Girl with a Crooked Tongue

Niranjela ("think Angela with a 'nir' in front of it") is bringing a female perspective to the phenomenal sneaker website/ on-point collaborator / online seller called Crooked Tongues. We caught up with her to talk about life at CT, her passion for kicks and the sneaker scene in London.

by Lori Lobenstine

How did you get the job at CT? I met Gary, Charlie and Russell when I used to work in Foot Patrol (before its demise). I guess being one of the only girls around who is really into her kicks helped…CT were undergoing some big changes and needed some help dealing with orders and customers, as well as getting a female’s perspective; I was looking for a job… and the rest is history! What’s your role at CT?   To make people happy…customer relations. How long have you been there?  Since September 2008. What do you like best about working at CT?  It’s never a dull day working at CT towers - there’s just so much going on as our offices are combined with U-Dox Brand Development and Spine magazine. I wake up in the morning wondering what this day will bring next.  What’s it like being the only female on the CT staff?  An emotional rollercoaster - there are good days, filled with insightful stories, laughter and general crep talk. Then there are certain times of the month when heads will clash with creative criticism and faces cramp up in disgust, but eventually the guys work out their differences and I chuckle.

What’s hot coming up at CT right now?
Well, the next big collab will be the adidas 3Way, set to drop 18th July. We were grouped in with Asia, so we were working with VA, D-mop and ACU. Together I think we’ve come up with 3 strong looks - in particular the Superstar 80s taking reference from the CT adicolor Century Lo. It was a good way to let all the partners put their own spin on the shoe by each having their own tongues and set of laces.

Also this year will see the return of our summer BBQ, if anyone is in town 16th August, it will be worth swinging by, as the line-up is sick. Oh, and watch out for CT’s 10 year anniversary next year, big things shall be dropping…all in small sizes where possible!

[Editor's Note: Here's another beauty in the adidas 3way series out now. For more details, click on the pics.]

What’s your favorite CT collab?
So far I think my favorite CT collab has to be the Superskate made for the BBQ in Thailand. Because of the use of fabrics and materials - the quilted Thai silk lining and choice of tonal colours was my favorite and the fact that it is a high top.

Have you been a part of any of the designs?
I haven’t made my presence overly known on CT as of yet, as I’m easing in, but best believe things will change from the female side. When it comes to designs we all sit around a table and discuss ideas, we all drop in our 2 pence, put it all together and voila!

And now we switched to talking about her own love of kicks, how she got in the game and what she thinks about being a female sneaker fiend in London...

What was the first pair of sneakers you fell in love with?
Hmmm, probably the Reebok Pumps around when they first came out. I was about 9-10 years old. I’m a sucker for gadgets, which is why they appealed to me so much, I know they were geared towards offering your foot a better fit, but in my mind, they were the kicks with rocket boosters in them - Pump them up and I could be flying!  Alas, I didn't get them.  My mum got me the regular L.A. Gear Regulator pumps instead… I wasn’t flying anywhere either - gutted.

What’s your collection like now? What does it say about you?
Out of control! It’s saying, “Get a grip! At least until you find more space to put them.” It also says, “Damn - you really like basketball trainers!”

Do you have a current favorite?
Like many people, I can’t call one favourite. I’m really liking all the new technology Nike are starting to use - Flywire, Lunar etc. And the way they're integrating them into old classics.   

Do you have another job besides CT? If so, does it relate to the sneaker field?
I’ve just finished a part-time degree in Fashion Design while working full-time at CT, so I haven’t had much time for anything else unfortunately. I have done a couple of sneaker writeups for WAH magazine and hope to work more with them in the future. 

What do you think of the sneaker subculture in general? How do you see it changing?
It’s a funny old game isn’t it? It’s interesting how a person can be defined by which sneakers they are wearing. You either get rated or slated; I rate the people who stand by their favourites and don’t just jump on bandwagons. With the emergence of more and more “streetwear” oriented designs, I don’t see as many performance trainers trickling onto the streets in the future. I reckon the giants will produce more shoes in line with how the Yeezy’s took on different elements of past relics to produce something strictly for the streets. But eventually, new styles and models will have to be made.  We need to get over the past and start dictating the future.

What’s it been like for you specifically being a female sneaker fiend?  What are your hopes for the role of women in the sneaker industry/subculture? 
It has it’s highs and lows - as with anything. I’ve worked in sneaker retail for about 10 years now. I’ve loved seeing all the new makeups which can still get me excited and have me pining for them, and I’ve been disappointed many a time when I find out they are not available in my size. The industry over here in Europe hasn’t shown the ladies as much love, keeping most of the hot big kids’ sizes in the States and Asia. Things are beginning to change as ladies aren’t being stereotyped as much, and they're hearing our cries for more men’s styles in small sizes, or more high-end designer flips.

What’s the London sneaker scene like right now? What’s hot? What’s waning?
London seems to be toning it down, becoming a bit more sensible and conservative, sticking with their classic Vans, Converse or terrace-style adidas. We will always have the AM90 appreciators, Air Force 1 faithful, and the Dunk dedicators. Yeezy’s of course got a whole heap of love over here - nice to see kids still enthusiastic enough to queue day and night for something.

Anything else you want female sneaker fiends to know?  Never settle for second best.