Over the past three weeks I've started to put all of the files for each of our last issues into one place. It seems like that would be an easy thing to do- just drag and drop -� but when you are talking about 4 TBs of content - it takes a lot of time because I don't have a single 4 TB drive. While going through the content I found tons of either great photos that never made the mag or photos with behind the scenes stories. With the new site launching I thought this would be the perfect time to start a new series called "Inside Sole" and this post is the first one. When we all met up to start talking about issue one I have to be honest - we didn't know jack about how to create a magazine. We knew a ton about kicks, we knew how to kind of write / kind of take photos but we sure knew what we wanted - the best sneaker magazine on the market. Looking back at the first issue it impresses me in that the team and I were fearless! We didn't care how much work it was going to take we just knew we wanted to talk about shoes all damn day and create a magazine that delivered sneakerhead content on a level that was on par with the community - people who knew what DS / OG / Outsole / Sample means. As many of you know back in 2003 most adults really didn't know about the sneaker scene - I mean the general public knows a little more now but back then they didn't know anything. I remember the first cover shoot. I called around to find a photographer to take the photos because I wasn't comfortable taking cover photos yet. When we arrived with the model and stylist in tow the photographer, Kevin Roberts, was taken back a little when he found out we were shooting sneakers- he thought we were shooting high fashion women's shoes. Luckily Kevin was mad cool and has been part of the team ever since. I knew we wanted to capture high quality photos - and to do it in a way that was different than what other sneaker magazines did in Asia. But to be honest - we had no idea what we were doing - we just put together outfits and matched up a pair of shoes and started shooting. Now the process is a little different but back then it was just do anything and it will probably be higher quality than what is on the market now. Below are a few photos from the first model shoot that didn't make the magazine. 
Yes - that is a Colette bag with OG Jordan IIs in it. Why? I have no idea. 
Below is the cover shoot for issue 1. I think those loud ass tights matched the shoes but man - I can remember when I showed this issue to a few people at adidas someone said "Why have a girl on the cover? Looks like she is going running not a sneakerhead.' And I just replied back that one - you aren't running in XI lows and two - she is just chillin with some style. 
Here is how the cover came out:
