People have no shame to do what it takes to get a pair of sneakers, including getting a crazy haircut to secure themselves a pair of sought-after shoes. A couple of weeks ago a photo appeared on the Internet of, what looked like, someone who had gotten the orange stripe from Kanye West’s Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 sneaker shaved into the side of their head. Legend has it that it was just a Photoshop, but the folks at Sole Collector wanted to make this idea come to reality. This week they had someone get this exact haircut.
The person who received the fade was Complex employee Michael Saintil, a 36-year-old Social Media Designer from Bushwick, Brooklyn. Saintil’s one of the many sneaker enthusiasts in this office, and, like most of everyone who works here, he tries his hand at the latest sneaker releases. He wins some, he loses some. But he was willing to go above and beyond for a pair of Yeezys. Here's why.
How many Yeezys do you own?
Zero.
Is that why you wanted them so bad?
It was an opportunity, so yeah.
How big of a Kanye Stan do you consider yourself?
Pretty big. I like his music. I like his creative factor.
What do you like more, Kanye’s sneakers or his music?
I like his music more.
How many sneakers do you buy a month?
I average two a month.
Were you embarrassed getting your haircut on camera?
I wasn’t embarrassed. I was nervous. I have a specific barber, and you know how hard it is to find the right barber. This was a new person cutting my hair, and I didn’t want my haircut to get messed up. I could care less about the dye thing.
Did you get a lot of hate on the Internet afterwards?
No, not really. I didn’t read the comments. I feel a lot of people said, “I would do that, too, for a pair of Yeezys I could flip for $1,000.”
Are you going to sell them?
No, I’m not going to sell them.
Do you consider yourself a hypebeast?
To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ve turned into a hypebeast yet. In my mind, I don’t think I’m that big of a hypebeast. There are things that I could buy that would make me a bigger hypebeast: Ice Cream, BBC, and Bape.
Has working at Complex made you a bigger hypebeast?
Not even a little bit. I think I’m still the same. I think that’s why I got hired here, because I was the [same as everyone else].
When did you start collecting sneakers?
2008. I started collecting with Dunks.
What did your girlfriend think of it?
She laughed. She thought I was crazy for a little bit to do something like that.
What was the reaction around the office?
"I can’t believe he did it." Someone said it was dope. Someone called me a hypebeast. Someone said, “If I told you how I really felt, you’d cry.”
How long did it take to get out of your hair?
It took an hour. I bought this citrus soap, because it helped take out the color.
Would you do it again?
For sure, anything for the culture.
