Outside the Box is a conversation series hosted by Nick Engvall, a sneaker industry veteran with over 20 years of experience spanning Sole Collector, Complex Sneakers, Finish Line, Stadium Goods, and StockX. Each episode is a long-form conversation with creative people from the worlds of sneakers, streetwear, media, and culture... people who have been doing the work long enough to have something real to say about it. Some episodes are about shoes. Most of them end up being about something else…
There are companies that sell shoes. And then there are companies that shape the way an entire generation experiences them. Eastbay was the latter... and most people have no idea how improbable the whole thing was. Art Juedes and Rick Gering started Eastbay out of a store in Wausau, Wisconsin. Two coaches with 16 years of combined college education, zero business courses between them, and a vision…
Andrew Dutton, better known as @ad__sneaks on Instagram, has built one of the most recognizable sneaker photography accounts anywhere online. Hundreds of thousands of followers. Features from Complex. Brand invitations to NBA All-Star Weekend. And a coffee table book, The Art of the Sneaker , releasing March 24th , that nobody saw coming... including him. Nick and Andy get into how a digital media…
Pete Forester and I have been circling each other in the sneaker and streetwear editorial world for well over a decade. Pete worked at Kith under Ronnie Fieg, wrote news for Complex Sneakers, covered the industry for Esquire, hosted two seasons of High Snobiety's From the Ground Up, and was editorial director at StockX. He also wrote the Sole Collector article that introduced the world to StockX…
Mike Guillory has been doing this longer than most people realize... and probably better than he gives himself credit for. He's the host of Coffee Time Kicks on YouTube, a co-host on the Sneaker History podcast, and one of the most thoughtful voices in sneaker content. He's not chasing the hype releases, he's not doing "transaction videos," and he's definitely not interested in making content he…
I need your help making a decision. I'm building the sneaker community on Substack. Not hype. Not product drops. Something real. But I think I got the pricing wrong. 68 people are paying for my newsletter. But since January 1st? Zero new signups. Two cancellations. My free subscribers are growing (+18 in two weeks) but paid subscribers are shrinking. TheSneakerNewsletter.com
Chris Kaufman co-founded StockX and helped build it from the very beginning in a Detroit office to a global marketplace. But this conversation isn't all about that origin story... it's about what he learned watching companies choose short-term profits over long-term culture, and why he wrote a book about empathy at work. We talk about the early StockX days when disagreement was productive, not…
Outside The Box is back. I'm talking with people who are in the pursuit of something... building brands, chasing dreams, navigating the gap between passion and paying bills. This episode explains why I'm bringing the show back, what's changed, and how it connects to going full-time as a creator in 2026. If you're pursuing a passion that matters to you, these conversations are for you. Subscribe to…
On this episode of the podcast, Nick Engvall speaks with Zellnor Myrie, a New York state senator from Brooklyn, about the intersection of sneakers and politics. Myrie shares his personal journey as a sneakerhead, detailing how his upbringing influenced his passion for sneakers and how he has integrated this love into his political career. The discussion highlights the cultural significance of…
On this episode of the Sneaker History Podcast, host Mike interviews Brandon Brubaker, co-owner of Clearweather, who shares his journey from working with iconic brands like Vans and Converse to launching his own footwear brand. Brandon discusses his early love for sneakers, pivotal career moments, and the philosophy behind Clearweather's designs, emphasizing quality materials and a commitment to…
In this episode, Nick Engvall interviews Aaron and Andy, two sneaker enthusiasts and educators. They discuss their love for sneakers, the positive aspects of sneaker culture, and the impact of social media on the sneaker community. Aaron and Andy share their experiences creating sneaker content and the joy they find in connecting with others who share their passion. They also talk about the…
