Image via Complex Original
Do what you love and love what you do is the dream, but unfortunately only a small percentage get to live it. With the trend of sneakers hitting an all-time high, we decided to look into the possibilities of how one would make it their life. It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback your favorite shop with ideas and concepts you think never crossed their mind, but there is much more to it than having a passion for shoes and some money. We hit up some people who've already done it and present you with DIY: 12 Pieces of Advice From Sneaker Shop Owners—not as easy as it looks, is it?
Be Yourself
Sneaker shop: Premier in Grand Rapids, MI
Josh says: "Although we do not maintain a 100 percent customer satisfaction rate, we do pretty well. No matter how hard we have worked to make sure our physical storefront is up to snuff we would never expect a fan of our store to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan just to visit it. We can't rely on our geographical location to make our name. That's why we have always gone out of our way to provide great customer service for our online customers and in-store customers alike. Some places are allowed to play the cool card and it works for them. We just aren't that cool. But what we are is honest, quick, and usually flush with good product. Accepting who you are and having your customers appreciate it has been the best part."
Grow Up
Sneaker shop: Extra Butter in Rockville Centre, NY
Jason says: "I still refer to my friend/mentor Chris Julian (Fruition/Unknwn) who told me to approach this endeavor with 'the preparedness of a neurosurgeon.' I had to make a lot of necessary changes and sacrifice in order to gain the discipline required to not just open, but do things right and put the shop on a successful path. This might be bad news for some people, but the 'love' is not enough. Dedication, passion...that's all needed and part of the 'love' for the sneaker culture and whatnot, but there is a deeper level one should reach before taking on the daunting task of opening a business. Sometimes I think the deeper level is simply maturity."
Take It Personal
Sneaker shop: Corporate in Cincinnati, OH
Matt says: "At our shop, the most important parts to maintaining our customers in our eyes is growing a true relationship with each and every one of the people that come in. Yeah we can sell people every day, but gaining loyalty is the biggest factor. I, personally, am in my shop daily so I don't miss out on meeting everyone. I love when I know more about my customer than just their shoe size. I think with everything being so available to everyone nowadays you have to be the difference in the product. You sell yourself right along with the product."
The Customer Is Always Right
Sneaker shop: Oneness in Lexington, KY
Joe says: "You have to make sure you're bringing in the product that your customers want; and more importantly, you have to become personal with your customers and give them a reason to come back. A large part of my business is establishing and cultivating my relationships with my customers. Having a retail location and bringing in product is just the beginning of the ballgame, a bigger piece of that puzzle is maintaining an environment where people want to give you their patronage. I think people take for granted that there's a lot behind someone wanting to reach into their pockets to give you their money [in exchange for goods or services]. "
When You See An Opportunity, Take It
Sneaker shop: Got Sole Boutique in Indianapolis, IN
Mike says: "As a longtime sneaker connoisseur, the concept of starting a sneaker shop had been incubating in my head for a long time (mid/late '90s). My past jobs (store manager, buyer, VP DMM) had me traveling quite a bit, so as I trend shopped I would always seek out the more exclusive sneaker and streetwear spots looking for something different. Years ago there weren't that many spots outside of New York and California, but I would find them and always come home with several pair of new kicks or some fresh gear that most people had never seen before. Whenever I'd be out and about I would constantly get asked 'Where'd you get those?,' 'Where'd you get that?,' etc... so I guess it was destiny. Being in an established corporate position for many years, I never knew when or if I would ever get a chance to make it happen—then during the middle of 2007 an opportunity presented itself for me to either continue in the corporate world or venture out on my own—obviously I chose the latter and decided to make my vision a reality."
Understand The Logistics
Sneaker shop: Reed Space in NYC, NY
Jeff says: "Shoes require you to carry a ton of inventory. Take for example one shoe. It comes in size 7-12 with half sizes. Two colors. That is 22 SKUs even if you order only one piece per size! You order two pairs of each size and you're already looking at 44 boxes. That's just ONE SHOE. You can see how this can quickly become a money pit unless you're somehow able to turn around and sell product at an extremely quick rate. My advice: Stay away! But if you still wanna do it...good luck!"
Build Relationships (And Keep Them)
Sneaker shop: Premier in Grand Rapids, MI
Josh says: "Building relationships with any company is tough. To get that contact you will either have to find someone who is already connected or fight through the line at a trade show and prove yourself. Any major company is difficult because they either already have their own store in your area or a key retail partner that they will protect. And this is a good thing. Business is business and these companies want to make money just like you do. If it's already awesome in your area, move your idea elsewhere. If you can prove that you can do something that said company may be missing out on, you should be good. And once it's good you'll be happy they protect you. Most importantly PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME!"
Treat Them Right
Sneaker shop: Extra Butter in Rockville Centre, NY
Jason says: "I'm thankful for the relationships we have with all our brands. We've really worked with outstanding people that I'm thankful for being able to see our vision and share it in many ways. Someone at Nike once explained the difference between a 'me' conversation and a 'we' conversation. It's pretty self-explanatory and in any relationship the 'we' is a must. I also believe our unwavering commitment to storytelling and putting the products we carry in the best light possible has helped give companies we work with the faith that their products will have a cool and caring home with us."
It's A 24-Hour Job
Sneaker shop: Corporate in Cincinnati, OH
Matt says: "People don't see the time we sacrifice to make things work the way they do. I've missed too many family events, friend's birthdays, missed out on vacations, lack of sleep and much more. I don't just show up from the hours that are posted on the door, I take work home, I work on projects and things around the clock. You lose a lot of people in life because of being an entrepreneur but the ones that hold on you know are there for the long run."
A Cool Job Is Still Work
Sneaker shop: Oneness in Lexington, KY
Joe says: "A lot of customers/consumers often think that it's this 'sneakerhead's fairytale.' In reality, a huge part of a sneaker shop they don't see is that it's a lot of work. It's definitely exciting and fun and all of that—sure, but it's a lot of work just the same. Just because you're selling cool product doesn't mean you don't have bills and deadlines just the same as everyone else. You have a team/staff you have to keep tight (and deal with what they have going on), you have meetings and a lot of talking to do, and at the end of the day you still have your personal life. The BIGGEST part about this job is that it DOESN'T STOP and people, a lot of times, don't say that. I clocked into work 1,805 days ago and have not clocked out—that's the part people don't see."
Be Prepared
Sneaker shop: Got Sole Boutique in Indianapolis, IN
Mike says: "I already had the concept and the name (I planned to call it LACED, but that was already taken by the time I was ready), so I put together a business plan and created the store image, designed the store layout and logo, then established an LLC. I handled my own financing, so I then presented my plan to all the brands I intended to carry, searched for the right location for the shop, signed the lease, built out the store, ordered the product, started viral marketing online and opened got SOLE? on 11/1/2007."
Just Don't Do It
Sneaker shop: Reed Space in NYC, NY
Jeff says: "I don't want to be a Debbie Downer but I would highly advise someone to NOT open a sneaker store. Starting any business these days is difficult; but a sneaker store is especially difficult. You can carry one of two things: Big major brands: You might be the coolest store in town, but inevitably, these big brands need to make their maximum profit margins so it only makes sense for them to sell to their own flagships. It's almost impossible for your shop to retain any exclusive product for any extended time. Independent brands: I love the new independent footwear brands. And you'll be able to carry them. But they don't warrant the same demand as the bigger brands with their powerful marketing dollars...so your profits from them will be smaller—very likely, too small to carry the overhead of your rent, inventory and staff."
