Sneakerlah, upon arriving wasn’t what I expected it to be. What greeted me at the front of the door was a long line of visitors eagerly waiting to enter the venue, faces a bit wrought with drowsiness as the targeted age group wakes up before their usual time to attend Malaysia’s biggest sneaker event. Sneakerlah has found a new home at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, a massive step-up from last year’s venue at KL Convention Centre. 3 times the space, in fact.
The only similarities between last year’s event and this year’s were the retention of the VIP system, whereby visitors who purchased the VIP ticket will gain 2-hours early access to all the vendors and booths for first dips on items before the door opens to the general public at 12pm. The number of vendors who set up shop here were in staggering numbers too; as much as 26 brands participated in this edition of the convention, including Skechers, Asics, Timberland, Royal Sporting House, Nasty, Vans, and Puma to name a few.
This year also extends extra hall space dedicated to F&B vendors. Sjora, Nachoslah, and Yoohoo Hot Dogs provided patrons with food and beverages!
Vespa took the opportunity to launch three new models, Primavera MY18, Sprint MY18, and GTS 300 Super Sport. Skechers also brought about Chutimon Cheungcharoensukying (Best known for her lead role in Bad Genius) for an appearance as a brand ambassador.
Fit game was on point too, with some patrons bringing out their grails from the closet to wear at the event. Rare spots include the “Kid Robot” Air Max 1, AFEW Asics Gel-Lyte 3, Tom Sachs Nike Mars Yard, yet to be unreleased Yeezy 350 V2 “Static,” and the Off-White Converse v2.
The trading pit also made a return, with goers eager to try and cop some steals. Someone went up and held up his Supreme x Louis Vuitton belt and clutch; RM17,000 to take both home!
The day drew to a close with an eclectic list of artists. Nazkimo took the helm first, followed by Curzon from BATE, and finished with an energetic set by Aman Ra.
The energy maintained for the 2nd day, as the Trading Pit opens a bit earlier at 2PM, followed by a lacing competition hosted by Timberland, with the winner walking away with a pair of 6-inch boots.
Vans brought with them a miniaturised version of House Of Vans to Sneakerlah, featuring a half-pipe, waffle station, a surprise guest who’s none other than Pa’Din Musa, and a workshop hosted by Mark Ong, otherwise known as world-renowned sneaker customizer, Sabotage.
More performances continued courtesy of Raising The Bar’s brightest talents, from the likes of A-Kid, Pele L, and Kayda. Blink also rose to the stage to bring familiar club sounds to the main stage, maintaining the energy through the night. It all ends with the giveaways, where 2 Vespa scooters are on the prize pool. Sneakerlah partner AirAsia was also on the roll, giving away free tickets to Japan, Hokkaido and Osaka through Sneakerpoly contests, and photo contests on Instagram.
Shoes were also given out, with the prize pool snowballing up to six pairs before someone was called up and took the prize home. From multiple activities in different booths, Sneakerlah still manages to retain the core that makes it so popular, the love for all things sneakers. It’s no longer just an exhibition for shoes, it’s a convention. A mecca to those who enjoy streetwear and its subcultures. It’s a melting that should be celebrated, and nothing is more fitting than a full house of like-minded individuals sharing and enjoying the culture under one roof.
Cutting Room Floor
