Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterestPosted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Alumni bring sneaker convention to Central FloridaLast SlideNext SlideThe halls of the Education Complex brimmed with knotted laces and the squeak of rubber soles during the SoleFest Sneaker Convention on Aug. 9.The convention, the brainchild of three UCF alumni, brought in attendees from across the Central Florida area to buy, trade and swap the rare and valuable sneakers at the heart of the event."You see everyone from 13 years old to 30 years old coming in to trade shoes," said Mike Irene, a recent UCF grad and one of the founders of the event. "I estimate that there's between 250 and 350 people in the room right now. The turnout has been great."The convention was bustling, with dozens of vendors forming a ring around the room, behind tables that were all but invisible under a riotous panoply of shoes of all shapes and sizes.
Groups of teens and adults roved the hall, their arms stretched wide to accommodate a bounty of sneakers and shoeboxes. Small islands of calm dotted the floor as attendees stopped to chat and share their finds before rejoining the busy flow of bodies circulating throughout the room.Irene began SoleFest two years ago with his friends and fellow UCF grads Jonathan Griffith and Michael Perez. The group of South Florida natives founded the event in the face of what Perez described as an almost complete absence of their beloved shoe culture in Orlando."Me and my two partners were into shoes," he said. "There's a lot of [shoe conventions] in other cities — New York, Chicago, Miami — but there wasn't a lot in Orlando. There are probably 100-plus [shoe] boutiques in Miami, but in Orlando there are only two. We wanted to build that up here at UCF."After their first successful expo at Blue Moon Cafe, the group returned back to its hometown to hunt for venues and expand its presence in Florida.
Now, almost two years later, SoleFest boasts conventions in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Jacksonville and West Palm beach.Irene said the shoe conventions like SoleFest exist as a way for collectors to verify the authenticity of their purchases. Certain rare shoes command prices upwards of $10,000 and are difficult to verify without personal inspection."The reason why a shoe convention has to exist is because there are so many fake and replica shoes coming from overseas," Irene said. "A shoe will come out — a very rare shoe, with maybe 100 pairs distributed throughout the country — and people will try to buy it online. They sell out almost instantly and some people will often end up buying fakes."Vendor Colten Katcher, who goes by the nickname "Colt 45," came from his home in Miami to attend the convention. He possessed one of the gems of the event, a pair of brilliant-red Nike Air Yeezy 2s signed by Kanye West and valued at more than $5,000. Katcher said that conventions like SoleFest are the one of the great highlights of the sneaker culture."
I love the culture," Katcher said. "This is my personal favorite event of any sneaker show. [SoleFest] gives people the opportunity to get shoes they missed out on release date and don't have to pay the ridiculous prices that retail stores have."But what is sneaker culture? What motivates people to drive hundreds of miles and spend thousands of dollars on shoes?For high-schooler Abner Hernandez, it's all about the experience."I love sneakers," Hernandez said. "I love having them, wearing them, buying them and selling them. You grow up in them: Every time you see a shoe that you want really bad, you gotta work for it."For a better experience on Facebook, switch to our basic site or update your browser.Security CheckCan't read the text above?Try another text or an audio CAPTCHAText in the box:What's this?Allow Facebook friends to see your upcoming events? No, keep my events secretWe want to thank everyone who has supported us from the beginning and helped spread SoleFest to fans across the country though different media outlets, press rooms, blogs and video’s.
Shoe Game HQ - http://www.sghq.us/solefest-naples/ DanceWear Corner Orlando Superstore Hours of OperationPhone: 407-770-1080 Feel free to call for directions or simply click here to print directions from your location.Halloween Costume CollegeCollege Halloween CostumesHaloween CostumesEcu HalloweenHappy HolloweenHalloween ThemesIdeas For HalloweenHalloween OutfitsMusic CostumesForwardTotal Frat Move | UCF’s ΔΔΔ Gets In The Mix, State Of Florida Looking Strong I have holiday booked, park tickets & car booked, dollars ordered, park itinerary sorted - now to think about the shopping! I'm guessing that Oakley sunglasses wont be too hard to find, but does anyone know where I can get Mizuno Wave running shoes? Am hoping they'll be cheaper than over here! One attraction mentioned in this post Ranked of 418 things to do in Orlando sports authority, Track Shack, foot locker, etc. Most any big name sporting goods store will carry mizuno shoes. The selection and colors will be different so you might have to call around if there is a specific shoe you are looking for.
Yes Oakley's will be everywhere. -:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one./pages/forums_posting_guidelines.htmlWe remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Disney World & Universal Studios Itinerary? Star Wars fireworks at Hollywood studios may 2017 Car Rental agencies in Florida allowing out of state travel Waterslide testing Volcano Bay Kids Eat Free or Eat & Play cards Busch Gardens, Worth it with a 6 year old? See All Orlando Conversations hotel with nice waterslides Best family beach near Orlando Driving from Orlando to Miami New Hotels / Resorts Opening in Orlando? hotel near disney world with free shuttle??? Disneyworld tickets from Costco? Discovery Cove promotional code 15% off Weather in Orlando Florida in December