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When Julio and Fabby Rodriquez opened their San Antonio sneaker shop, Sole Boutique, in 2008, they knew they needed more than just cool shoes to keep customers coming back again and again. So they decked their store with murals by local artists and planned an enormous festival in the city’s historic Witte Museum. Now back for its second year, Sneaker Palooza Vol. 2, on Sunday, March 13, promises to be even bigger and better than the original, featuring everything from B-boy (break dancing) battles, live graffiti demos, runway fashion shows, local artist showcases, performances by nationally-known hip-hop artists, including Talib Kweli, and, of course, an extensive collection of soon-to-be-released sneakers. |
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“All of the [footwear] brands send us summer samples, so all of the stuff they see is upcoming stuff—it just gives us a way to tie the community back into the store,” Julio Rodriquez says. “It’s just a way for us to get tied in to different segments—from the art, music and sneaker communities.” Not to mention, the couple felt a responsibility to their fellow sneakerheads to help “lift the negative connotation that surrounds street culture.”
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The method must be working: this year’s impressive roster of Sneaker Palooza sponsors includes Nike, Adidas, T-Mobile and Heineken, just to name a few. For more info, visit www.sneakerpalooza.com. —Audrey Goodson
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