We’re incredibly honored to announce that Bad Sneakers has been selected as a winner of the 2024 eBay Japan Award!

This recognition reflects not only our commitment to authenticity, selection, and service, but also the incredible support of our customers around the world. Thank you for being part of this journey.

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Owner Interview – Q&A with Lou Yamashita

We caught up with Lou Yamashita, founder of Bad Sneakers, to dive deeper into his background, passion for sneakers, and vision for the brand.

Q1: What first got you into sneakers?

I’ve always been into street culture since I was a kid. I was born in Osaka, and Shinsaibashi was close by, so I’d often hang out in American Village with friends from the neighborhood. Even back then, American Village was packed with vintage shops, sneaker stores, record shops, and music stores. I didn’t have any money, but just being there and looking around was a blast. I’ve got an older sister, quite a bit older actually, and she was super into that culture too—so I think I picked up a lot from her.

I think it was around 5th grade when Air Max blew up in Japan. That period’s now called the first sneaker boom. My dad bought me a pair of Air Max 1s back then. Wearing them to school made me feel like a hero, no joke . Of course, they got stolen at a bowling alley. Looking back, I have no idea if they were even real or fake (laughs).

Even after growing up, I’ve always liked that gritty ‘90s vibe in fashion. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose used to rock Converse all the time. I loved that kind of music, so I’d often take fashion cues from those guys. And you know, sneakers and hip-hop are inseparable. All my friends growing up were super into hip-hop and tried to dress like rappers. I wasn’t really into the music myself, to be honest, but I did genuinely like the style of stuff like Run DMC’s Adidas Superstars or the Cortez, which was kind of a hip-hop staple. So I used to wear those a lot.

Nike, Adidas, Converse—they all started out as sports shoes. I don’t think people really wore them as fashion back in the day. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, West Coast kids in the U.S. started wearing sneakers just 'cause they couldn’t afford anything else. That trend’s still going strong today. And that’s the charm of sneakers—they don’t feel forced, they feel real. That’s what makes them cool.

Q2: What made you start your store?

I worked a corporate job for about 10 years after graduating university. I majored in international security and wanted to work in something related to imports and exports. At my first job, I got to do international procurement, and honestly, I still use a lot of the skills I learned there today.

After that, I worked for two more companies in similar roles. But deep down, I always felt like I wanted to start my own business someday. My dad also runs a business, so maybe that rubbed off on me. I knew that if I ever started something, it’d be related to fashion or music.

Funny enough, I didn’t start by launching my own store. I was actually selling on StockX at first—this was back in 2019, I think, right when StockX entered the Japanese market. I was already into stock trading and real estate investing, so the idea of sneakers as a kind of tangible portfolio really caught my attention.

Then the pandemic hit, and everyone started buying online, and there was this massive sneaker boom (laughs). But with any kind of investment, once it becomes a trend or hits bubble status, it always cools down fast. By 2022, sales on StockX dropped hard, and I had to figure out what to do with all this inventory. That’s when I decided to create my own brand store and start selling on eBay.

Around that time, I was also getting bored with my corporate job, so I thought it was the perfect timing to start a company.

Q3: Why the name “Bad Sneakers”?

I’m a huge fan of this American band called Steely Dan, and they have this track called “Bad Sneakers” on their album Katy Lied. I just really loved that song, so I took the name from that.

Total coincidence, but “bad” is also slang for “good,” right? Like Michael Jackson’s Bad—the song is clearly meant to be positive. Sure, it sounds a bit old-school now (laughs), but I really liked that sort of ironic twist, how it means the opposite of what it literally says.

In the lyrics of the Steely Dan song, “Bad Sneakers” represents a kind of gritty California vibe. It’s not clear whether it’s referring to actual beat-up shoes or the gangsters of the street as a metaphor. The band members, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, are from New York, and they kind of use “Bad Sneakers” to express their exhaustion with that lifestyle, which fuels their homesickness for NYC. But the melody and groove of the song somehow carry a sense of longing or envy for that world. I think deep down, they also felt some emotional connection or admiration for what they called “Bad Sneakers.”

My store mainly deals with Nike, Adidas—you know, the stuff we used to associate with troublemakers when I was a kid. And honestly, I’ve always felt a bit of sympathy for the outsiders and misfits. Maybe it’s a kind of admiration for strength or toughness.

Q4: What are you most proud of about the store?

Definitely the selection. We have corporate agreements with major retailers and resale platforms in Japan, and we share some inventory with them. That’s how we’re able to offer such a wide range.

Of course, every item we sell is 100% authentic—no doubt about that. We can trace the supply chain back to brand-authorized distributors, and we also do our own checks. We inspect everything from shape and stitching to the smell of the shoe (no kidding). We’ve sold over 10,000 pairs on StockX and eBay combined, so when it comes to authenticity, we’ve got it covered. Plus, on eBay, we accept free returns for any reason, no questions asked.

Another thing people really appreciate is our photos. Customers often ask us how we take them (laughs). Sometimes I even tell them what gear we use. People are tired of looking at generic official product photos. Those pictures try too hard to look perfect and end up feeling unrealistic. That’s why we shoot the actual sneakers ourselves and try to show them as true to life as possible. I think that really resonates with our customers.

Also, we ship pretty much anywhere in the world. Most stores limit where they ship, but we try to send orders to any country. We’ve got special contracts with several courier services, so that helps.

Q5: What’s next for Bad Sneakers?

I feel like the Bad Sneakers brand is starting to really stick. We’ve been gaining a lot of followers on eBay, and repeat customers are growing too.

Going forward, I want to keep offering great service while expanding our selection and improving customer experience even more. At some point, I’d like to open a physical store too. E-commerce still only makes up 20–30% of total retail sales—the rest is still in physical stores. I think having a brick-and-mortar shop is essential if you want to grow into a global brand. If we get to that point, I’d love to start offering collabs and original products too. That’s where I want to take the brand eventually.

Some people say the sneaker boom is over, but I think it’s just the hype cooling off a bit. The user base is still growing. Brands like Asics and Puma are starting to trend in ways we haven’t seen before. It feels like demand is spreading out, so we’re entering an era where having a strong selection is more important than ever. In the long run, I think the sneaker market will keep expanding, and when the next big boom hits, I hope Bad Sneakers will be right at the front of it.

Final Thoughts

Winning the 2024 eBay Japan Seller Award is a huge honor—and a sign that our passion, hard work, and community-driven approach are being recognized globally. We’re just getting started, and we invite you to be part of the journey.

👉 Explore our store on eBay