Meet the 17 year old making £60k from a pair of trainers

Joe Franklin, trainer entrepreneur
Joe Franklin, trainer entrepreneur

I got into reselling trainers really organically.

When I was 12 or 13, my friends and I would collect trainers to show off to each other and it grew into buying and selling. I found out there was big money to be made and I jumped on that.

I would spend hours on Facebook forums for brands like Adidas and Nike, looking for the best models. The trick to buying trainers with high resale value is to look out for limited releases or brand collaborations with artists – like Nike with Travis Scott, you know that’s going to pop off.

Hustle out small deals at the start where you can make £50 to £100 profit, because if you can do ten of those that’s £1000 and you can manage that in two weeks. Invest what you can and don’t hold back.

I dropped out of college and took it full time when someone at Keakie Music asked me to come on board. I was lucky enough to set up a private guest list trainer store at their HQ in Shoreditch, where I sell to rap artists, music execs, DJs, lots of high net worth figures like Dizzee Rascal and AJ Tracey.

I’ve grown my network extensively over the years – I’ve got contacts in Sydney, Dubai, New York and Paris, who I can reach out to when a client comes in with a request for an ultra-exclusive shoe. I’m not just a regular sneaker store in Soho but I’m not a personal shopper either – I’ve found a niche. Artists love coming to me because I can source the unsourceable.

Joe's suggestions for what to buy:

Nike Air Max 1/97 SW Sean Wotherspoon

Nike Air Max 1/97 SW Sean Wotherspoon
Nike Air Max 1/97 SW Sean Wotherspoon

These will go up dramatically as Sean has announced he’ll be working with Adidas.

Buy today: £600

6 months time: £1,200

Nike LD Waffle Sacai

Nike LD Waffle Sacai
Nike LD Waffle Sacai

I’m sure these will go up because Nike is bringing out more pairs and different silhouettes, which will increase the demand.

Buy today: £300

6 months time: £750

Nike Jordan 1 Travis Scott

Nike Jordan 1 Travis Scott
Nike Jordan 1 Travis Scott

These will go up over the coming months as Travis is dropping another model with Nike, which will make these more exclusive.

Buy today: £700

6 months time: £1,500

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