2020 has been a tough year for people and businesses, with most of the world lockdown and confined to their homes. This meant a lot of highly anticipated events had no choice but to postpone, or even worse, close operations for good due to the restrictions for COVID-19. But as the year comes to a close there looks to be light at the end of the tunnel, as normality looks to be making a return for most of the world, making 2021 the year of redemption. So with that said, we thought it was only right to make sure you’re well equipped for the year ahead, so make space in your calendar for iconic sneaker events to attend. As there is still uncertainty, we’ve shortlisted the four most reputable brands that provide the most captivating experience for attendees, sellers, buyers and everyone in between. Let’s get into the list.
Crepe City
Crepe City is one of the leading sneaker conventions in the UK, if not throughout Europe. The London based event started back in 2009 and since has become a staple in the sneaker scene and a must-to-go place for upcoming streetwear brands. Till this day, Crepe City has remained true to its roots, to build a community for sneaker enthusiasts, sneaker vendors and upcoming streetwear brands to showcase and trade with like-minded individuals.
The two-day long fashion festival is quite a spectacle, with every corner and crevice of the venue occupied by either a sneaker vendor, streetwear brand, accessory creator or shoe care brand, so it’s guaranteed you’ll leave with an item. Aside from the intense bartering, price haggling and hours of browsing, the coordinators have done well to break up the day by including a food court, live entertainment and a chill area, which helps transcend the day from a fly-by event to a nice day out with friends and family. But if you are attending to trade and buy sneakers, it’s strongly advised to go and queue as early as possible otherwise you’ll be trailing behind other sneakerheads who aim to buy up the sort after sneakers.
Find more information about Crepe City.
Sneakerness
Sneakerness is one of, if not, the biggest sneaker events brand in Europe, running massive conventions in iconic cities renowned for its contribution to fashion and streetwear. The story and ethos behind Sneakerness are to amalgamate the passion for sneakers and streetwear from different global locales for likeminded individuals to enjoy in one place. The volume at which Sneakerness operates at is undoubtedly pushing the sneaker culture in Europe forward, providing another outlet for enthusiasts, vendors, brands and everything in between to expand.
Upon entrance, it’s everything you expect it to be, but you very quickly realise that Sneakerness has taken the concept of a sneaker convention to another level. The brands Sneakerness collaborate with, such as StockX, Swatch, Crep Protect, Footlocker, Havana Club and more that bring an experience to the attendees that is memorable. Not forgetting live entertainment such as sports games, art demonstration and more. If you manage to miss a Sneakerness event don’t beat yourself up, because you can always catch their events in another city, or if you’re looking for a trip, you can even attend in another country.
Find more information about Sneakerness.
Sneaker Con
Now, when it comes to Sneaker Con, It’s accurate to say that it has become the holy grail of all sneaker conventions. Sneaker Con operates on a global scale, organising sneaker events around the world, from New York City to Shanghai. Sneaker Con was founded in 2009 and since then has hosted 1 million attendees and vendors in over 40 cities worldwide. With these milestones, it shows the level of commitment to cultivating a sneaker community and establish a reputable place for sneaker enthusiasts and sellers to meet.
When it comes to festivities, compared to the other sneaker conventions, Sneaker Con won’t be as fun to the average attendee. But there’s always a method to the madness, and for Sneaker Con, it’s easy to see that they wanted to keep their conventions to it’s purest form to attract high-quality attendees and vendors. So if you’re a real sneaker enthusiast, then you will have a field, with more opportunities to get your hands on some of the rarest and sort-after sneakers on the market.
Find more information about Sneaker Con.
Lace Out Festivital
Laces Out Festival, is the smallest sneaker convention event we’ve mentioned in this blog, but since it’s started in 2014 has become a reputable brand in the UK for sneaker enthusiasts and vendors to meet. The focus for Laces Out Fest is to build and cultivate a thriving sneaker community in the North of England. As it stands right now, Laces Out Fest only operate in Liverpool, to which they organise a yearly event.
Despite being a small event, Laces Out Fest still draws a big crowd, showing the need for this event in the North. Even though the venues are smaller in size compared to a Crepe City, that doesn’t stop them from adding in nice trinkets such as a barber stand, live music, panel discussion and a food court. In terms of quality, you will most likely come across some hard to find trainers, but the majority of what you find may not be as exclusive or sort-after as you would like. But that could be down to preference. However, If you’re a young, up and coming sneaker enthusiast, with an aim of entering the resale market, then this is the perfect event for you to get your feet wet. While it’s small, practice and home-in your skills and knowledge before the brand attracts more high-quality vendors that may be harder to haggle.
Find more information about Laces Out Festival.
Let us know in the comments below if you’ve attended any of the events above and what your experience was like.