We chat to Offspring Community member @hana.gia
Tell us about yourself (Where are you from, what do you do for a living?)
I’m Hana, 26 years old, from North London. By day, I’m currently a Production Manager working at a Creative Agency. Aside from that, I have interests in sneakers, streetwear, music and travelling.
How long have you been into sneakers and how did you get into them?
As far as I can remember I’ve always been into sneakers – there was so much influence growing up, that looking back on now, my love for the culture only makes sense. Just growing up in London was a huge influence too, I’ve always been a ‘tomboy’ from young, so our typical tracksuit paired with some 110’s uniform fit me perfectly back in the day, this naturally evolved into loving streetwear which goes hand in hand with sneaker culture.
One of my favourite films as a child was Space Jam. I first watched it in primary school, and I think that started my fascination with Jordans.
Do you have any early sneaker memory?
Ugh, so many! I’d say going to New York at 14 years old and getting Air Jordan 5 ‘Wolf Grey’ – I remember how gassed I was, and I immediately put them on to wear out of the store knowing that I would have never found these in London.
Another teenage memory that sticks out to me was the release of the AJ11 Gammas back in 2013, my best friends and I all copped a pair, and we were so excited to go out and wear them on the same day which was super cute when I think back on it.
Do you have any sneaker regrets and what is your sneaker grail?
Having to part ways with pairs is always a regret, the AJ5’s that I mentioned previously I sadly had to get rid of due to growing out of them. I regret this now and wish I still had the pair as they hold a special place in my heart and remind me of my teenage years, but they will forever be one of my favourite pairs of all time.
In terms of sneaker grails, I’d say the Air Jordan 4 x KAWS ‘Grey’. This pair has always stood out to be due to the iconic collaboration, I love the detailing on the pair, especially the staple KAWS design ‘XX’ on the back heel tab.
I’m also in love with the Air Force 1 x KITH ‘Hawaii’. I loved the concept of dropping an AF1 with each flagship store location and with blue being my favourite colour, the ‘Hawaii’ colourway specifically stood out to me.
What sneakers are in your rotation currently?
I tend to wear NB 2002r’s on a day-to-day basis as they’re super comfortable! I never get tired of wearing my AM1 Patta Noise Aquas and I feel like they’re perfect for summertime along with my AJ3 Neapolitans. I’m also really looking forward to wearing my AJ4 Pine Green’s that I picked up recently too though.
As a woman in the sneaker industry can you tell us how you’ve been able to navigate yourself in a predominately male space and your experience so far?
Honestly, I haven’t had much of a negative experience at all. I’m super grateful for the platforms that highlight all of the women in the community such as Sneaker Sisterhood and I’m appreciative of all of the individual content creators that I follow on Instagram for their amazing collections and style that inspires me on a daily basis.
I can’t not mention the likes of Vashtie, Aleali May, Melody Ehsani, and Yoon Ahn - they all remind me that women are doing amazing things within the industry, and anything is possible regardless of it being male dominated.
Aside from sneakers what else are you into?
Aside from streetwear that I briefly mentioned, music is another one of my strong passions. I love attending concerts, always keeping up to date with new music and discovering new artists. The last concert I attended was SZA at the O2 arena mid-June which was such a fun time – the production was incredible from her floating around the arena in a boat to the lighting and set designs that went with the theme with each song. Of course, her bringing out Travis Scott was a huge moment too! The energy that I feel at concerts when surrounded by likeminded people coming together to watch a performance from your favourite artists is always an incredible feeling.
I love it when the sneaker industry and music industry merge and how sneakers influence music and vice versa. We all know how iconic the Nelly AF1 song was and even how the Terror Squad AF1s are on so many peoples' grail list. It’s also super iconic that we have British musicians like Skepta who have had the opportunity to create their own sneaker. The blend of cultures is really special to me.
Aside from sneakers, travelling brings me so much joy! Being able to experience new cultures from trying new food, attempting to speak new languages, and seeing different ways of living it lights a spark in me.
This May, I was lucky enough to travel to Tulum, Mexico. Trying authentic Mexican food was one of my highlights. Even the most simplistic moments of walking around downtown, finding food trucks selling 30p tacos and seeing the locals playing outside whilst cars drive by blasting Spanish music just makes me appreciate the small moments in life that can sometimes be missed when adapting to my everyday routine in London. The beaches were amazing and being in the sun and surrounded by water is always peaceful.
What does community mean to you?
It means coming together for a purpose, and in this case – we’re all enthusiasts for sneakers. It feels special knowing there are some people that I may not have come across whether it be online or in person if it wasn’t for this community but knowing we’re all connected because of a mutual passion is so nice. The community inspires me on a daily basis and if my mum doesn’t understand why I have so many sneakers then at least my community does!
Check out more from Hana on Instagram @hana.gia
