Inside one of Boston’s most exclusive sneaker events, Boston Got Sole
Thousand dollar shoes, cereal boxes, and more.
Yo, how much for those? $350, unboxed, and rarely been worn. Bet, I’ll take them.
Thousands of people poured into Gillette Stadium on Saturday for the widely anticipated Boston Got Sole, a flea-market style event that brought the city’s street wear and sneaker community together. People of all ages gathered to bargain, trade, and sell both exclusive and vintage sneakers — as well as clothes, jewelry, and other streetwear items.
The event catered to a sneaker head’s delight. On top of tables were arrays of Yeezy Boosts, Jordans, and Air Force 1s with prices hand-written on pieces of lined paper, tucked into the insoles of shoes. Over the late Pop Smoke’s “Welcome to the Party” that blared from the DJ booth, people shouted out prices and brands while onlookers walked from table to table, examining sneakers and negotiating prices.
They carried boxes in their arms (Yeezy Boosts seemed to be the most popular) and lugged around dollies piled high with stacks of sneaker boxes. Deals were mostly made in cash, or Venmo, and sealed with a nod and a brief handshake or dap. The cheapest deal appeared to be Reebok G-Xt Cross training shoes ($1), while other shoes were sold for upwards of $750.
At Boston Got Sole, anyone was capable of making a deal. That included younger children, who took advantage of their smaller shoe sizes by selling to mostly women.
“Would you like to buy Off-White converse?” asked a trio of middle schoolers, Peter (12), Issac (13), and Ahmad (12), to a blonde-haired women wearing neon green Kappa pants and an Off-White belt. The boys, who are from Shrewsbury and attend Oak and Sherwood Middle Schools, get money to buy sneakers from their parents and family members. They’ve built up an extensive collection of sneakers, from Balenciaga to Off-White Nike Vapor Maxes.
Avid sneaker fans Ahmad, Issac, and Peter at Boston Got Sole.
Ahmad, who was selling the Off-White converse, said he got the sneakers on Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City thanks to his older cousin, Abdul.
“They were going for $600 and I gave my cousin like $400,” he said.
Ahmad is a self-proclaimed sneaker retailer who got into shoes through Abdul — who brought the boys along with him to Boston Got Sole. It’s Ahmad’s third Boston Got Sole event, and he excitedly boasted how he got his two friends into shoes.
Issac’s favorite shoes are Off-White converse, while Peter is really into those as well as Jordans and Balenciaga.
Peter, Issac, and Ahmad bargain with another seller.
Sneakers were not the only items offered at Boston Got Sole. One booth sold vintage jerseys and sports jackets, while another sold gold chains, custom air pod cases, and Louis Vuitton purses and phone cases. There was an abundance of exclusive collaborations between luxury brands household appliances, as crowds gathered to cop pieces from Virgil Abloh’s “Off-White” collab with homegoods store Ikea to artist Travis Scott’s collab with General Mills’ cereal Reese’s Puffs.
This is what UMass Boston engineering major Yassine Benouardia, who was born in Morocco and currently lives in West Lynn, took advantage of at his booth with his friends. Knowing how influential pop culture is, Benouardia wanted to offer items that could cater to anyone’s interest and budget.
Yassine Benouardia (far right) and his two friends ran their own booth at Boston Got Sole.
“I just sold a few Kool-Aids and a free Capri Sun,” Benouardia said gleefuly. “I find that thinking about it, kids have money but some kids don’t. I thought coming in here, yes I could sell the most expensive things like $350 shoes, but there’s kids who only have a dollar.”
Displayed on Benouardia’s table are an arrangement of things he knows a lot of people would want to buy, such as snacks (selling for 50 cents), “fun things” like chopsticks, Jordans, and things he acquired through sneaker deals, such as free Supreme stickers. He even sold a box of Travis Scott’s Reese’s Puffs for a hefty price of $170.
Artist Travis Scott’s collab with Reese’s Puffs sold for over $100.
“You could buy those at Walmart. It’s crazy,” he said. “But mine had the package deal, a bowl and a spoon. I think they should have made milk, too.”
His most profitable deal was the Lobster SB that he sold for $1,000, which was the craziest transaction he had witnessed from the day. Interestingly, Benouardia does not wear sneakers often (he’s more into Clarks), but he views them as a form of art and expression.
“Bro, two different worlds: fashion and sneakers, culture. Like this Mona Lisa,” he added while holding up a framed portrait Off-White’s replication of the iconic painting. He stood in line at IKEA for eight hours right after Halloween, bought it for $100, and is reselling it for $350. Benouardia even used the IKEA Off-White Bags he got to carry all of his sneakers, snacks, and luxury items into the event.
“You got to stay with the culture,” he said with a smirk.
As he explained his business tactics, and the intersection of street wear and luxury, a blonde-haired teenager approached him with a pair of Nike Air Force 1 07 LV8 ‘Devin Booker’ sneakers he got from Footaction last year.
“Will you trade me for these?” he asked. “They go for like $250. They change color the more you wear them.”
While Benouardia was not interested, commenting on the crease marks, he turned him down with a smile on his face and a respectful nod.
“Best of luck,” he said.
The boy smiled back, clutching his Nike shoebox. Then he walked away and disappeared into the bustling crowd of sneaker fanatics, in search of finding a buyer.
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