Heart and soles: Fans to gather at Sneaker Exit event Sunday at convention center
Customers looking to buy, sell, trade or catch up on trends in sneakers – high-tops, kicks, sneaks, pumps, trainers to those in the know – are expected at The Sneaker Exit on Sunday om West Palm Beach.
“Star Wars, Spider Man, Yellow Submarine — you can’t find sneakers with those designs at regular footwear stores. There’s a uniqueness at these shows that is exciting,” said Keith Davis, a West Palm Beach attorney known for his kaleidoscopic sneaker collection and bow ties.
Davis, 55, plans on attending the Palm Beach County Convention Center show. The owner of at least three dozen pairs of designer sneakers is general counsel for seven Palm Beach County communities including Royal Palm Beach, Manalapan and Tequesta.
“When I show up at municipal meetings without my sneakers, everybody asks me about it. I created a monster,” said Davis, whose favorite sneaker is the Vans brand.
Get your kicks and more at the 2022 Sneaker Exit event
Not only can customers buy sneakers at Sunday’s event, they can trade and sell.
“The sneaker business is booming. Buyers of valuable sneakers can expect a 20% to 30% increase in value in a couple years of sneakers that are hot,” said Tamara Carson, partnership manager with the Atlanta-based company started six years ago.
Sports shoe enthusiasts — known as "sneaker heads" — helped the U.S. sneaker industry rake in roughly $70 billion in 2020. The industry is set to reach $102 billion by 2025.
Nationwide sales have been strong over the past several years, according to consumer research groups such as Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group and Statista, an international market and research company.
Why this sneaker event is so popular
Sunday’s trade show, the fifth one The Sneaker Exit has held in West Palm Beach, is expected to draw between 800 to 1,500 people. Masks are required for all attendees. The Atlanta-based company held 17 shows nationwide last year. They expect to do about 22 shows this year, said Carson.
“There’s tremendous hyper growth. Manufacturers only make so many sneakers. People are willing to pay an elevated price,” Carson said.
As COVID boosted the numbers of Americans working from home, sneaker sales boomed. Hiking and walking shoe sales, as well as sneaker sales, increased nearly 50 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, according to Statista.
Sneaker heads are not just teenagers, musicians, designers and footwear entrepreneurs, said Carson.
“Sneakers are more popular with everybody. Business people like to wear them with blazers,” said Carson.
Sneaker Exit 2022 in West Palm Beach
If you go:
What: The Sneaker Exit, a sneaker trade show
When: Sunday, Jan. 16, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Cost: Online or tickets at the door are $20. Children 8 and under are free. VIP tickets are $50.
Details: Go to thesneakerexit.com.
COVID rules: Masks are mandatory at the event. Officials will disinfect high-touch areas on a routine basis. Free-standing sanitizing stations will remain in close proximity to all entry and exit points of the facility, food service areas and employee entrances.
Celebrity sneaker heads:
DJ Khaled:
The American disc jockey and record producer owns thousands of pairs of sneakers, one of the largest collections in the world. A Los Angeles custom shoemaker made a pair for Khaled with 18-karat gold accents that bear his insignia.
Teyana Taylor:
The singer/songwriter/actress has a massive “sole collection” of sneakers and has collaborated with Reebok and Adidas.
Missy Elliott:
The rapper and record producer is a collector of retros. Her favorite is the Versace Chain Reaction, which she says she has every color, according to her website.
Mark Wahlberg:
The Boston actor has also collaborated with NBA great Michael Jordan on a pair of Air Jordan 4s for his burger chain, Wahlburgers.
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Ye (Kanye West):
The artist/rapper/entrepreneur formerly known as Kanye West introduced Adidas Yeezy, a fashion collaboration between German sportswear company Adidas. The high-end sneakers are known for their colorful designs.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sneaker Exit, one of the biggest sneaker events, is in West Palm Beach
