SAUGUS — Take a walk through Cliftondale Square and you’re bound to discover a handful of empty storefronts. The square, once a thriving business district, has fallen on hard times in recent years, prompting revitalization efforts from town officials.
That work might be paying off with the opening of Sole City in the square earlier this month.
The sneaker store is owned by father and son duo Michael Sullivan and Christian Rossi, both of Revere. It sits at 486 Lincoln Ave., just down the road from the post office and a stone’s throw from the former location of Lena’s Subs.
Rossi is the true sneakerhead, having long had an interest in collecting shoes, while Sullivan is much newer to the industry. Sullivan said he’s been in the sneaker business for just the two weeks Sole City has been open, while Rossi has bought and collected shoes for years.
Sole City offers a tremendous variety of sneakers for sale. Nikes and Air Jordans comprise most of the offerings, but Rossi says they offer “a little bit of everything.”
But it’s not just sneakers. Sole City also sells outerwear, including Supreme and A Bathing Ape sweatshirts.
Rossi explained that they try to offer “all the stuff that people would want to get around here. Or stuff that’s hyped up.”
Prices for a single pair of sneakers range between $200 to $400, but are dependent on the particular shoe. One pair, the Concepts x Dunk Low Pro SB “Holy Grail,” is marked for $2,800. Rossi said the rarity of a particular pair of shoes plays a role in how much it sells for, as does its current market value.
Sole City, instead of selling shoes straight from the manufacturer, is a sort of middleman, purchasing and reselling limited-edition, hard-to-find shoes. Rossi said they work with other stores in the area to acquire sneakers, and attend sneaker conventions to build up supply.
“There’s a lot of people that come in, they don’t really know what it is. A lot of people think it’s like a thrift store or like an eBay store where they could sell stuff,” Sullivan said. “But the younger people know, they know what it is. It’s the older people that are kind of confused about what it is.”
Competition in the Saugus area is sparse, Rossi said. A similar store exists inside the Square One Mall, but beyond that, consumers would have to head to Malden or New Bedford to get access to the products for sale at Sole City.
Perhaps as a result, business has been good thus far.
“Lot of people interested in coming in, seeing what’s going on because they’ve never seen this many shoes before,” Rossi said.
“Everybody’s been very nice, very respectful,” added Sullivan.
Rossi and Sullivan said they selected Cliftondale Square as the home for Sole City, in part, because of its potential upside as an area with foot traffic and a bevy of cars coming to and from Lynn and Revere.
The Board of Selectmen dropped by for Sole City’s grand opening, offering their support as the business tries to find its footing in town.
“Please go out and support this family-owned business!” Selectman Jeff Cicolini wrote on Facebook.
