The Wild World of Sneaker Conventions

This weekend (Aug. 29), Lace Lab and the Angelus Direct fam are going to be in Detroit, Michigan for Sneaker Con. While you’ve probably heard of Sneaker Con, along with things like “crazy long lines,” the fight in NYC, the rarest sneakers around, the Trading Pit.

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(Source: Sneakercon.com)

So it’s pretty much going to be lit. And this is the first time Sneaker Con is setting up shop in Detroit, so Motor City sneaker heads and other enthusiasts from the Midwest who aren’t trying to drive a couple hundred miles can come down and get in on the action.

One big draw, and this is for the OG customizers out there is the Ace of Customs competition, which our boy Mache got in on a little while back.

(Source: Thestashed.com)

Basically, dudes (and ladies) go head-to-head on a custom job for a pair of sneakers. So if you’re looking for some ideas for your next project, or you want to see the masters put in work, this is the spot.

Sneaker Con argues that it’s basically, “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth,” and from the looks of it, that’s probably true. Sneaker Con was started by a couple of young dudes by the names of William Debord, Alan Vinogradov, Barris Vinogradov, and Yu Ming  in 2009. The first one was thrown in NYC and was pretty much a hit from the start. Since then, it's been traveling through America’s biggest metro cities, like Atlanta, DC, Chi-town, LA, and others.

For those of you who don’t live in one of those towns, getting there with a trunk full of shoe boxes might be a hassle. This is especially true if you’ve got some rare fire you’re trying to sell or trade and you have to get there by plane, train, bus, or a long-ass drive in your car.

(Source: Sneakersummit.com)

There are some other notable sneaker conventions around that started before Sneaker Con. Texas people might speak to this one, and that’s H-Town Sneaker Summit. The Summit has been going since 2004, and they claim to be ‘World’s Original Community Based Sneaker Event.’ By the numbers, they’re 5 years older than Sneaker Con but it’s based in and around Houston. So if you’re not in the Lone Star State, you might not be hitting this one up. If you are, the next one is on December 5 at NRG Center park.

Of course, we’ve got love for our customers on the other side of the Atlantic. Europe has some sneaker conventions going on to, but the one you need to know about is Sneakerness.

 

(Source: Labelnetworks.com)

Sneakerness started out of Switzerland in 2008, and has been going heavy since then. Earlier this month, the people at Sneakerness touched down in London for the first time, so they’re making moves too.

 

(Source: thesolexchange.com)

Another notable is the SolexChange Show. This is going to hit NYC on September 26. If you’re not tapped out yet, check this one out. Basically, there’s something for everyone!