John Michael Brown and Jacob Tyler opened Kickin It – a sneaker boutique specializing in designer sneakers and clothing – on Black Friday. Situated at 201 Salem Drive Suite A, the store boasts 1,500 square feet and offers some of the most sought-after footwear, and the owners have already have plans to expand soon.
The two are finalizing the lease on Suite B and will expand to more than 3,500 square feet. Brands commonly found on their shelves include retro Jordans, Yeezys, Yeezy Slides, Foram Runners, and the latest craze, Nike Dunks.
“Sneaker boutiques have been trending all over; we’ve visited them on the west and east coast, down south, and in major cities around us,” Brown said. “There isn’t anything like this around us, and we wanted to fill that void here, offering a place where people could see a pair of shoes in hand and walk away with them.”
Growing up, Brown’s infatuation with various basketball shoes incited his passion. Brown said he and Tyler have always been sneakerheads but really developed a passion for it following high school. Tyler graduated in 2015, and Brown in 2017.
“We started collecting shoes for ourselves, shoes we liked, but we were primarily just collectors,” he said. “We started playing with the idea of opening a store last fall and began putting things in place earlier this year.”
Kickin It also offers a selection of clothing ranging from rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts and old-school graphic design tees to newer streetwear. Current brands include Bape, Velon, Essentials, Supreme, and more.
The two continued to grow their collection and expanded to include children’s and women’s shoes. Brown said they’ve had people travel from as far as Louisville and Nashville, but most of their patrons are fellow sneakerheads from the tri-state area.
The store is open from 12 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. To learn more about Kickin It, visit them on Facebook here.
Brown said they’re working on Kickin It’s online presence and will begin selling items online soon.
“We’ve been blessed with community support so far,” he said. “Our local customer base has been very loyal and supportive.”
