INTERVIEW WITH THE SNEAKER LAW AUTHORS
As some of you may know, my husband, Kenneth Anand, the co-author of Sneaker Law, has recently released V2 of Sneaker Law, a one-of-a-kind book that teaches the reader all they need to know about the sneaker industry! V1 was a smashing success, receiving awards and becoming required reading in law schools and design schools around the country. Now that V2 has been released, I sat down with Kenneth and his co-author, Jared Goldstein, to get some insight on the book and their plans for the future of the Sneaker Law brand.
Safia: Congrats on V2 of Sneaker Law! Can you tell us more about the book and what made you want to write it?
Kenneth: It started as an idea Jared and I had to write a few articles about the intersection of law and sneakers, to shine a light on what goes on behind the scenes of these groundbreaking cases and disputes. But then, as we started talking and planning, we figured why not just write a book that covers all you need to know about the business. It was naive at the time, but we saw the process through and four years later, Sneaker Law was born. Ultimately, the law is just one part of the book - Sneaker Law is really the Bible for the sneaker industry.
Safia: Could you have ever imagined as a kid that your love for sneakers could actually become a career as an adult?
Jared: Virgil Abloh, one of our biggest inspirations, used to say, “Everything I do is for the 17-year old version of myself.” While I don’t know if I could have imagined as a kid that sneakers would create this career for myself, everything we do with Sneaker Law is for our inner child.
Safia: Who is the target audience for the book?
Kenneth: Anyone who has a desire to learn more about the sneaker business, wants a career in the sneaker business, or is an entrepreneur looking to start their own business. There’s something in Sneaker Law for everyone from the casual fans to the real sneakerheads. And Sneaker Law has been read by and taught to all ages from high school level through college, law school, and even adults with a passion for sneakers.
Safia: What subjects are covered in the book?
Jared: All aspects of business, law, design, and entrepreneurship. Specifically, the book covers the history of the sneaker business, starting your own business, branding, design, manufacturing, distribution, licensing, collaborations, marketing, litigation & disputes, how to negotiate sneaker deals, customs, copycats, counterfeits, and reselling & the secondary market.
Safia: How does V2 differ from V1?
Kenneth: V2 is twice the length of V1 for starters. It has an all new “V2 Blue” cover and colorway, new signature shoelace/bookmark, all new content, and is really everything we could have hoped for. We broke the mold with V1, but with V2 we refined it and made it bigger and better than ever. Oh yeah, there’s stickers inside too.
Safia: Would you say that this book only applies to the sneaker industry or does the material apply to entrepreneurs in general, including the wider fashion industry?
Jared: The beautiful thing about Sneaker Law V2 is that it uses sneakers as the vehicle to teach business, law, and entrepreneurship. Therefore, this book applies not only to the wider fashion industry, but many different industries.
Safia: What are some of the biggest changes that you have seen in the sneaker industry between V1 and V2?
Kenneth: It seems like as soon as we made Sneaker Law into a thing, people started taking more of an interest in the legal side of the business. Not only did we start to see more coverage of sneaker law news, we saw an increase in the number of cases overall. So naturally, we had a lot more to cover in V2.
Safia: V1 has red writing on the cover and a red shoelace and V2 has blue writing and a blue shoelace. What is the meaning behind the different colors?
Jared: For our first two books, we took inspiration from the earliest sneakers worn by Michael Jordan after he signed with Nike. V1 was inspired by the Bred (black and red) Jordan 1 and V2 was by the Royal (blue) Jordan 1.
Safia: You and Jared have really changed the game when it comes to textbooks. I wish books looked like this when I was in law school, and I wish we had interesting classes like this! What schools is the book taught in?
Kenneth: So far Sneaker Law has been incorporated into over 30 different schools, including law schools like Harvard, Miami, and Yale; design schools like Parsons; and even inner city high schools. We’re very grateful for the academic endorsements, but we’re even more grateful that the book has become an educational resource for people that can’t afford to attend some of these prestigious schools, and just want to learn the same way.
Safia: I know that Beth Henries was instrumental in getting your book into Parsons, can you tell us a little more about her involvement?
Jared: Beth is the GOAT. She was an early supporter of Sneaker Law and immediately saw the vision. At the time, Beth was a professor and the course coordinator for the Business Regulations and Practices course at Parsons. She implemented Sneaker Law as the course textbook across all Business Regulations and Practices courses, a class that is required for all outgoing seniors.
Safia: How is AI affecting the sneaker industry?
Kenneth: AI is being used across all aspects of the sneaker business, including design, marketing, distribution, finance, even in law. Many tedious and routine tasks can be done faster and more efficiently through AI when properly utilized. We’re paying close attention to this space in the sneaker industry and will definitely expand on this in V3.
Safia: What do you view as the biggest challenge facing the sneaker industry in the next few years?
Jared: Creating product that is exciting. We’re seeing a lot of the same from certain sneaker companies and a lack of innovation. We’re also seeing a diverse group of sneaker brands that are indeed being innovative and those companies are taking pieces of the market share. The next few years should be an exciting time for the sneaker industry!
Safia: This book is not just for law and design students, it is also a beautiful coffee table book. What other retailers sell the book?
Kenneth: Sneaker Law can be found in select sneaker retailers, including Nordstrom, Kith, A Ma Maniere, Social Status, A.P.B., and Wish. It was important to us that our book be positioned where our community shops and alongside our favorite products, so we’re focused on building relationships with those retailers, rather than going after the big box bookstores.
Safia: Where do you plan on taking the Sneaker Law brand?
Jared: Global. Stay tuned!
Safia: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview and everyone at the
Henries firm wishes you both the best with V2 of Sneaker Law!
You can check out Sneaker Law V2 at www.sneakerlaw.com