OB真人视讯

The Verdict

Secret Sneaker Store must be one of the best-kept secrets in the entire sneaker industry. Secret. Sneaker. Store. Try saying that five times without developing a lisp, I dare you.

Popping up in a temporary QV residency almost two years ago, the shop has since moved to a permanent home on the second floor of Melbourne Central. The MC store marks their second location in Oz, alongside Chatswood in Sydney.

You may recognise Secret Sneaker Store as the guys who wrap their shoes in plastic. Don’t worry, that confused us too. We’ll explain below...

The concept behind the brand is “basically a slower version of Cash Converters,” says Jayden Traynor, the store’s Assistant Manager. But instead of hocking gold, people are hocking sneakers, and lots of them.

Still confused? Basically, you bring in (near new) shoes and Secret Sneaker Store will sell them for you. The store will take 20 per cent of the sold price as a handling fee.

The store accepts sneakers, clothing and collectables for an agreed price, taking into account the condition and social hype surrounding the particular shoes.  

Don’t let the plastic fool you though—you ARE allowed to try on the sneakers. The plastic is just there to protect the collectables and the interests of their owners.

The sneakers range anywhere from about $150 up to the tens of thousands. Seriously. Traynor says the dearest pair of sneakers sold in-store went for $15k (pocket change, really), where the owner walked away with a limited edition pair of Chanel x Pharrell Williams x Adidas Originals sneakers.

Hidden in the store’s massive collection are Converse, Nike, Adidas, Balenciaga, Off White, Reebok, Vans and Yeezys. Not to mention limited edition collabs from all the big brands.

Places like the Secret Sneaker Store exist all throughout Europe and America (think stores like The Mag Park and Urban Necessities), but Traynor says it’s a relatively new concept for Aussies.

“It’s such a niche market in Australia,” he says, “People were really excited to see a store like this open in Melbourne.”

The store’s popularity, Traynor says, comes down to Melbourne’s distinct style.

“Melbourne has a more developed streetwear scene compared to Sydney,” Traynor says “We’ve got Melbourne fashion week and regular fashion events, the first off-white store and Sneaker Con that comes here.”

Long gone are the days where sneakers were reserved for Michael Jordan worshipping teenage boys in their Nike Air Jordans. Now with the entire Kardashian-Jenner-West tribe donning Yeezy Boosts and Balenciaga Triple S’, anybody and everybody can wear them.

There’s also an in-store arcade game where customers who spend $10 on stickers or Crep shoe protectant can try and win some fresh sneakers. A word of warning though, it’s not as easy as it looks.

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