By Andy Furman
NKyTribune journalist

If the shoe fits….

Jacob Cain and Mitchell Wolfe

As for Sole By Style — the sneaker museum at 617 Madison Avenue — well, the shoe has grown.

“We will be moving next to the Braxton Brewing Company on Pike Street,” co-owner Jacob Cain told the Northern Kentucky Tribune.

This move is tentatively scheduled for early fall.

Who knew you could make a living selling used sneakers?

“It’s a cultural thing,” he said, “people are drawn to styles, and some use them as collectibles.”

Cain, who doubles as a web developer and designer, says Sole By Style offers buying, selling, swapping and consignment shoes.

But why Covington?

“First of all,” said the Oak Hills native, “I liked the area. I was drawn to the growth; and I saw a good opportunity here.

His first opportunity came while he was a student at the University of Cincinnati.

It was there that he met his future partner, Mitchell Wolfe.

“He (Mitchell) had a ton of shoes,” Cain said, “I knew it was a partnership from the start.”

Sole By Style offers more than 300 different styles — with prices ranging from $100 a pair to a few thousand dollars, according to Cain.

“We do our best to maintain a wide selection of sizes,” he said, “and our biggest challenge – it’s easy – styles and, of course, sizes.”

Traffic has been great, Cain says.

“We get our message out on our social platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Google,” he said.

And the name – Sole By Style?

“My e-Bay name was Sole Style 23,” Cain said, “so it was natural.”

Stepping into Sole By Style is like taking a history lesson in sneakers.

Like baseball cards, stamps and coins, sneakers are apparently collectables – though Cain reminds many customers that they buy to wear them.

The clientele – naturally – is young.

And considering that there aren’t many young people – if any – who don’t wear shoes today, it seems like a lucrative business.

And for Jacob Cain and Mitchell Wolfe, it is.

For them, the shoe really suits them.

Sole By Style is located at 617 Madison Avenue; Opening hours: Monday to Saturday noon-8 p.m. and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. Boutique@SoleByStyle.com

Photos by Andy Furman