Founding the Internet’s First-Ever Sneaker Blog with Nice Kicks Founder Matt Halfhill

2020-10-09

"Apply what you learn [online] and actually do something—even if it's not for making money—just make something. Do something with what you're learning and practice it." Matt Halfhill, founder of Nice Nicks, is not a monolith or a cliche ‘sneakerhead’. The son of college professors who moved to California from the Midwest, Matt played in a Dixieland Jazz band as a kid, fell in love with sneakers in the Caribbean in Grenada, and dropped out of college to start the Internet’s first-ever sneaker b...

"Apply what you learn [online] and actually do something—even if it's not for making money—just make something. Do something with what you're learning and practice it."

Matt Halfhill, founder of Nice Nicks, is not a monolith or a cliche ‘sneakerhead’. The son of college professors who moved to California from the Midwest, Matt played in a Dixieland Jazz band as a kid, fell in love with sneakers in the Caribbean in Grenada, and dropped out of college to start the Internet’s first-ever sneaker blog. Today, what started as a blog has become a digital media brand that is one of the most trusted in the footwear industry with over 4 million followers on Instagram.

From experimenting with web development in the late 90s to learning to sell overstocked sneakers on eBay from his first job, Matt developed a love of technology and digital communication as a youth.

Halfhill joins MoS to discuss the story of Nice Kicks, its mission to be inlusive of all folks wanting to become a fan of sneakers no matter their level of knowledge about the industry, as well as how the company has evolved over the years.

We discuss the shift of content marketing from brands, what it was like to open and then later popular brick-and-mortar sneaker shop, as well as why news is a commodity and our voice is all we have to sell that is truly unique when it comes to building a digital media brand.

Matt's love of sneakers and his hacker-like mentality for figuring things out has led to a lifelong career in a billion dollar niche at the intersection of sport, culture and fashion.

Listen along as Matt shares the story of NiceKicks.com.

Mentions Include:

Matt Halfhill on IG Matt Halfhill on Twitter Nice Kicks Website Nice Kicks on IG Converse Sky Rider Reebok Answer 1 "Navy Patent" Jimmy Smith, advertising veteran Nice Kicks Shop

My next guest is Dexton Deboree, founder & filmmaker at Falkon®; a content creation company born at the intersection of advertising and entertainiment with clients such as Nike, Brand Jordan, MLB, and more.

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