Our first Sneaker Con in Anaheim on July 22-23, 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center was a success. But, success is subjective and what it means to one, may differ from what it means to another. We didn't resell $10,000.00 worth of Supreme. But we did get to educate attendees on ANTIDOT® The Premium Sneaker Freshener. Our Fragrance Bar theme had people curious. Some didn't realize (until seeing a demonstration) that it actually deodorizes the insides of sneakers and also leaves a pleasant scent inside your kicks. We were floored with how receptive people were with the different fragrances we had to offer - and even received idea suggestions and kind words from supporters.
solscience, as a brand, has been on a mission to bring more awareness to what we believe to be the finishing touch after cleaning the outsides of your sneakers. And, an essential ritual after active wear of your kicks whether it's a game of basketball, a jogging session or whatever else you're into. The insides of your kicks are as important as the outside. Fresh kicks are simply better.
Of course, having Jumpman Bostic fly in to help promote our latest collaborative scent helped tremendously. And the genuine Original Rufnek (Reuben, Michelle, Frank) crew was gracious to put us up to speed on how sneaker events are run. It's literally a lifestyle for these guys going to over thirty shows a year across the country.
Another reason the show was a success was due to the fact we had a chance to meet alot of cool people we normally only see through our monitors such as shoetubers, business owners, collectors and fans of the culture. We didn't get a chance to meet everybody, unfortunately, but some of those we did get to meet and also reconnect with were, in no particular order:
@mryumingwu
@yeezybusta
@oneleggedlister
@innerdistortion
@tracydesu
@_thejayteam
@jaimedagreat
@paypa_boy
@stangnhoops
@sneakerboxco
@therealrayray20
@tonyd2wild
@originalrufnek and @lord_frank_hesher
@markjackson
@connortv
@heymikiwar
@kustoo
@realsethfowler
@connoisseur1cent
@afrikan_caesar, @guru_knows and @mj.o.mj from @thesneakerbox_podcast
This was our first Sneaker Con event and so it's hard to gauge if this was considered big or not compared to those in the past. Nonetheless, it was lit in our eyes. Anyone happen to have any feedback in that regard? How has it differed from other events in the past?
What we can say about the crowd (in general, not specifically Sneaker Con) is that there's something about this new generation that feels safer. Safer in both a good sense and a bad sense. Good in the sense that there's a lot of positive, friendly vibes we experienced from everyone we met. Most everyone was just cool to talk to.
On the style front, however, it did cross our mind - is originality and individuality slowly losing itself? Or are the larger brands just stepping up their game? Every Adidas release is better than the last. Every Supreme release is sold out. Or, is it just very difficult to be original with information on the internet being so ubiquitous? It's probably a combination of all of the above. We're still trying to carve out our own lane combining innovative concepts with our love for sneakers, basketball and creative culture.
A very special thanks to Jumpman Bostic and Original Ruffnek for helping us navigate our first event. And, now onto the images from the show...
