Interview conducted: July 30, 2026
RL: How did you first get into sneaker culture, has it been something you grew up with, what was the first moment that made you fall in love with shoes?
SV: I grew up with it. I was a subculture kid, and sneakers were always a big part of this elaborate street recognition system. Gradually, it became my professional focus, too.
RL: When did you begin the “Trainer Spotting” instagram account? What impact has it had on you?
SV: I launched the account in late 2018. I was surprised by the response. It made me invest a bit more time in researching new content to post — that was probably the only impact.
RL: Name a few of your favorite fashion shoe brands? How many pairs of kicks do you own?
SV: I travel a lot, so my daily rotation is only like 3-4 pairs but I usually stick to sports brands for sneakers. I like Comme des Garçons and Nike collabs, though. Jacquemus has also done interesting stuff in recent years.
RL: What is your grailed shoe? Name a price that you’re willing to spend on a single pair.
SV: I don’t collect shoes.
RL: You don’t consider yourself an influencer but with a 60K following, it’s kind of hard to believe you aren’t an “influencer”. Did you ever expect this when you first began in the content creation space? Has the following impacted your day to day life?
SV: I never thought this account would get more than a couple of thousand followers. I don't really aim to influence anyone. I know that some of my findings are sometimes used by sneaker designers as references in their work, and this is probably the only influence I’m really happy to have.
RL: I read you like to research for a lot of your knowledge attached to your work. Explain to me the process of finding celebrities wearing certain shoes? You don’t have to give up the entire recipe but a brief, vague idea would be fantastic.
SV: I don’t look for a certain shoe or a certain person. I just love browsing editorial photo archives. There is a lot of undiscovered historical value in these paparazzi shots. Some of these pictures happen to have sneakers in them, so I identify the model to the best of my knowledge and post ‘em up.
RL: Do you have a favorite TV show that has many sneakerhead looks? Any movies?
SV: There are enough of them to fill a book. It's impossible to pick just one.
RL: Scrolling your page, I am astonished by the wild correlation of artists, musicians, movie stars, and the shoes they wear. It’s truly mesmerizing…
SV: Absolutely, that’s one of the most fun parts about it. People choose their shoes carefully, and it’s amazing how those choices sometimes create these unexpected combinations with their personalities and public image.
RL: Have you met anyone that recognizes you from your Instagram account? How does that make you feel?
SV: Luckily, I haven't. I’m a very private person.
RL: Your account is so unique, is there anything you can share about your upcoming work? Something you are most excited about!
SV: The book is always on my mind, but it’s a complicated project that needs some serious backing from a publisher.
RL: Where do you see this account going in the next 5 years?
SV: Who knows, maybe I'll finally change my profile pic.