Junior’s Love of Shoes Pays Off

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Waking up before the sun on a Saturday morning sounds bizarre to most students who would rather sleep in, but junior Chris Brand starts his Saturdays off early to head to raffles at local shoe stores to secure enough shoes to resell on his online store atxshoeplug.com.

Starting in 7th or 8th grade I found that if I could set my alarm, wake up on Saturdays and cop the newest [shoe] release on ebay, I could make money flipping shoes,” Brand said. “From there I have only expanded. By traveling, facebook groups, local stores, sneaker events and a couple hundred business cards, I have been able to gain a network of friends and fellow sneaker heads who love shoes just as much as me and have helped me to grow my business.”

Brand said his love for sneakers and clothes made creating his new business a no brainer.

“Selling Yeezys was an obvious choice for a couple of reasons. One of the main reasons is just because I really love the shoe. The functionality and comfort is unmatched. No shoe can even come close. Another reason is just how great the re-sell is. The shoe can resell for more than twice its retail value,” Brand said. “I was able to sell six pairs this way and from there it took off. From sales last year, I was able to help pay for my first car, my biggest accomplishment to date, and I hope to grow from here.”

The business has been so successful that Brand recruited his girlfriend, Jackie Toth to help him expand.

“Jackie is amazing. She plays a part in every aspect of my business. She helps with shipments, helped build the website, finds inventory and she even knows release dates way better than me. I could not ask for a more special person to be a part of my life,” Brand said.

Brand’s love for the trade is what will keep his business going.

“My goal moving forward is to just keep growing my business and have fun with it. I plan on going to business school and getting my MBA so who knows where things will take me from there. As long as I’m happy and keep having my same passion for shoes, I could be doing this for a while,” Brand said.