It’s rare to find an event that holds Jordans or the latest pair of Dunk SBs hold as much value as a few Benjamins. But on Sunday, February 15th in the Altman Building of the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC, this was exactly the case. For the first time ever, Street Attics was present to cover the event, with our NYC team stopping by to get a better glimpse behind all the hype of what what was supposedly the largest sneaker convention in the United States.
From it’s humble origins in January 2004 to a brand with a cult following and named one of the “Fifty Moments that Changed Sneaker Culture Forever”, it’s easy to see why Sneaker Summit is and will continue to be THE event for sneaker heads and you attic heads for a long time to come.
Image Source: Sneaker Summit Instagram
Our team arrived there only 15 minutes after the event started, but there was already a crowd inside and lined up outside to get ready for a day where sneakers were the rule and the law. Sneaker Summit describes itself as “a one day only event where Sneaker Enthusiasts from all walks of life gather to celebrate sneaker culture, and to buy, sell, trade, browse, and discuss everything from rare, vintage, and collectible to the latest and most exclusive sneakers, fashions, and accessories all within a huge party atmosphere” and it was clear to see why. Aside from a huge mob of teenagers running around with boxes of the latest LeBrons, KDs, Kobes and Jordans, a full DJ set ( seen above ) and countless vendors was setting up in preparation of the upcoming storm.
Vendors represented neighborhoods from < a href="https://instagram.com/barriosaints/" rel="nofollow">California to New York and back, with not only sneakers, but t-shirts, hoodies and backpacks representing all aspects of urban fashion and streetwear. District Customs ( below ) was one such vendor featuring world-renowned artist Trevor who customizes and creates high end graphic and intricate painted designs of the hottest sneaks around. BLk LAB EL is continuing to build themself as more of a lifestyle brand, with not only a line of hoodies and glasses, but t-shirts and sweaters as well. Gemr was quite an interesting find. Hanging out on the lower floor, dubbed the “Trading Floor” and not too far from the VIP Lounge, Gemr is an app that allows collectors to share, trade and connect with others. Makes sense that they would hang out where all the action is.
With so much action on the “Trading Floor”, our team wasn’t able to check out the VIP Lounge, but that allowed for a long chat with Dallas Penn about being an ‘Internet Celebrity’, Premium Pete of Sneaker Tube TV, rocking some pretty wicked beanies from NEFF Headwear (almost as dope as our IDFWU beanies from Baddieco) and also chatting with a pretty interesting boutique run by two talented female entrepreneurs ( huge shoutout ).
Of course, there was so much more with brands like Animal Inks, Skinny Livin, Rastaclat and Sneaker Kingz spreading “good vibes”, Bobbito Garcia, Power 105.1 and DJ Beauth and Beats bringing the star power and hundreds of sneaker heads in attendance. While we were tempted to get in on the “Trading Floor” action, we had about one pair of dusty Converses between the whole team. Next time we will be better prepared. For you Attic Heads, this means that means we will definitely have more about the Sneaker Summit, so be sure to stay posted via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.