love for shoes first start?
I entered the sneaker game back in 2016 on a trip to New York City. I went into Flight Club and purchased the adidas NMD HU Pharrell Human Being Sharp Blue. It was at this moment I realized I wanted to collect and own my personal sneaker collection.
How did you come up with the idea/name for Yankee Kicks?
Yankee has always been a childhood nickname and my love for Kicks is self explanatory
How long have you been collecting sneakers?
I began collecting sneakers in 2016.
How did you get into rare / sample collecting?
Rare/Sample collecting began with some of my friends and family who are deep in the sneaker world. They connected me with the “plugs” who have access to these sneakers. From there it became just networking with as many people as possible. I currently have access to many sneakers before they’re released.
How many shoes do you have in total?
I have over 600 pairs of sneakers.
If you had to pick 5 all time favorites from your collection what would they be?
My top 5 in no particular order are: Red Octobers, Yeezy 700 Inertia, Off-White Presto, adidas Ultra Boost 4.0 Bape Camo with the gold stripes (unreleased/sample pair), Nike SB Dunk Low Diamond Supply Co Canary Diamond (Friends and Family) and Jordan 1 Retro High Think 16 (Pass the Torch). Had to include an extra one!
What do you think of Stock X & Goat? Did these effect you? I think these sites have made it easier for everyone in the world cop sneakers they desire. Some times the fees and verification process are annoying.
What’s the most meaningful pair in your collection; and why?
The most meaningful pair in my collection would Nike MAG Back To the Future (2011). Being a huge fan of this movie I also purchased signed skateboard by Michael J Fox that was used in the movie.
What was the biggest challenge in running a popular sneakerhead blog? The biggest challenge is keeping up with ALL the sneaker drops as new pics and leaks are released daily 24/7
What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a single pair? what was it?
The most I paid for a sneaker was a little over $10,000 for the Air Jordan 3 Retro Tinker Oregon Ducks PE.
Who are you top 5 favorite sneaker Instagram accounts you follow?
My 5 favorite sneaker IG accounts I follow in no particular order are:
@SnkrsDen
@HypeBeast
@thesolesupplier
@solecollector
@sneakernews
What was the hardest pair for you to acquire?
The hardest pair for me to acquire would have to be the Red Octobers for several reasons. The major factor was authentication issues as several fakes kept trying to
What’s one grail that you don’t own.. that one day you would want?
Jordan 3 Retro DJ Khaled Grateful would be the one sneaker I have not been able to find/purchase.
If you could do a collaboration with any sneaker company who would you chose? And what model would you choose?
This is an extremely tricky question as I love both the adidas 4D model and the Nike Air Max 1 and 90 model. Ultimately I would have to go with Nike and either work on the Air Max 90 or Air Max 1 as there’s more variations and detailing that can be done on these sneakers.
Thoughts on fake shoes?
I absolutely hate fake shoes and anything counterfeit in general. It takes away value from sneakers and those who worked hard to cop the pair they were in search for. Action needs to be taken to close down these factories as people are spending a lot of money on fake sneakers thinking they are legit.
Goals for 2020? More (rare) sneakers!
Any Advice you give someone wanting to get into the shoe game?
Follow my page, stay up to date with the latest drop and news, and find the model and style you love.
Follow YankeeKicks on Instagram and be sure to check their site YankeeKicks.com for all new updates – Submit to Jukebox Culture
