Sara Rubin here, tying my shoes. I feel very fond of sneakers (disclosure: mine are boring, solid-colored, practical sneakers that no one would choose based on style) after reading a feature article in this week’s edition of the Weekly about a group of cousins making a successful business selling collectible sneakers.
The story is partly about the sneakers, but it’s more about the entrepreneurial spirit of the four business owners. And that’s what drew editor Celia Jiménez to this story. “I liked the fact that there was someone pushing themselves to do something else, with their time and a bit of money,” she says.
As founder Kevin Ramos told Jiménez, he got into selling skateboarding apparel thanks to his first Covid-era stimulus check, a bold move, especially given the uncertainty in the economy at that time, in May 2020. , try your luck,” he said. “I did, and it flourished from there.”
The result of this risk is the Pact, a thriving 2,000 square foot brick-and-mortar store in Seaside, featuring collectible sneakers like Jordan Retros, YeezySide and Nike Dunk Unions. There is also a selection of clothes.
Some of what draws me to this story arc it’s that it’s not just a fashionable “get it” story. The core that fueled their success was a check from the government – perhaps a reminder, even to the most enterprising and risk-tolerant among us, that government assistance can in fact spur innovation.
Neither Jiménez nor I know much about sneakers. But there is inspiration in a tale like this, turning an idea into a passion into a business. “It shows that you don’t need a lot of money or a lot of specialized knowledge to start something,” says Jiménez. “You just need the drive.”
Ramos and his three business partners clearly have the motivation. I will support them and hope for continued success.