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The tragic news of the passing of Gary Warnett has hit many in the footwear world today. More than one of the greatest story tellers and historians in our business, he was a very good friend loved by many around the globe.

Gary’s passion for sneakers, the history, and the people in the business was practically unmatched by anyone. His depth of knowledge and connection between products and culture made for some of the greatest conversations one could ever experience. His vast depth of knowledge came to life with his incredible skills as a writer. When you saw a post “by Gary Warnett,” you knew it was going to be a great experience as a reader no matter the subject of the piece.

Today has been a sad one to say the very least. Gary will be forever loved and remembered by so many – a true legend.

Below are some memories shared by people today about Gary. I would like to keep this open for others to share a few words about him. Please feel free to email me at [email protected].

 

The first time I met Gary Warnett was, of course, at a sneaker event. It was at the Los Angeles launch for Eric Koston’s first Nike signature shoe, back in 2011.

We’d known of and even known each other much longer than that, through e-mails and blog posts in those pre-Twitter days. Gary was the guy to ask about any bit of sneaker esoterica, and even if he didn’t have the exact answer you needed, you’d undoubtedly learn something. In an industry desperately lacking context, where retro product was seemingly launched at random, Gary was the ultimate contextualizer, able to discuss in equal detail a particular sneaker, the clothes it complemented, the movies it appeared in, or the obscure hip-hop tracks that dropped around the same time. His blog, Gwarizm, was and is an invaluable source written in his inimitable style, tying together the most disparate topics.

His writing illuminated, and the sneakers he worked on—whether you knew it or not—also told stories.

He was one of a kind. He will be missed.

–Russ Bengtson

 

The world lost an incredible man.

First things first, Gary was above all things a true gentleman. He was such a wonderful and genuine person that I had the great pleasure to call a friend for so many years.

Secondly, Gary was one of the most talented writers ever. Any piece he wrote was always such a pleasure to read. Not only were his pieces always so solid with facts, but they were presented in such a great way that made reading them so enjoyable.

Lastly, this man was a scholar and guru of all things fresh.  Practically no one knew as much about sneakers as him – no one.

– DJ Clark Kent

 

Gary was one of the most knowledgable and insightful people I have ever met, and was also one of the most personable too.

He was one of the few heroes in the sneaker world that I had never met for so many years and was so grateful for the opportunity to cross paths with him. It was almost like a fanboy moment for me meeting him because he really was just such an incredible person who I had respected and admired for so many years.

Even though I wasn’t very close to him, as a fan of his work and having met him a couple times it impacts me so much. And I think it says so much about him that it had that effect on me.

Rest in peace, Gary.

– Jacques Slade

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