Sneakerheads rejoice! The New York Got Sole sneaker show and expo will return to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus on Jan. 10 from 12-6 p.m. The event, hosted by Got Sole, will hit other major cities later this year, including Atlanta, GA, and London, England. The NY area event will feature over 400 vendors, showcase celebrity appearances such as rapper Fat Joe and pro BMX rider Nigel Sylvester, who are hosting the event, and a special pop-up by Jim Jones x Diplomats.
Sneaker collecting lives at a unique cultural crossroads, developing in the 1980s at the intersection of sports and art amidst the release of Nike Air Jordans, and the prominence of sneakers amongst rappers as hip-hop rose to new heights of popularity. Songs like Run DMC’s “My Adidas,” and B-Boy culture in the Bronx tie the hobby that engages millions of people around the world back to its roots in New York City. Sylvester and Fat Joe, both NYC natives, are representative of the diverse population that finds and collects shoes, and the hobby’s prominence amongst extreme sports and hip-hop aficionados cannot be denied nor understated.
Past Got Sole events have featured a multitude of stars — videos on the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages show figures like rapper Meek Mill and skateboarder Paul Rodriguez shopping for sneakers at Expo’s in NYC and LA. “You never know who will pull up to shop,” one post read. Tickets and more information are available at gotsole.com. General admission ticket holders can bring up to 3 pairs of shoes to sell or trade at the expo. VIP ticketholders can enter one hour earlier, beginning at 11 a.m., and bring up to 5 pairs of shoes. VIP ticketholders are also automatically entered to win a pair of “Brick by Brick” Jordan 4’s signed by Nigel Sylvester.