Inside London's First Ever Sneaker Con

 

Sneaker Con, the world’s largest trainer convention had its debut in London. So of course, it was only right that I had to be there. Doors opened at 12pm, I got there at 12.30 and the queues were horrendous. Due to London being on critical alert they were only letting small batches of people in the venue at a time. Which meant we were stuck outside in the blazing hot sun for 2 hours. I was told by someone in the queue that waiting 2 hours was nothing, compared to New Yorkers waiting in line for 8. So I used that time to see what everyone's expectations were, and what they came to see.

Sneaker Con London

Inside there were a range of attractions to keep you busy. There was a trading pit where you could bring clothing or footwear to trade or sell. This trading pit was jam-packed with people trying to buy and sell exclusive limited lines they had. This was a good opportunity for streetwear fans, as you did not need to be a registered vendor to take part. There was a play vending machine packed full of trainers, all you had to do was aim the spear into a shoe hole. Which looked a lot easier than it actually was. Every young boy just looked to be in his element. Surrounded by all this cool, hyped streetwear and their favourite YouTubers. Even Anthony Joshua and the Chicken Connoisseur stopped by.

The Mayor - Crep Protect

Crep Protect and their branding were everywhere. They had a huge area set up where you could get your favourite pair of trainers freshened up for you! I had seen one guy scrubbing an over worn white pair of Yeezy’s until they looked almost brand new! So, as you can imagine the queue for this was ridiculously long. If you were lucky enough to get to the front you got to meet The Mayor himself, in all his glory!

Kobe 9 Elite High Tops Multicolour

Overall, I think the first ever London event went very well. I know they were just testing the waters to see how receptive we were over here. But seeing as America has been the only country to host Sneaker Con, a lot of people from all over Europe flew over to London, just to make the event.

The only thing they could approve on for next year is to have better food vendors inside. There are so many different food trucks in and around London that they could have used. Not that there is anything wrong with hot dogs, It's not to have a choice.

Until next year Sneaker Con. Now you know what to expect, we hope you come back bigger and better!