SNEAK PEEK
Nostalgic millennials Gijs Verheike and Jonathan Leong are the pioneers behind creative studio Ox Street Labs that aims to put Asia in focus
MY HEAD IS IN A TAILSPIN confronted with the infinite procession of colourways, textures, and sheer range of sneakers on the Ox Street Labs website. It is the au courant ‘place’ for sneakerheads and fashionistas to hang out and transact. The brainchild of Gijs Verheijke and Jonathan Leong, it celebrates the uniqueness of local markets. But although Ox Street looks and feels like a branded store, many of the products sold here are from other individuals. The brand itself represents a paradigm shift in online platforms, blurring the lines between marketplace, eCommerce and social network.
Moving out of the Netherlands, co-founder and CEO Verheijke was on the lookout for greener pastures. Seeing the opportunity to build a meaningful platform in a vibrant and upcoming region such as Asia, he decided to study the market more closely. He wanted Ox Street Labs to be an extension of his own business ideology ‒ as something that is always looking for what is next. As there were only two options in existence ‒ American or Chinese apps and sneaker content ‒ to cater to almost a billion people in the region, Verheijke knew that creating a community specifically for sneakerheads to interact would be well received.
The goal was clear: to create a distinct platform by working with local artists. Chatting with their customers, both founders discovered that many of them also had their own talents or project ideas that they wanted to flesh out. Since Leong and Verkeijke also share a nostalgia for the 1990s, much of the current sneakers and streetwear stories from member millennials are designed to press sentimentality buttons. More fundamentally however, it was a bad experience Verkeijke had while trying to find a pair of rare NMDs on the resale market that reinforced his decision to build Ox Street Labs.
If it isn’t already obvious, Ox Street Labs is built from passion, nostalgia and an innate love for artistic expression. To the founders, the humble sneaker is the most foundational aspect of one’s outfit and sense of expression. From its utilitarian beginnings as a sports shoe to a fashion must-have, the sneaker has evolved into a modern icon with a multi-faceted existence.