Sneaker News
Hip sneaker boutique with collector kicks opens in Deep Ellum Dallas
A hipster sneaker boutique has opened its first location in Dallas. Called Sneaker Politics, it's part of a small chain based in Louisiana known for its collection of coveted sneakers, from known brands such as Nike and Adidas, to high-end sneaker and apparel names such as Buscemi and Rochambeau.
Sneaker Politics was founded by Derek Curry, who learned the ropes at Finish Line before opening his first location in his hometown Lafayette in 2006.
He's since opened locations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and opened his first store in Texas in Austin in 2018.
The Dallas store is a 3,400-square-foot storefront in a vintage brick building which has long been unoccupied. It's in a friendly strip next door to The Point Skate Shop and across the street from Harlowe MXM.
The store design is spacious and tasteful, with shoes displayed carefully along the walls, and apparel hanging in the center.
Curry says that while scouting locations, he observed Deep Ellum locals already savvy to sneaker culture, and felt like there was a void in the market.
"I asked everyone, 'Where did you get those?' Everyone was telling me different websites or StockX," Curry told Yahoo. "There [were] no sneaker boutiques that have top-rated product."
The Dallas store stocks similar merchandise to other locations, whether it's Nike Air Force 1s for $100 or the LeBron James x John Elliott Icon sneaker for $250.
Their most expensive sneaker is a Buscemi that runs about $2,100, Buscemi being the famous creator of some of the most expensive sneakers in the world.
"We try to have a little something for everybody," says manager Kellen Daniel.
They also try to open their stores very softly. The Dallas location opened in September. "We don't make a big fuss about opening, it's more a word-of-mouth thing," he says.