Digital illustrations of this calibre, with this level of detail and feel are rare to come by and its something we want to celebrate. We commissioned an illustration of our flagship store to acknowledge our fifth year of existence and a grand gesture to how far we've come since we started in 2019 and i'm happy we got to share the experience with such a talented artist.
We will be releasing a capsule collection centred on this piece for our fifth year anniversary later this year.
In the meantime please visit @ard_draw on instagram and visit his website drawdesigns to view his other works.
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I cant wait to see what happens next. Thank you
]]>We started the year with a bang, having just completed a collaboration with Timberland we are well and truly back in the saddle.
We look forward to what comes next and look forward to sharing it with you. Our boutique is open as normal Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 9pm. Or alternatively please select from one of our mail order options.
]]>I have so much energy for the year ahead. I can't wait to get things into motion again. That being said, we are open from this Thursday 6th January from 12pm to 9pm.
We are taking walk ins and also mail orders. We will also be making amendments to the online mail order process to streamline options and make it easier to navigate.
Whilst we're busy getting things ready, I just want to say I'm so full of energy and excited and grateful. Thank you for the support.
]]>The start of the year saw us driving roughly 3000 miles as we adapted through lockdown with our collection service.
We then left lockdown and opened in April into uncertainty and massively reduced footfall.
Then I was hit by covid in June and ended up in hospital and away recovering for a month.
Each thing seemed to have its own set of obstacles and challenges affecting my body, mental state, motivation and finances. But I came back.
I returned and reopened into a bigger shop and have begun pitching together the future in my head, more excited than ever.
Building a brand alone isn't easy and it starts with inspiration, hard work and sheer determination.
Even with all those obstacles I powered through and I'm beyond excited:
To carry on.
To develop.
To show you the sneaker pharm inside my head.
I always see sneaker pharm as a reflection of myself. Hopefully I'll be able to develop it and grow it till its exactly how I picture it in my own head.
It goes without saying I wouldn't be sat in my shop typing this mental note out if it wasn't for each one of you.
So thank you for all the support so far. Deepest deepest gratitude for you all. 🙏
We have expanded our size and have moved into a larger unit. For me it represents more than just space, it represents a small step towards my goal and vision.
I've always maintained that sneaker pharm represents more than just shop for cleaning shoes. It represents me; every element is curated around my own ideas and influences and i want it to be the best representation of myself.
Ultimately i want to influence a new approach to consumption; ensuring that the customer is being mindful of what is purchased and conscious of after care options - to enhance the lifeline of products and to reduce waste.
Through the continuation and expansion of our shoe care service and now the ability to curate and offer products, i hope i can impart my take on a new style of consumption.
Hope to see you soon. Forever grateful.
]]>It was a real eye opener, it helped me re-evaluate everything and really put into perspective how i am and also the power of the community as a whole. There was a lot of positive energy being sent my way and I believe it helped me through.
I rarely take acclaim or compliments as i downplay it a lot but its coming upto the 2nd year anniversary for sneaker pharm*
and i just want to scream
im fucking good
im glad i can do good by you
hopefully i can do good for you guys forever
I cant wait to regain my body and health. I cant wait for the next chapter. Everyone has ups and downs but im locked in and focused.
Love life. See you soon x
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Today is earth day its been amazing to see the response towards our service. Many customers have saved shoes which would otherwise end up being discarded. In the UK alone we throw away an average 300 million pairs of shoes yearly. That's yearly. Most end up in landfill and never biodegrade. We are polluting our planet through our actions. I just urge you to think twice about your shoes.
There's a podcast segway in here somewhere re: reselling and shoes as investments with pros and cons. Although annoying, there's a positive byproduct in the sense that sneakers commanding higher values will be cared for for longer periods of time.
Do the high values on the resell market extend the product life cycles of sneakers?
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Our boutique has opened its doors once again and you've all been amazing. I had my worries, fears etc but you blew those expectations wide open 🤯 the reception from you guys has shown that the community is very much alive. Thank you.
We are once again accepting walk ins, six days a week and we are also maintaining our door to door collection service on mondays. Simply send us a DM or email and we'll be back to you.
