In Their Shoes; Joy Yoon

The Queen of the Infleuncers?  Can I call her that?  I think I just did.

Joy Yoon holds an illustrious list of credits such as ex-Editor-in-Chief of The New Order Magazine, and currently contributor to the likes of The Huffington Post, Paper Magazine, Dazed Digital, Sneeze Magazine, Hypebeast.  She's also a pretty mean photographer, and is also the Author of the great 'The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles: 1001 Ideas' (which you can - and should buy here).  On top of that, she's really really nice, and if you bundle all that up, it makes her one of the most inspiring people I've met.

In my opinion she is the Queen, so I was humbled that she took the time to answer a few Q's in my latest 'In Their Shoes' interview to discuss trends, sneakers and her Mum's Birthday present.

IDYSM: Hey Joy, how are you, where are you, and what’s going on?

Joy: I’m good. In Amsterdam working away like the rest of the world, with the exception of babies. Their lack of coordination and communication skills makes them pretty useless in the workplace…unless they’re baby geniuses.

IDYSM: So, there are people with their finger on the pulse, but you are arguably THE pulse, how do you keep across such a broad understanding and appreciation of style and culture?

Joy: I know what I like and especially what I don’t like. It helps filter out a lot of shit. I also don’t take things too seriously. You just can’t.

IDYSM: What’s a typical day for you?

Joy: It’s very much like Ron Perlman getting eaten by that baby Kaiju in Pacific Rim aka “Where the fuck is my other shoe?”

IDYSM: How difficult has it been to find and establish your voice as a commentator, and stay on top of everything that’s going on?

Joy: I struggle to keep on top of my own stuff let alone pay attention to what everyone else is doing. If something is interesting or innovative, my interest is piqued, but all the rest is white noise.

IDYSM: In terms of defining eras, where do you see street culture being at present?

Joy:  It’s at a crossroads. On one side you see people doing really incredible things, and on the other, it’s just awful. People need to take a step back and reassess.

IDYSM: And shoes, where do you see sneaker culture being at right now?

Joy: Distracted in a lot of instances. I think brands need to re-focus and listen a bit more. Just because you work at the “best shoe brand in the world” does not mean you know everything. Fresh perspective is a good thing, and something a lot of these people seem to lack, although there are glimpses of real creative freedom and organic partnerships. Brands also need to stop being so precious about things. They want us to have an opinion and interpret their product our way, but the way everything is packaged is so contrived… where’s the freedom, the creativity, us making it our own? It’s not there anymore and I find it frustrating.

IDYSM: When I met you last year you were rocking All Stars. What brands and individuals are you most excited about in the sneaker world right now and why?

Joy: Converse, New Balance and Vans are perennial favourites, Nike and adidas always pump out good shit but lately I’m loving the Jack Purcell; it’s just a great shoe.

Joy (continued): As for individuals... there are murmurings online that Riccardo Tischi from Givenchy might be doing an Air Force 1 and that’s genuinely interesting. I think Nike working with high fashion is something they definitely need to do more often. Everyone knows it’s a sports brand, so why not branch out and do something else? It’s not like we’ll forget just because they do a fashion collab. adidas works with Stella McCartney, Raf Simons, and Jeremy Scott so why doesn't Nike collaborate with Phoebe Philo from Céline? Every photo I see her in she’s wearing their shoes so it’s not a stretch. I’d really appreciate it if Nike would consider revisiting that one. But please feel free to take any of my ideas and make them into a reality. 1) An epic plaid and floral drop with Dries Van Noten 2) A murdered out collection courtesy of the goth goddess Ann Demeulemeester 3) Tailored “sportswear” from Haider Ackermann and 4) a riot of prints from Peter Pilotto.

I don’t line up for much, but I’d definitely line up for any of the above.

And it’s not a sneaker brand, but Viberg is a great shoe.  You can’t wear sneakers all the time.

IDYSM: How has the Internet changed things?  With so much access to information and product are trends becoming more universal?

Joy: It’s my best friend and my worst enemy. It’s so easy to find information, but how most people use it is by and large imbecilic. It’s made everyone an “authority” on everything, which is bloody awful.

IDYSM: What and where excites and inspires you the most at the moment?

Joy: Writing (I just published my first book: The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles: 1,001 Ideas), reading, cooking, music, travelling, eating, and my family keep me going.
IDYSM: If you didn't do it before - shame on you, check out the book here!

IDYSM: I always like to end my interviews with this question…what’s on your feet right now?

Joy: I’m all about hype. So you know that I’m wearing the hottest footwear in the game: Mutha f—kin’ bedroom slippers in the shape of little lambs. My mom gave them to me for my birthday. She’s a total hypebeast. They’re the must have shoes for Fall/Winter 2013.

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