Sami Reiss

New York

Writer at Snake Newsletter

Writer at Freelance

Writer at GQ

Snake, Super Health and freelance writing and reporting for @a24 @espn @wsj @gq @ssense and others

Articles

요즘 남자들은 왜 헬스장에서 청바지를 입을까?

1 week ago | gqkorea.co.kr | Sami Reiss

온갖 운동복 옵션이 넘쳐나는 시대에, 왜 누군가는 청바지를 입고 운동을 할까? 그리고 이 광경에 어떤 숨은 논리가 있는걸까? 거의 모든 헬스 마니아들이 결국 겪게 되는 특정한 굴욕이 있다. 무게를 묵직하게 들고, 단백질을 충분히 섭취하고, 적당한 기장 길이의 운동용 반바지를 입는 등 모든 정석을 따르던 헬스 광이 어느 순간 기록을 갱신하며 스쿼트 PR(개인 최고 기록)을 달성한다고 하자. 기분이 좋아진다. 그런데 고개를 돌려보니, 바로 옆 스쿼트 랙에서는 청바지를 입은 남자가 내 최고 무게로 가볍게 워밍업을 하고 있는 것이다. 혼란스러운 순간이다. 왜 숙련된 리프터는 운동용으로 설계되지 않은, 오히려 움직임을 방해할 수 있는 청바지를 선택할까? 왜 이 신화적인 존재 — 겨울에도 반바지만 입고 다니는 아이 같은 — 가 모든 헬스장에 존재하는 걸까? 그리고 온갖 최적화된 운동복이 쏟아지는 이 시대에 왜 아직도 사람들이 청바지를 입고 중량을 드는 걸까?
Observer 111: An obscure Loewy La Creuset piece, Pesce at the Johnson house & more

1 week ago | snake.substack.com | Sami Reiss

Shabbat Shalom y’all and forgive the late email (during Shebat yikes) I went deep on some real journalism earlier today:Read it. Thanks. But now, back to design. SNAKE is a reader-supported. To get it all, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Couple stories that came up that jumped out at me before I get to auctions and retail.
Off-topic: Why was the Patriots' team plane in Guantanamo? An investigation

1 week ago | snake.substack.com | Sami Reiss

Going off-topic here. I’ll send the furniture letter in a bit, later today, before Shabbat. Anyways check this crap out: Having worked in sports for a decade I keep up with deranged off-the-field stories and this one seems like the wildest one in years. I dug around and it got even crazier. It is this: The New England Patriots’ team plane has been going back and forth to Guantanamo Bay. Completely normal thing to be doing. Very normal.
A look at the Air Max "95" for Auction Observer 110

2 weeks ago | snake.substack.com | Sami Reiss

Hello and Shebat Salaam. Yesterday was sprint day. Housecleaning:Top auction mentioned ends today; rest Saturday and Sun/Mon. I went deep on the grocery system and Trader Joe’s in my other health newsletter:I am quoted (liberally) in Dan Nosowitz’s great, long look at Facebook Marketplace (and how helpful it is for occasional vintage steals) on Dwell. I discuss my health habits in and stuff I like for — thanks for having me! Ferrari finally podiumed. Can they sustain it?
Bootleg USM terlet is probably the ultimate test; there is a guy named Guido Zimmerman, thoughts on Salone-& Auction Observer 109

1 month ago | snake.substack.com | Sami Reiss

Howdy folks, medium to light week for auctions, everyone is either in Milan or preparing for Passover—some, indeed, are both. A few selected thoughts, however:Tariffs are on pause now again and one has to wonder if there’s any benefit or damage or any effect on folks who only buy vintage. I am sure there is in a long-tail way (butter was about to be $11) but the Chad economics here is that buying used things off non-retail websites.. not to go Thomas Friedman but means you are less affected.
Entrenar en vaqueros: ¿de dónde viene esta moda?

1 month ago | revistagq.com | Sami Reiss

Este artículo sobre entrenar en vaqueros se ha publicado originalmente en GQ.com. Existe una indignidad específica que casi todos los motivados con el gimnasio acaban viviendo. Piensa que eres un gymbro que se lo curra de verdad –levantas cargas pesadas, tomas suficientes proteínas, llevas pantalones cortos de atletismo con el tejido adecuado– y que, un día, por fin, superas ese meseta de entrenamiento y haces tu mejor marca. Estás eufórico.
ジーンズで筋トレする男たち。“動きにくい服”で鍛える理由

1 month ago | gqjapan.jp | Sami Reiss

ジムでウェイトトレーニングをする人なら、いつか経験するだろう屈辱の瞬間がある。正しいフォームで重いウェイトを持ち上げ、適切にプロテインを摂取し、動きやすいトレーニングウェアに身を包んで、ひたすら地道に鍛え続ける。そんな努力の末、停滞期を乗り越え、ついに自己ベストの重量を更新する。最高の気分だ。充足感とともにふと横を見ると、ジーンズ姿の男が同じ重さで軽々とウォームアップを始めているのが目に入る。敗北感が押し寄せる瞬間だ。ジーンズは、本来、動きづらく運動に適さないはずだ。それなのになぜ、リフティング上級者に限って、ジーンズでのワークアウトを好むのだろうか？冬でも半袖短パンの小学生と同じで、ジーンズでワークアウトする神話のような人が、米国のジムにたくさん存在するのはなぜだろうか？運動に適したウェアが世の中には山のようにあるのに、ウェイトリフティングにわざわざジーンズを選ぶのには、何か理由があるのだろうか？まったく気にしない人々...
Why Some Guys Wear Jeans to the Gym

1 month ago | gq.com | Sami Reiss

There’s this one specific indignity that almost all lifters eventually experience. A gym rat who does all the right things—lifts heavy, gets enough protein, wears correct-inseam athletic shorts—might, after a while, break a plateau and squat their PR. They feel good. Then they’ll turn around and see, one squat rack over, some guy in jeans warming up with their max weight. It’s confounding. Why would a strong lifter favor denim, which isn’t designed for workouts and can inhibit movement?
I Love Lamp

1 month ago | ssense.com | Sami Reiss

The long, slow reign of blobby lamps and way too neutral lighting is over. The sun is setting on harsh, noncovered overheads, and, while we’re at it, anything at all that flickers. No more LEDs, no more off-colored squiggles, no more cold, construction-white tones like in most offices. Well, in an ideal world, anyway. If the new age of lighting isn’t equally distributed yet, it’s bubbling up and can be seen in fits and spurts by individuals who pay attention to these things and who work in it.
One of the best weeks for chairs in eons

1 month ago | snake.substack.com | Sami Reiss

Hello—one of the better weeks this year for chairs if you’re looking to make an investment or try out something new—dozens and dozens of chair auctions below. But first,Housekeeping:In new Dwell column I wrote about how old designs—be they out of print chairs or lamps etc. from designer estates, or sketches that were not put into production before, or covetable/high-hammer collector’s items—get released to market these days.