Hundreds of sneaker collectors — or ‘sneakerheads’ — around Calgary and the rest of Alberta gathered on Saturday together to buy, trade and talk sneakers at the Holiday Sneaker Swap, the longest running major sneaker event.
The event was held at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Center on November 16 and hosted by the city’s largest sneaker group, YYCSolediers. Group co-founder Albert Mejia says that the Holiday Sneaker Swap had formed as a result of the popularity of another sneaker event that the group hosts during the spring, the Calgary Sneaker Swap.
“It keeps building the community that way,” says Mejia. “So a lot of people who don’t come to the spring show can come to the winter show.”
“If you want to get rid of stuff before Christmas, you can sell stuff there. If you want to get a head start on buying Christmas presents, you can do your shopping at the sneaker swap.”
The sneaker swap featured dozens of vendors, selling used or unworn sneakers, as well as a large selection of streetwear and vintage clothes at a variety of prices.
Hundreds of some of the rarest, sought-after sneakers were featured on display for sale at the event. There were also hourly raffles, which guaranteed attendees the chance to win a pair of sneakers or clothes provided by numerous event sponsors.
The event finished with around a hundred people in attendance, with three prizes given away to raffle winners. As a result of the success of the event, YYCSolediers plans on continuing to host their yearly sneaker events with the next Sneaker Swap, set to be held next year on May 30.
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Editor: Kemi Omorogbe| oomorogbe@cjournal.ca