Check Sn’eads the creator as he discusses his sneaker comic book and other ventures including your favorite kicks! Hit the jump to see the kicks and read more…
SN’EADS creator REE has always been a breath of fresh air to the sneaker community. If you want to get away from your everyday “Release Date” post or your “New Images” update of a highly-anticipated shoe, look no further than one of REE’s entertaining and invigorating editions of SN’EADS. We haven’t seen one in a while from the talented REE, so we caught up with him to discuss the beginnings of SN’EADS, what’s in store for the comic series, and his personal thoughts on the current sneaker game. Check out our in-depth interview with SN’EADS creator REE below.
Nice Kicks: Let’s start this off with exactly who you are and what you do.
Tyree Dillihay: My name is Tyree Dillihay aka Ree. Right now, I am a director of the Fox Show Bob’s Burger, however, the sneaker world knows me as the creator of SN’EADS.
Nice Kicks: Now, I’ve heard the name of the creation said a few different ways. How do you actually say SN’EADS?
Tyree Dillihay: At first, I was bothered by people that say it wrong, but I just let it go now. I pronounce it SN’EADS. SN(eaker) + Heads = SN’EADS.
Nice Kicks: How did SN’EADS come about?
Tyree Dillihay: I was looking for a creative outlet; something I could do outside of work and outside of animation. I wanted to do something that included all my passions and all the things I am attracted to – hip-hop, basketball, thick women, and kicks [Laughs]. I got two of the four in the cartoon series with an occasional basketball reference and maybe a thick chick or two in a piece of art.
Nice Kicks: Will we ever see SN’EADS on a bigger screen?
Tyree Dillihay: You never know. I am currently pitching a couple of projects around Hollywood, but SN’EADS isn’t one of them. You will see SN’EADS doing more than you have in the past very soon though.
Nice Kicks: Let’s switch to kicks. When did you first fall in love with sneakers?
Tyree Dillihay: I’ve always had a fascination with them. I don’t really know when I fell in love though. However, that moment of Zen was when I was in the 7th grade and the Air Jordan 3 came out. It actually had nothing to do with Michael Jordan; it was more about the guy that was selling the sneaker, Mars Blackmon aka Spike Lee. Spike Lee is one of my heroes, a young black independent filmmaker on that stage. I had seen him a couple years earlier in his own film, She’s Gotta Have It, and then I saw him appearing in Michael Jordan commercials and I was like, “There’s that dude!” I saw him trying to sell the Air Jordan sneaker, and I was like I have to have this sneaker because of him. From there, that got me into Michael Jordan – the best filmmaker on the planet and the best basketball player on the planet. Plus, the shoe was hot. It was a done deal.
Nice Kicks: So, would you say the Air Jordan 3 is your favorite shoe?
Tyree Dillihay: Yeah. You can take away all of my collection, from exclusives all the way down, and I am keeping those no matter what.
Nice Kicks: Speaking of collections, what does your collection look like?
Tyree Dillihay: It’s pretty much all over the place. Most of the stuff I post online is Nike based, but a lot of people don’t know that I am a pretty big adidas head. I am into classics. I have a load of Converse also – pretty much Converse, adidas, and Nike.
Nice Kicks: As a SN’EAD, how do you get your kicks?
Tyree Dillihay: In various ways from political connections to shoe places. I’ve built some relationships over the years. Some of my friends send me pairs. Sometimes, a company will send me a pair. There is no shortage of ways to get shoes.
Nice Kicks: We know you like the Yeezy line. What are your thoughts on the silhouettes?
Tyree Dillihay: The Yeezy 1 was big for the sneaker community and fashion in general in regards to the way it came on the scene. It had the nerve to borrow an Air Jordan 3 midsole! That was blasphemy to a lot of purist, but I think it did it the right way. If it’s done the right way, you can’t say much about it. Add to it that Kanye was behind the shoe, and that pretty much sets it off. He was at the top of his game as a cultural icon. The first non-athlete to get a signature shoe with Nike. That’s big. Fast forward to the Yeezy 2. It’s more of a mature Kanye. It’s a totally different shoe with different materials, and it makes a totally different statement. It reflects who he is as a man and where he is as an artist. That’s something I can respect. To compare the two, it is kind of a tie in terms of looks.
Nice Kicks: Who do you think has the best signature sneaker right now?
Tyree Dillihay: I’d say LeBron, then Durant, and then Derrick Rose. Rose is the only signature athlete for adidas making noise. Those three, I think, have the top shoes. Performance-wise, I play in the Kobe and the LeBron. I’ve tested the Wade, but it is a wider shoe. I like Kobes because I am more about footwork, and the low cut design is better for a footwork-style player. When I feel a little different, I’ll throw on a LeBron because that shoe is more about stability and lock down. It feels like its built for a heavier, more powerful player. The Rose – I haven’t played in them yet – but I like the way they look.
Nice Kicks: What are your thoughts on the sneaker game today?
Tyree Dillihay: I think it is a little over saturated, but that just means it’s getting bigger. What once was a subculture is now starting to hit the mainstream. So, it is more people than you have ever seen before in this. It used to be underground and only a select few would know about it, but now, the talk has spread online and into the streets.
Nice Kicks: In your opinion, why is that? What caused it to grow?
Tyree Dillihay: I think it has grown because of the information, and a lot of insider trading. Some people look at sneakers like the stock market, and the insider information has spread – a little too big almost. It is no longer a small tight knit group; it is a wide open pool, and there are a lot of sharks in the pool.
Nice Kicks: What are your thoughts on people that spend thousands of dollars on a pair of kicks?
Tyree Dillihay: For GR stuff, it makes absolutely no sense. For an exclusive – a true exclusive – it makes perfect sense. At the end of the day, it’s about how much you are willing to pay for something. If you value the shoe that much, you have the bread, and you are an impulsive buyer like me [laughs], you are probably going to cop that shoe.
Nice Kicks: What do you say to kids that feel they have to own a certain shoe to be a sneakerhead?
Tyree Dillihay: The goal is to be fresh. Sneakers are just a part of the lifestyle, but they’re not the lifestyle. Don’t aim to be a sneakerhead. Don’t be a SN’EAD because then I’ll be making fun of you. You are the one I make fun of.
Nice Kicks: What can we expect to see from you in the future?
Tyree Dillihay: My style definitely goes in cycles. Shoes are just a part of my fresh. Most people feel it is all about the shoe, and for me, the shoe is the completion of what I have going on. Right now, I am starting to go through a classic phase. Because of the over saturation right now, I try not to look like everyone else. You’ll probably see me in a lot of classics and low key silhouettes.
Professionally, I’ll continue to do my thing on Bob’s Burgers. I also consult on Wild Grinders for Rob Dyrdek and continue to develop my own TV shows. Hopefully, by next year, you’ll see something that is more me, but right now, I am having fun doing commercial work for people on the big stage.
Nice Kicks: Finally, when can we expect the next episode of SN’EADS?
Tyree Dillihay: I am not sure. It’ll be somewhere around a hyped release. It’s pretty much when a joke hits me. There is no specific timeline. It has a lot to do with inside jokes in the community and dropping them at the right time right when people are thinking about it.
For more from Ree, be sure to follow him on Instagram and Twitter. You can also watch his work on the Fox show Bob’s Burger, Rob Dyrdek’s Wild Grinders, or visit him at his personal blog, tyree-dillihay.blogspot.com.
