Four successfull store owner share their insights on running a sneaker store

This is the first feature in our series of articles about the footwear business and footwear industry. We interviewed four sneaker store owner from different countries about their experiences, insights and challenges running a sneaker store.

Thanks to Hikmet (Solebox.de / Germany), Per (Wallace-Store.com / Denmark), Amy (Sneakerhead.com / United States) and Nick (Samplekickz.com / Hong Kong) for taking the time to answer our questions.

How did you get into the sneakerbiz?

Hikmet: Long, long time ago.. I’m into sneakers since I can think. But I would say with the age of 13 or 14 I started to try to get shoes which others didn’t have.. I worked at a local sneaker shop and decided about 4 or 5 years ago to open my own shop. The main reason was to open a shop to get my own supply..cheaper than retail.. ; ) I started with vintage stuff but nobody really understood it here in Germany, so I switched to the things I am now doing.

Per: I got in to this business about 10 years ago, while being a partner in a store called StreetMachine, this was primarily a Skate shop, but we were the first non sporting goods store
in Denmark to obtain an account with Nike. This was when all the ACG and AM95’s and AM97’s getting things going. The rest is history.

Amy: Sneaker expert meets a computer guy and they both believe that they have a golden opportunity to make a wider selection of styles available to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. Make it easy, make it fun, and provide great service and styles to as many people as possible.

Nick: At first when I was around 14, it was just the passion for rare kicks, just wanted to be different and enjoyed the moment when I broke necks while cruising down the mall. Then I discovered ebay where I got more rare kicks from at that time. Then I had the idea to get those rare kicks and sell them locally here in Hong Kong and thats what I did and thats how I started selling on the net.

What was the biggest problem you were facing when you started?

Hikmet: The biggest problem is to build up a business. I get many emails and phone calls asking how to get all the limited items: It is not that easy. Do not think you will get such items when you just start up. We have now reached a high level with Solebox but we still do not get everything what we like. It is a long and hard way, but if you believe in your idea and have the goal clear in your mind… Go for it!

Per: Getting all the different accounts landed, convincing the companies to go out of their way and hookng us up, and then building the relationship and staying on top of things, keeping track on whats coming out. Coming from a small country we don’t see the same attention to the market as the big guys do, so we have to keep bugging them to get in the right stuff.

Amy: Finding a way to let the customer know that we have authentic products and great customer service even though we’re not a big “corporate” brand name. Not enough exposure and too many people selling fakes. Customer trust is something we really value. Our regulars will tell you that this is their “little secret” for finding shoes.

Nick: I always believe it’s not what product you get or have that are most important, but instead, its why people decide to go to buy from u even your price is equal to or higher than market value, that has all to do with REPUTATION, and I truely believe that a good rep is priceless and it was the hardest part to get when I started.

What are the most important aspects of running a sneaker store?

Hikmet: Care about the needs of your customers. Every customer is important! If I say every. then I mean every.

Per: Having access to the right products and knowledge on the products. Making sure you bring in the right combination of products, a mix of Speciel Ed.’s and bread and butter shoes. Working closely with your core costumers and making sure you have a happy crowd.

Amy: Service. It’s not about the inventory or how the website looks. Sneaker sales online is one of the most difficult kinds of sales - you can’t try the shoes on or feel the material. You need to have stand-out customer service to keep the customer coming back even if their first order didn’t work out. This is not the kind of business you can start up in an afternoon from your home. You have to have serious determination and business and technical skills in addition to knowing about the culture and the products.

Nick: As I said before, a good rep is one of the most important aspects. You must create
an atmosphere where buyer feel safe to buy even if they have to pay a bit more, cuz afterall, its worth to pay a bit more for a peace of mind.

Do you get high on your own supply? How many kicks do you have at home? Any favorites?

Hikmet: I’m constantly high on my own supply..to tell the truth I nearly take every incoming sneaker of my shop. So you can imagine that I do have some pairs. I know it is not good for a dealer to get high on his own stuff..but this is the reason why i opened a shop.

