Today we're introducing a new monthly series on the Reshoevn8r blog. Each month, we will shine a spotlight on one of our retail partners. To kick off this series, we're featuring SolePlier from Southlake, Texas.

R8: How long have you been in business?

SP: We’ve been in business for 2 years so far.

R8: What made you want to open a sneaker store?

SP: I’ve aways had a passion for sneakers since I was in middle school I’ve always wanted to be the one with the freshest kicks.

R8: First sneaker store you have ever been to?

SP: My first sneaker store I’ve been to would be your typical Footlocker.

R8: What are some of your top sneakers you own right now?

SP: Right now I would say my OFF-WHITE Chicago 1s and Red October Yeezy 2s.

R8: What is the significance of this location, area?

SP: We currently have 2 location, 1 in the Southlake, TX and our newly opened location in the heart of Dallas, TX. We chose these 2 locations because of the diversity of the sneaker loving culture here.

R8: What brought you into selling sneakers?

SP: Ever since middle school, I noticed people were willing to buy the sneakers I was wearing on my feet and found out about the secondary resell market and found I could make a couple bucks.

R8: What are some challenges you faced prior to opening and also after you opened?

SP: I would definitely say inventory was one thing we lacked but as we grew we were able to multiply that tremendously thankfully. After I would say the struggle was just to continue being consistent in our ability to supply our customer with what they needed.

R8: What brands do you currently stock?

SP: Currently we carry all of the latest exclusive brands like Yeezy, Supreme, OFF-WHITE, Nikes, Adidas and much more.

R8: What have been some top sellers for you?

SP: Yeezys have definitely been one our top sellers that continuously sell out of stores.

R8: What are some ways that your store connects with the city?

SP: We definitely would like to give back as much as we can to the city’s that we are currently located in, we’ve done multiple free giveaways and have given free shoes to the public and plan to work with other local brands to expand and give more to the community.

R8: Any big moments in the store’s history?

SP: Our grand opening for our new 2nd store last Saturday on Aug 1st at the Shops at Park Lane located right next to the NorthPark center would definitely be a big moment, we give thanks to our customers for making this happen.

R8: How has the Pandemic affected you and your business?

SP: We had to close our business for a month and half that definitely halted our operations but thankfully we were able to fight through it. Now we just plan to look forward and see what we can do to continue going.

R8: Are you online? How have sales been?

SP: Yes, our website is SOLEPLIER.com where you can purchase our items online and have it shipped right to you. Thankfully we were able to still continue shipping orders through online during the pandemic and able to get them to our customers.

R8: Any new learnings from the pandemic regarding business and customer’s behaviors?

SP: We learned to expect the unexpected.

R8: Did you get hit by the riots? What are your thoughts on what happened?

SP: Thankfully we were not hit by the riots, we feel sad about what happened and we hope everyone can recover from this.

R8: How are things now? How are you navigating the business during these uncertain times?

SP: We are working with what we have by following state protocols, providing customers with masks, hand sanitizer and any other disinfecting supplies at our stores to give them a safe shopping experience.

R8: Where do you see retail going, post Pandemic?

SP: I see stores being more precautious and taking cleaning measures more seriously than before.

R8: What was your biggest challenge when first opened and did you ever think of quitting?

SP: Biggest challenge I would say when we first opened was getting our name and what we were about. No I never thought about quitting, that is something about me that when I put something on my mind I focus solely on that goal.

R8: Fast forward 5 years, what is your ultimate goal with your store/brand?

SP: Our goal would definitely be to open up more stores and hopefully more prestigious locations. We want to create a brand not just a store that you buy shoes from. We would also love to do more collaborations with other businesses.

R8: From a reseller aspect, what was your biggest win or come up?

SP: Biggest win I would say would be the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Static” they were fully sitting at footlockers, foot actions etc locally and I made the risk to buy out the whole store’s inventory and lucky they sold and even went up in price quickly!

R8: Where do you see sneaker culture going in the future and what are your thoughts?

SP: I see more brands collaborating with each other because they can bring new innovations to the existing grounds and bring their our flavor to the table.

R8: What advice do you have for the next generation looking into the sneaker/streetwear business?

SP: I would say just do your research, have a passion for it. Don’t just force it, with anything you have to really enjoy it to become comfortable enough to be able work at your best.