WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – “I mean you can make anywhere from $20 to $100 per shoe and it just adds up so fast,” said Nate Mosely, owner of SneakerAce.
The sneaker industry is growing so quickly, Forbes estimates that in the next two years it will be worth nearly $100 billion. As the industry has grown, so has the secondary resale market. So much so, it’s become a big business of its own.
“Buying stuff for $100 or $180. Selling it the same day or even the next day for let’s say $250,” said Mosely.
Sneaker collectors, or “Sneakerheads” as they’ve come to be known as, have turned their passion into a culture of its own.
“It’s learning what sneakers are all about. I feel like every shoe has a story behind it,” said Mosely.
With popularity comes profitability. Nate Mosely, who owns Sneaker Ace in Salmon Run Mall is working to expand the sneaker culture to the North Country.
“When I first moved here, I feel like it wasn’t big at all honestly. It was me and like five friends that wore shoes and we just kind of traded amongst each other,” said Mosely.
Those trades would plant the seed for the potential of growth in Mosely’s mind.
“That’s when I really just saw how many people were into shoes here, and around town, and just really wanted to bring the shoe game up here. So, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity. I know a lot of soldiers out at Fort Drum were into it,” said Mosely.
Mosely originally opened his store on Starbuck Avenue in Watertown a few years ago.
“It really picked up in like 2016, 2017. So many shoes coming out, it was just perfect time to hop into it,” said Mosely.
Moseley hopes his move to the mall will help him cash in on that $100 billion future predicted for Sneaker Culture.
“Sky’s the limit, really. It’s as big as you make it,” said Mosely.
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