Footwear has long been an important element of global culture and fashion. For some, shoes exist solely to protect feet from the elements. But for others, they are the most crucial part of their wardrobe. Sneakers, in particular, have developed a cult following, with some extremely rare pairs selling for tens of thousands of dollars.
An entire industry has grown up around sneaker culture, from the shoe manufacturers and retailers themselves to the influencers who help drive it. As Web3 becomes more mainstream, big sneaker brands like Nike are getting into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse, while play-to-earn projects like StepN have also experimented with tokenizing shoes.
One particularly active group are resellers, who buy newly released, high-demand shoes and then resell them to eager buyers who missed out on the initial release. CryptoKicks, a UK-based shoe resale company founded by 13-year-old Blake Cockram, has taken this business model and added a new Web3 element to it – making it accessible to anyone using cryptocurrency to buy sneakers. Enjoy 10% off your order.
In episode 22 agendahosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond chat with Blake to find out what it’s like to be a teenage entrepreneur and how CryptoKicks’ cryptocurrency-centric business model can help new users get into the blockchain space.
Getting newbies into cryptocurrency, one shoe at a time
“We accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment,” Black explained. “You can pay any way you want, but we are doing something where if you pay with cryptocurrency you can get 10% off any trainer.” The young entrepreneur said this is a big deal for many people It’s a tempting offer, especially when highly sought-after sneakers can sell for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market.
“People are going to think, ‘Oh, wow, that sounds good. Might as well buy some cryptocurrency and buy some cheaper Jordans.”
CryptoKicks accepts stablecoins such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT). Black said most customers using cryptocurrency to buy sneakers are new to blockchain. “‘I probably only have about one or two people who are already into crypto, but everyone else is kind of new to it and we’ve got them involved,'” he told co-hosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond. So, in addition to receiving pretty good discounts, Black’s customers also learn how cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin work and how to gain better control over their assets.
“We’ve walked a few people through the process, like downloading the app, creating your wallet, it can take 24 hours to confirm your identity because it usually does. You just tell them how to get through it. There’s Several people asked us, ‘What coin is the best for me to pay you? How will I make money in the future? Things like that.”
The Life of a 13-Year-Old Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur
Blake himself is his brother’s orange pill. “He was very passionate about cryptocurrencies and he said, ‘We can do some crazy things here.’ You start your own company and you put cryptocurrencies in the name and people go crazy about it.” “We’ve done it, and it’s worked really well.”
Blake, 13, is still in school, and other students have mixed feelings about cryptocurrencies. “People ask me, ‘What is cryptocurrency?’ because not many people actually know that,” he explained. “And then there are people who do know about it and they’re like, ‘This is a good thing.'” But then there are people who are like, ‘Oh, I don’t believe in cryptocurrencies.’ This is a load of garbage. “
But Blake is doing his best to spread this awareness among his classmates:
“I just said, ‘I think cryptocurrencies are great.’ Like it’s a new way to pay that a lot of people don’t know about. You can get money instantly, which is also fun, owning some cryptocurrencies and then putting It’s sent out and stuff like that.”
Learn more about Blake & agenda, Including his insights into UK sneaker culture and his plans for the future, listen to the full episode on Cointelegraph’s podcast page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows!
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This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
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