Per: I think the biggest kick is when you bring in products that people go crazy for, thats the biggest high seeing all the happy faces come in and pick up their new sneaker. Personally it is pretty diverse what gets me psyched it doesn’t have the be something “super” limited. Actually with all the crazy sneakers coming out lately I am more and more looking towards “classic” color combo’s. I still think some of my personal favorites are my OG footscapes in blue. They are some of the best sneakers made in the last 10 years, another classic in my shelf are the Terra Humara’s -best ACG ever… But there are a lot of favorites on the shelfs at home kinda lost count, but I’m closing in on 200.

Amy: It depends on the person. What’s great about our company is that we have a diversity of ages and backgrounds and everyone here has their own style. Some of our employees only have a couple of pairs, but one guy has more than 50 pairs- all kinds, but mostly Retro Jordans though. His latest acquisition was a pair of Scarface Air Force Ones. No one started out with an interest in these styles, but eventually, we have all become converts to some degree. For me personally, I’m always interested to see the new styles and how they relate to the fashion trends for clothing.

Nick: I passed that stage haha, I only collect one thing and thats bling bling
haha, I believe I can get any shoes any time if I have the money. Nothing is impossible to get, its all about how much you are willing to pay, but I do have some collection of wovens at home because they are my favorite shoes. I got approximately 80 pairs at home.

Do you have any funny, weird or bizarre stories to share from your time running your store?

Hikmet: The most bizarre story was a guy who offered me his girlfriend for a night for a pair of limited kicks.. Strange world.. He got the shoes from me..(and i didn’t want his girlfriend).

Per: It shows how small the world has become when you have people from all over the world email you about products often weeks before release date. When we released the NB 574 Fiberops it went crazy. I received a ton of mails of people wanting to buy them. Also from time to time you get this costumer that walks in out of the blue and leaves with a ton of stuff and you ask yourself where did they come from?

Amy: “Do you sell shoes?” Enough said! Just kidding. Actually trying to do business during the periodic blackouts two years ago was interesting, and from a customer service standpoint, we get weird, wacky questions on a daily basis. The previous question is one that we actually get about every few months or so. Here’s a brief list of the weirdest and most common customer moments.

“Why did you give me my money back? I didn’t authorize that!” (regarding out of stock shoes)
“Why was my shoe sold out?” also “How can a shoe sell out?”
“What does ‘out of stock’ mean? Does that mean you don’t have anymore?”

And inevitably, there are always the customers who call our customer service number at weird hours (3 am?!) and leave a voicemail because they desperately need these shoes they just saw on our website. Sometimes they get upset because no one is available to take their call. Most of our weird stories, though, deal with availability of products.. The styles we sell are so limited and so in demand that the customers are desperate to get a pair. I’ve had people beg, cry, and offer me money to just get a pair for them and others who just freak out, call us names, use profanity, threaten us with lawsuits, and verbally harrass us because the shoes they wanted aren’t available. I don’t think any of us ever believed that shoes could be such a life and death thing.

Nick: I wouldn’t say it’s funny, but I’m lucky to have some big buyers who continously buy from me. So if one of these big buyers stops buying, then another one of the same type will turn up in my store. Its all about luck.

What kind of sneakers will you sell in 5 years?

Hikmet: Hopefully I’m still in the business and there will be something more than retros and new colorways. We need some more techy stuff. Selflacing gps shoes for example.

Per: Hopefully we will be seeing some new classics being born in the near future. I think the Moire from the Nike+ collection has potential and I also see a lot of effort being put in to the AM360 and its special makeup’s. I also hope the companies start being more consistent in having a constant flow of classics like AM87 etc. cause these models have a big group of followers, just like the shelltoe and the clyde.

Amy: The sneaker culture is growing and changing people’s habits. Casual fashion shoes are becoming more prominent now that the standard of dress is more relaxed both on the job and at home. The majority of people don’t go to work in a suit and dress shoes and no one really wants to wear their good running or basketball shoes to the mall. This leaves a niche that the fashion/shoe industry and our company can fill. We’re all looking for something that looks and feels great. We anticipate staying on top with this trend by carrying the hot fashion styles while still carrying a good selection of professional athletic shoes for our runners and basketball players.

Nick: I believe the old school trend will be over very soon, and 2007 brings the return of the high tech retros, e.g presto, woven etc.. Thats why you see a lot of recent gimmick stuff that have a slight touch of those high tech shoes eg. footscape woven, dunk presto etc… but of course, thats just what I predict for this year or so, not sure what sneakers will be like in 5 years.