Sole Superior 2014 – A Sneaker Lover’s Paradise
PUBLISHED November 17th, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:44 pm
We’ve all heard the story before: girl likes shoes; girl buys shoes, and then lives happily ever after.
Well, maybe.
It isn’t just girls who are addicted to buying shoes today – nor is their footwear of choice the 5-inch stilettos we usually associate with the Imelda Marcoses of the world. The object of obsession, in this case, is sneakers.
Sneakerheads, as they are known, ‘eat, sleep, breathe sneakers, and pursue them with a passion’ – or so says Dexter Tan, the co-founder of Sole Superior, Singapore’s foremost sneaker convention that’s happening this Saturday. We chat with Dexter to find out more about the event, and the lengths that some Sneakerheads will go to get their hands on those coveted kicks:
First things first, what’s Sole Superior about?
Sole Superior is Singapore’s premier sneaker and streetwear convention where people can come together to experience the local street scene. It’s also the brainchild of my co-founder Jonathan and myself – I actually met him while queuing for limited edition sneakers a few years back!
What made you guys start Sole Superior?
Well, Jon and I started Sole Superior out of passion. But it was also partly due to the fact that we were tired of seeing other countries having their own conventions. Having been to some of these ourselves, we knew how fun they were and wanted that same vibe here in Singapore, so we just took the plunge.
I’m assuming that since you’re a sneakerhead yourself, you must own a lot of shoes.
Yeah, I do have a lot of shoes. I wish I could cut down my stash by half though. Currently, I have about 150 pairs and it’s fast becoming a storage nightmare. I even have sneaker boxes under my table! But just like any hoarder, I love every single pair I have and it takes a lot for me to get rid of them (even when they’ve disintegrated due to age).
Did you face any difficulties organising Sole Superior?
Oh, we face a ton of them everyday, from liaising with brands to deciding where to place them at the events space. While we do have a group of close friends who sacrifice their time to help us on event day, Sole Superior is really just a two-man team when it comes to things like day to day planning, execution, social media, and communicating with our customers/guests.
What do you think is the best part of Sole Superior?
I think many would say the visual spectacle that Sole Superior is, but I would go with the convention attendees. The support that the community has shown us is immense; we even have fans from overseas flying down to check the event out. Seeing people laugh, catch up, and being awed by rare shoes makes all the effort worthwhile.
We’ve heard that limited edition sneakers are getting harder and harder to get nowadays, since more sneakerheads are collecting them. Any thoughts?
They sure are! Despite our status as a first world country, Singapore is increasingly being overlooked for sneaker releases, and the pie gets much smaller with the expanding sneakerhead population here (which actually is a good thing). Hustling to get the shoes, which includes camping at the store a day before or hitting up every single contact people had in the shops, is very common.
What do you see for Sole Superior in the future?
I see Sole Superior happening in an abandoned warehouse over 3 days which people from the region will fly in to see. There will be sneaker related seminars (yes, intellectual stuff!), basketball tournaments, a skate park and an after party where all are invited. And a long shot is to have the Wu Tang Clan perform at Sole Superior.
Any other things we should know about Sole Superior?
Just one thing – you should come for Sole Superior even if you’re not a sneakerhead! Consider it an inside look into the minds of street culture enthusiasts. It’s not all about sneakers either, there will be apparel, art, handmade crafts (like sick hand constructed bags from FIN) and more. Underaged guests will also get to see Zouk in the day – a plus if they’re going to be moving soon!
Sole Superior will be held from 1pm to 7pm at Zouk on the 22 November 2014. Tickets are available online at Zouk Singapore or in-store at Limited Edt, Studio@pe, and Little Dröm Store. For more information, see their Facebook Page.
Written by Colette W.
