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Malaysian Sneakerhead and Basketball Fan: Shawn Tinz

Interviews

Dorothy Field
July 14, 2022

Shawn Tinz @shawntinz has been a basketball fan since he was 12 years old, which inspired his love for sneakers. He particularly is fond of it when his basketball shoes collide with both streetwear and fashion. Some of the pairs in his collection are "Panda" Nike Dunk Low, VANS "SK8" Low, LastresortAB, and New Balance 992/990v2/990v3/2002R.‍

All images via @shawntinz

What was the moment you first got drawn to sneakers, and which pair of sneakers triggered your passion?

The moment that I first got drawn into sneakers was in Kanye tracks from his “The Life of Pablo” album, Kanye makes the statement, “Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman”. There is no doubt that he truly transformed the sneaker game with his various line of Yeezy Sneakers. The “Black/Solar Red” Nike Air Yeezy 2 released in 2012 is the first pair of sneakers which triggered and leaded me into streetwear fashion.

What’s one moment or trend in the history of sneaker culture that resonates with you?

I like to play basketball when I was 12 years old. In 2012, I realized basketball shoes can actually collab with street culture and fashion. That was really inspired me.

Please describe how it feels to you when you get and wear a new pair of kicks?

I'm happy, enjoying it, and proud to rock with this new pair of kicks. Especially when walking down the street where everyone is staring at your sneakers.

What are some of your favorite creators/designers or brands and why?

My favorite creators is Virgil Abloh and Tetsu Nishiyama. Because Virgil brought streetwear culture into high fashion with OFF-WHITE. He turns LV from classic to fabulous. In 1996, Tetsu Nishiyama came up WTAPS. Stemming from his passion for utilitarian wear, that influenced me about utility wear also military culture and I quite addicted to WTAPS. the name was derived from the military term “double tap” and has gone onto become one of Japan’s mainstay streetwear imprints.

What is one sneaker collaboration that doesn’t exist, but you wish/think should exist?

I wish "Travis Scott x WTAPS x VANS", "Travis Scott x WTAPS x NIKE", or "Travis Scott x WTAPS x New Balance" should exist.

What are some of the current pairs of sneakers in your rotation?

For my current pair of rotation are "Panda" Nike Dunk Low, VANS "SK8" Low, LastresortAB, and New Balance 992/990v2/990v3/2002R.

What is your ultimate holy grail sneaker that you have not managed to acquire so far?

M992WT and M990WT2.

Other than kicks, what are some of your daily essentials or treasured items?

Caps, Bleu De Chanel Perfume, Gshock Watch, Madness Coin Pouch, and some Japan necklace inspired by Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

I'm a full-time freelance writer with a love for writing self-improvement, relationships, mental health, and lifestyle articles.