Straat Your Stuff: Catching up with Tim Suen four years on

Much has changed since we last spoke to Tim Suen for Straat Your Stuff in 2018. He has culled a fair bit of his sneakers and even chooses to sell his Dunks while everyone is clamoring for them. We caught up with the Hartcopy founder to hear his thoughts on sneaker culture today and of course, we offer a peek at what his sneaker collection is looking like in 2022.

A lot has changed since we last profiled Tim Suen for Straat Your Stuff in 2018. For one, he founded the sneaker page Hartcopy, which had been reposted a few times by the late great Virgil Abloh. Two, Tim culled quite a fair bit of his sneaker collection. We caught up with him the week of Hartcopy’s hard copy book launch to find out where his head’s at in terms of the sneakers he’s interested in these days and why he sold off many of his Dunks.

It has been 4 years since we last featured your collection, how has your collection evolved?
I’ve reduced my number of Dunks and increased the number of vintage Jordans. However, overall it’s much smaller.

How many sneakers do you own at the moment?
Probably 70!

Has your approach to sneaker collecting changed?
To be honest, I haven’t bought a “collectible” sneaker in a long time. It’s really more about versatility for me these days.

Which is the rarest sneaker you currently own?
I think it’s the AF25 Candace Parker sample. I have never seen anyone else with this pair. The colorway appears to be inspired by Kanye West’s “Glow in the Dark Tour” sample from 2008. Other details include “Can Can” embroidery near the heel.

Which are the sneakers that you haven’t sold since we interviewed you 4 years ago? Why keep them?
I believe one of them is the P Rod x Jordan Vulc Rod sample. It’s a nice piece of Paul Rodriguez history that not many know about. I’m keeping them because the price someone would be willing to pay probably won’t match the rarity and story behind them.

We heard you sold most of your Dunk collection! What pushed you to let go of them?
Sometimes it’s good to let go to detach yourself emotionally from your physical possessions. When everyone is going through Dunk euphoria it’s a sign to sell.

What are your thoughts on the rise of the Dunk? Why do you think it’s so popular?
I think it gained mainstream attention through Travis Scott a few years ago which then trickled down to Nike pushing out new colorways every week. They’re easy to wear and durable.

Is there a Nike sneaker that you feel is being slept on? Why does it deserve more attention?
I think the Presto deserves more love. Have always been a fan of the Presto silhouette because of their comfort and their history. In addition, the Presto has some of the craziest collaborations and colorways that make full use of the digitally printed upper. The potential for Presto is endless and I hope Nike brings them back soon. I vividly remember the Presto by Acronym – a masterpiece, really.

What do you think of sneaker culture as it stands today?
From a wider perspective, it feels like everything is on the downtrend. Sneaker releases have slowed down due to the after-effects of the pandemic. There’s not one sneaker in 2022 worth remembering, if I’m not mistaken. It’s not all bad. Maybe it’s a good time for everyone to take a break from hype and reselling and rediscover their love for sneakers.

You launched the Instagram page, Hartcopy, since we last spoke. What inspired its development?
I’ve always wanted to archive the footwear I had like the way Hiroshi Fujiwara did in the Sneakers Tokyo book. It’s a print series I’ve always been obsessed with and referenced that format for social media. The rest is history.

Hartcopy has just published its first book. How did it come about?
I think our readers have been asking for a print for quite some time so this is for them.