The Sole Factory Takes Steps for Safe Sneaker Market
Springfield, MA - The sneaker resale market is huge, and shoes have become a product that’s not just a fashion statement, but also an investment like a piece of art.
To provide a safe haven for sneaker buyers and sellers in Springfield, Emil Morales and Josue Rios created The Sole Factory. The founders and owners ensure that people can find special sneakers at a fair price in a safe location.
Half of their business is an online store, and the other half is focused on creating events and safe places for people to buy, sell and trade. When Morales and Rios grew up in the Springfield area, they didn’t see a lot of events for the entire community. They want to help change that while also ensuring that kids are protected.
“At the end of the day the end goal was always to provide a safe place for these kids to buy, sell and trade sneakers,” Morales said. He added that buying and selling can be risky without such an event. Sometimes people are robbed or tricked with fake sneakers.
Their first event in May featured 45 vendors, a much higher number than they’d anticipated. Initially the plan was focused on sneakers, but it gained interest from those selling vintage clothing and other collectables.
“It blew up,” Rios said. “We got the community together and that’s exactly what we wanted to do.”
They combined a summer event with a school drive to give back to the community, something that is important to them both. While both Rios and Morales were sneaker fans as kids, the price point was usually out of range. They’ve observed that today social media allows younger people to afford what wasn’t possible a few years ago.
“I see all of these younger children who have social media platforms be able to go out there and chase their dreams,” Rios said. “They’re able to afford them themselves.”
“They all walk with a nice little swagger and have confidence,” he said. “It all starts with what’s on your feet for these kids. It’s an amazing feeling seeing these kids accomplish so much at a young age.”
“... the goal was always to provide a safe place for these kids to buy, sell and trade sneakers.”
On their website they sell and trade sneakers, but they also host raffles with a limited number of tickets, such as a recent raffle for a pair of Jordan 1 Trophy Room.
They’ve utilized the Standout Truck to make the community aware of The Sole Factory. They appreciate that the moving billboard isn’t simply stationary but might be seen from the highway or on Main Street, giving them visibility in different areas of the city.
Eventually they’d like to have a permanent store but they’re also hopeful to build events along the East Coast. Ultimately their goal is to create a sneaker event in Puerto Rico.
“We really want to bring our sneaker culture into our own culture,” Morales said.
Learn more and connect with the Sole Factory at https://thesolefactoryllc.com/.
Stand Out Truck® has advertising options that meet all budget levels. Contact us today to schedule a FREE consultation, with one of our experts. Let’s discuss your options. www.standouttruck.com/contact
