Whether you call them Kicks, High Tops, Low Tops, or plain old sneakers they play a big part of our lives. I don’t want to hurt the feelings of my stilettos when I say this but I love sneakers. For one you can’t wear stilettos jogging (the treadmill doesn’t count) and two they are just so cute and comfy. I remember growing up we didn’t have that many options for brands let alone design. Now sneakers come in every imaginable fabric, color, skin, and shape possible. I’d go to summer school for three month if it meant I got some patent leather chucks. My earliest memory of a sneaker causing a commotion was in 1997 when I showed up to my elementary school with the new Jordan’s.

Being foreign I didn’t know what the fuss was all about but everyone was shocked that I had them and wouldn’t leave me alone. Now days it doesn’t happen since I’ve stop wearing Jordan’s but more importantly the Sneaker Heads have places where they now meet. Across the nation they attend what some call “sneaker conventions”. At these conventions you can buy, trade, or sell the latest sneaks. The rare ones i.e. limited edition Nike Air Force ones can fetch as much as a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps; $800 plus.

I’ve yet to experience the sneaker culture to that extreme but I have known people that would wait days in line just for a pair. I despise lines so I prefer a good sneaker store, not Foot Locker but something with more soul or should I say Sole. When in Miami I like to go to Soles Inc. Soles Inc is hidden sneaker heaven in South Beach with a very broad collection. They not only carry the hottest sneakers but they also have a range of T-shirts, Caps, and Toys. And their list of clients reads like a Billboard Chart, from Chris Brown, Fat Joe, Pharell Wiliams, to Biz Markie. On my last visit there I purchased the cutest T-shirt for Sam, Grey scoop next with wrap around graphics on the lower left side in purple. What also makes Soles Inc a great place to hang and shop is the associates. “D” as he calls himself is a comedian more than a sales person while “Jeff Stolt” is the hard edge type. Together they create a great balance and shopping environment making this place a must stop for not only sneaker heads but anyone in need of a great pair.

Soles Inc Sales Associate Jeff Stolt