Let's keep it rolling. Let's see those fire kicks. Let's go outside. Let's party. Much love 🙏
#forthecurious
Sunday : 12pm to 6pm
We also aim to open Mondays as Tier restrictions relax, however please keep an eye on our stories on instagram @sneakerpharm
Thank you for all your continued support
]]>We are currently only operating off site and have established a mail order service to help offset the effects of closure. {click the mail order link above}
The safety and security of our customers is our number one concern and as such our shop remains closed. We are currently waiting for the site to become compliant and safe before we resume operations as normal. We will update you on a continuous basis as soon as we hear back.
We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. It's been a difficult time, with operations being rendered null but i'd like to personally thank you all for the continued support during these times.
Thank you for everyone who has purchased a t-shirt, voucher and sent words of encouragement, you have been amazing and i look forward to seeing you all as soon as we reopen.
However, I have since learnt that there is much more gravity to those words and actually understand the premise. My learning came full circle when i started planning for Sneaker Pharm* and it all started to make sense. The terms are intrinsic to success - embody the business as if its an extension of yourself.
It isn't to stay relevant in the market (thats merely a side effect) Its more to do with a sense of fulfilment.
I keep these words close and at the forefront of everything else. It's what has sparked a new lease of life in me and im grateful for everyone for helping me understand these words.After scrolling through emails, my discover weekly playlist and sipping on shitty freeze dried coffee (cannot wait for coffee shops to re-open) my mind turns to the concept of luxury and then to fashion.
Historically, consumer behaviour has seen shifts during times of hardship with people foregoing luxuries and focusing on core necessities. I guess that explains why some people started panic buying toilet roll. (sort of)
Economists measure this change as price elasticity of demand and without going into too much detail; it is the degree to which the effective desire of something changes as its price changes.
and the current disruption to peoples income, has this indirectly caused a price change and therefore demand?
Although the answer should be yes, I submit that the model is somewhat too linear.
Im not salty (I promise…) but It didn’t seem to stop everyone and their dog trying to get in on the limited Game Royal Jordan release last week. Either clothing/footwear isn’t elastic or you all really loved “The Last Dance”.
It’s easy to pigeon-hole the “price” element to fiscal factors alone, however I believe it can be applied differently. As evidenced by my Jordan 1 example “Price” can be defined as an opportunity cost, it can be emotive but I’d like to go further and urge you to think about “Price” in terms of cost to the environment and cost to the community.
As we’ve slowed down and had time to reflect please take time to consider the environmental impact of your purchases, the way companies treat their employees (this includes their supply chains), consider independent businesses and support real people doing real things. It’s good to see companies reacting to this outbreak positively so far and hopefully it’ll affect a change for the better.
Let me know in the comments below how you feel about luxury? What factors influence your purchases? Are you likely to buy from large fast fashion houses? Are you likely to buy new or look after what you already own?
Like everyone else, my daily routine and boutique was put on pause and I’ve been working hard to stay afloat from home. Although my boutique at Manchester’s Hatch has taken the back burner, its funny the things you miss when you pause to give thought.
Far from being a conventional “retail shop” a lot of people have been curious as to what my days look like.
My day kicks off with a little walk from Deansgate towards Oxford Road, with headphones blaring last night’s Spotify playlist additions. (Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant atm) I’ll usually be scrolling through my Instagram feed for any news from my Hatch neighbours/favourite brands and weaving in and out of commuters as I reach the Theatre on Oxford road.
Cross the road and I’m craving a coffee. I dive into Takk, exchange humorous anecdotes with the crew and grab a perfectly brewed flat white. Out the door onto the Hatch courtyard, there’s usually a bevy of noise and fine smells from the foodies. Say hello to the boys at Grandads Sausages, place a pre-order and onto the retail section.
Hatch PA is in effect at this point, filling the space beneath mancunian way with life. Unplug my headphones and catch up with my neighbours.
and Suzy Loves Milo is in full swing. I chat with Bob throughout the day but usually make it a thing to check for new garms in the morning (they like to sneak in insane pieces on the downlow) I carry that excited energy over to This Thing of Ours and speak to Tim about his new pieces and jokingly pass judgment on people who aren’t willing to give wide fit pants a chance.
I open my door to all the shoes and begin to assess what’s been completed and what needs to be done. (Usually a tricky colour match that’s given me hell the day prior) I begin work, usually late into the evening and watch Hatch transition from a cool day time shopping mall into a unique foodie and boozie chill spot.
I also fall for the transition and grab a few honey tequila margeritas from Number 8 Cocktails or shofferhoffers from Electric Box. No two days are the same, with customers dropping off crazy grails and friends dropping by to hang out, its all random and its amazing.
