#14 (Not) Just A Shoe

This is not it.

There needs to be a separate edition of shreemail and a special episode of That’s What Shree Said to tell you why (and how) I went independent, what I really feel about shifting from Bengaluru to Mumbai, and some of the exciting projects I’m working on.

But this is not it.

Today’s edition is inspired by Air, which is streaming now on Amazon Prime India.

It’s easy to think that Air is about Michael Jordan.

It's not. I mean, they made a conscious decision to not show his face on screen during the entire runtime (other than the inserts of the found footage of course) because director Affleck thought "there's no convincing anybody that someone who isn't Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan."

Air is actually about the pursuit that led Nike to ‘court the legend’ and create the iconic Air Jordan line. Some say that its the most influential sneaker ever built.

Matt Damon’s Sonny Vaccaro is a middle-aged man with boatloads of enthusiasm who is tasked with vitalising the scrappy Portland-based company’s basketball division.

We know what happens in the end. They get the man. (More than) A few billion dollars are earned. Everybody is happy.

But a recurring motif that really struck with me was:

“A Shoe Is Just A Shoe. Until Somebody Steps Into It.”

Which is to say that something means so much more than itself when it becomes a symbol (that's the literal definition of it). When it represents something more than its form or function. When it becomes an icon. And sometimes, somebody makes it their own.

That somebody, was Michael Jordan.

Sure, he was a part of a team.

But on his own, he was air.

Interestingly though, one realisation I’ve had about my ‘solo’ journey so far is that it’s rarely a solo game.

We all have our Sonny Vaccaros.

Somebody takes a chance on you. Somebody sees the spark. The ambition. The ambition collides.

When Nike CEO Phil Knight asks whether signing the rookie Jordan at such an exorbitant fee is the right thing to do, he quips:

“This is one of those deals where everybody wins.”

It’s a great feeling when somebody believes in your aspirations.

But when somebody doesn’t?

You just gotta do it yourself.

Speaking about shoes and inspiring people…

TWSS 51A and 51B

In March, I had the pleasure the interviewing two ex-PUMA executives, Bhavisha and Meenakshi, who are the co-founders of CAPSUL, a multi-brand streetwear based out of Bengaluru.

While Part 1 of our conversation is focused on understanding the streetwear market in India, the glowing work culture at PUMA and the never-ending debate between Mumbai and Bengaluru, Part 2 was more about CAPSUL itself: the retail metrics that matter, the values it holds to build communities, and some of the hard decisions it has had to take when it comes to expanding a niche concept store.

If you’re a sneakerhead or want to know more about this world, I highly implore you check out both these episodes.

Link to the show: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AkWr4x0wKJIYxiVrxXG4W?si=b997ce2a30744e76

This Is A Great Song (TIAGS)

Always by Daniel Caesar: An unfailing song about unending love. Listen!

BONUS

Came across this post + podcast by Business of Fashion which speaks about how it’s important for the street + sneaker industry to focus on sustainability. The guest on the pod, Alec Leach, is for the former editor of Highsnobiety and had some juicy thoughts around the state of the industry.

Ending

That’s it from this edition of shreemail. Hope you had a fun read!

As always, please leave a comment to tell me what you thought, and please subscribe to this newsletter if you haven't already?

I'll be back soon. Soon soon soon.

Best,

Shreevar (@shreevz on all social media)