SoleSavy’s new venture will empower creators to enter the sneaker market

SoleSavy, the fast-growing local startup that helps sneakerheads access sought-after sneakers at retail prices, has linked up with Garrixon, a footwear designer and manufacturer led by industry veteran John Lee. The joint venture will focus on empowering creators to design and launch their own original sneakers.

Lee founded Philadelphia-based UBIQ in 2012, which merged with Atmos – a digitally-led Japanese retailer – in 2020 to create Atmos USA. Footlocker acquired Atmos the following year for $360 million. Lee now has his sights set on the next frontier of sneaker creation, which he believes will be led by the creator market.

For Lee, SoleSavy’s unique position as a community builder stood out. “We’re excited to announce this joint venture with SoleSavy, which allows us to offer creators a first-of-[its]-kind end-to-end solution to successfully enter the sneaker market,” said Lee. “With our on-shore design and manufacturing capabilities and SoleSavy’s deep roots in the sneaker community, we’re well-positioned to fulfill the demand from creators and artists to bring their sneaker visions to life.”

“We’re thrilled to enter this joint venture with Garrixon,” added Dejan Pralica, co-founder and CEO of SoleSavy. “Traditionally, sneaker creation at scale has been limited to legacy brands, all-star athletes, and celebrities. By democratizing the process of creating and releasing a sneaker, we can help creators expand their merchandise footprint and build their unique brands.”

It’s not the first time SoleSavy has looked to the City of Brotherly Love. In October 2021, the company linked up with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers for a content partnership. Staying in the league but heading across the country, SoleSavy inked a similar deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The VC-backed sneaker startup has been pioneering ways to make collecting sneakers more democratic as resale prices have soared in recent years. It has both crowd-sourced designs via its community and also worked with veteran sneaker designers for its NFT sneaker launch that was redeemable for a physical sneaker.

Las Vegas-based creator, CJ So Cool, will be the first to debut his own sneaker under the joint venture. The Frostbite SS4, his sneaker, is now available for pre-order.

All this in the name of the creator economy. Want more insights into the future of the creator economy? Join us on March 15 as we unpack it at our next #vtjtalks event with the help of SoleSavy’s chief content officer Ali Adab.