Speaking to my friends, Tim (This Thing Of Ours) and Bob (Suzy Loves Milo) its clear I’m not the only one on a nostalgia trip. We’re all independent businesses at Hatch and its been tough one but we’ll be back, better than ever. In the meantime check out our mail service or grab a t-shirt. Check out our friends www.depop.com/suzylovesmiloboutique/ www.thisthingofours.co.uk and the Hatch instagram @hatchmcr
See you soon guys x
]]>The release in question that has caused all this irrationality? - The Jordan 1 Game Royals. The Jordan 1 silhouette was first produced for Michael Jordan in 1984 and is considered by many to be the shoe that started it all. If you’ve watched the Last Dance (the new Netflix documentary about Michael Jordan) you’ll know all about the hype.
I wasn’t always into the hype and I must admit that my love affair for the 1s only started in 2018 when they released the Bred toes. I’m not normally a fan of high tops and was dubious at first but later decided to pull the trigger and went out to stake my place in queue.
Once secured and in my hands, I was offered double the retail price on the spot and as tempting as it was, I refused and made my way home. I’ve been to a fair few releases since and have secured many a grail but
Upon opening the box, I remember being greeted to a unique scent, most likely attributed to the glue and premium tumbled leather. (No other shoe to date has had such a unique sweet scent). I quickly removed the tissue paper to reveal the shoes and at this point, all buyers remorse went out the window. Nike decided to use a premium tumbled leather for that release, and I was grateful for it. After conducting numerous in hand 360s I set about trying them on and
The footbed and insole was the first thing that surprised me – super supportive, yet bouncy. It was easy to see the why the phrase “air Jordan” stuck. The second thing that stood out was the silhouette and the contour from the wearers perspective, its hard to describe with words and even to convey in pictures but its definitely something special. (Jordan owners will understand)
Its currently 1 hour away from the scheduled release time, the birds are out chirping, the sun is rising and my eyes weary but I’m full of energy. I’m nervous and my heart is racing, I’m frantically checking my emails for any raffle confirmations, borderline manic and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
However, a part of me is bracing itself for failure. The “Royal” colourway has appeared previously in slightly different guises and all command huge figures on the resale market, fetching prices upwards of £400 on ebay and depop.
The shoes are highly coveted. There will be a limited supply. There will be competition. There will be blood.
30 minutes and counting. Its time to load up the browsers and set my alarm clock. Wish me luck.
… And if it doesn’t go my way, I can take solace in the fact that I got lucky on a used pair of New Balance ct300 made in England’s.
]]>This has smashed our services drastically as we were forced to temporarily close our boutique. However, this is not a doom and gloom post about the impacts of COVID-19, it is a positive introduction to a new vehicle, a new medium we are exploring and riffing with. The blog will allow us to communicate with all who are interested and act as a pad to share thoughts and ideas.
A novel paradox but it was the right thing to do. The announcement of the lockdown brought about a lot of uncertainty and disruption. (all the things a tiny start-up worries about daily but amplified).
Although constantly aware, I've never really been a fan of thinking into these things too much - these thoughts are strictly reserved for the black and white pages of business plan contingency sections. Although this sounds quite cavalier, it must be noted that i've already had a few weeks to run through the motions of meltdown and recover. In other words:
To help perpetuate that dream state, i leaned heavy on music, interior design and closely followed the responses of the people and companies i aspired towards. The resilience of these companies, energy in music, comfort in simplistic design and community spirit re-established my thought processes.
Although i'm not one for sharing my opinions on what i've achieved, its good to take stock and look at the positive things that have happened so far and determine the key drivers for these milestones. So with Jamie xx and Bombay Bicycle Club as my soundtrack i set about this task.
During a mandated 1 hour run through the city, it became immediately obvious that the keys were positivity and gratitude.
Positivity - i've still got ideas and huge goals that need to be realised and nothing has taken those away.
Gratitude - you guys have given me the courage to do what i do and dream. The community has always been the heart of everything. It was a key point in my business plan and i've resided with this thought throughout the quieter times, the hard times and its proven true every time.
Fast forward to today and i'm pleased to announce that the sneaker pharm mail order service is live. Funny how things work out but out webstore has unlocked so many more ideas and will act as a springboard and i cant wait to share them with you guys.
Keep an eye on our webstore for regular updates and new items-
www.sneaker-pharm/myshopify.com/
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