“Remastered” is reframing the way we tell sneakers stories and giving new characters from the sneaker world a place to shine outside of the main characters. The industry has rapidly changed, but a lot of the stories stay the same. “Remastered” shares real stories and perspectives about the past, present, and future true to the sneaker community, verified by SoleSavy.
Jill Menor
Born and raised in Southern California, Jill Menor recently returned back west to Los Angeles. after a decade in New York City. Her career in advertising has landed her at Apple as an associate creative director following two years at Spotify. Through her move, she’s been downsizing her collection but estimates she keeps a revolving door of about 50 pairs of sneakers of her favorite brands and silhouettes like Nike, Chuck Taylor ’70s, Vans Skate-Hi’s, and her new (but nostalgic) faves, Asics.
“You know this is my favorite thing to talk about—basketball, LeBron, shoes, and music,” she shares as we discuss a highlight reel of sneaker moments in her life.
SoleSavy: What was your first major pick-up, and what made it such a big deal for you?
Jill Menor: Since I was a little kid, I’ve always loved sneakers because I was so into basketball and, obviously, they went hand in hand. It actually wasn’t like too long ago. It was within the past 10 years when they re-released those Air Max 97 Silver Bullets, probably 2013. It’s crazy because it wasn’t that it was hard to get them; I think this was even before the SNKRS app was its own thing, but I was able to get a pair again. I think it was mostly like a nostalgic thing, which is why I would say it was my first big one that I can remember being like, “Wow, I can’t believe I actually got these.”
I think that’s how I feel about a lot of the sneakers that I get. It’s like, “What did 12-year-old Jill not have?” Now, as an adult that can afford to buy all of these things, I just buy them. I think this is me pleasing my inner child by buying all of these shoes.
SS: What’s your worst personal sneaker story?
JM: It’s such a first-world problem! It was back during the release of The Ten [from Nike x Off-White]—like 2017 or 2018. Nike had these workshops in New York, and a friend who worked at Nike and was able to get me into this workshop with that artist, Cali Thornhill DeWitt. You know that dude who did the infamous Kanye tombstone design shit? So, he was having a workshop and you could create your own Nike merch. I remember the invites were raffled off, but I got lucky because a homie got me in. The thing blatantly said, “You will not get shoes here.”
I didn’t care, that was fine. I was already thinking about how I was going to get the shoes, anyway. So, we went and it was like the dopest thing. Virgil is there with Cali and they’re just talking, but when we got in, they gave us this list. They’re like, mark down your shoe size and then put your top five shoes from the collection you want. We were actually able to buy the shoes! So, I was like, “fuck yeah!”
OFF-WHITE x Nike “The Ten” Card
I wanted the Jordans, obviously, and then I wanted the Prestos because, you know, Frank [Ocean] had them. I put the VaporMax third. But for some godforsaken reason, sneakers always run in different sizes between silhouettes. I put down 6 or 6.5.
They ran out of the Prestos first and then the Jordans, so I bought the VaporMaxes, but they were too small!
OFF-WHITE x Nike VaporMax “The Ten”
I fucked up and couldn’t exchange them after. I left and all these people waiting outside were nearly throwing money at me like, “let me buy them off you.” I said no because I wanted these, and I actually wanted to wear them, but they don’t fit me. I still have them.
SS: What do you miss most about sneakers in your youth?
JM: When I was a kid, there was almost like this purity. People got shoes because they loved Michael Jordan, right? And now it’s like, people get them kind of just to flex.
I actually just got my first pair of Jordan I’s this year. I have Space Jams in my closet that I wear every so often, but that’s why I like the more lowkey almost “if you know, you know” kind of sneakers. Asics collabs are my favorite because I like them, and I’m not trying to impress anyone wearing them.
That’s why I think it’s important for shoes to have stories because then you can have respect for the story, and it’s more than just a shoe. Even though I’m not a Yeezy fan, like sneaker-wise, he had a story. He’s Kanye West. So you love him for the artistry, and he has a vision, and then comes all of his shoes.
That’s what I miss — the genuine aspect of growing up and just wanting the sneaker because you respected those stories around them.
SS: Sound off, what is one thing you want to talk about or bring attention to or rant about in sneakers right now.
Jill Menor
JM: This is what we talk about all the time, but I feel like I’m lucky because I straddle the sizes. I can fit a size 7 men’s and usually that’s the smallest size that they’ll make. I still wonder why in 2021 we can’t just make everything just straight up unisex. Female-identifying people will buy all of these things. It doesn’t need to be so gendered, still.
For me, I like the idea of “all.” Making everything and anything for everyone. Growing up, I’d hear, “You can’t get that because it’s for boys.” Putting a divide in something as minuscule as a pair of shoes was confusing for me as a kid coming into her own gender and sexuality.
I can imagine how liberating it would feel for kids to not have to subscribe to gendered clothing. Turning that phrase “you can’t get that cause it’s for boys/girls” into “you can get this because it’s for anyone who represents greatness and that’s you” is so fuckin cool and beautiful to me. I think it could also be a fascinating challenge for brands to push this opportunity for inclusion and see where they can go with it.
