ADRIAN — High-end footwear has a new home in Adrian. 5Seventeen Kicks, a shoe store located in downtown Adrian, kicked off on May 1.
The store, owned by Tyler Guerrero and Nativity Fiedler, features both new and used high-end athletic shoes. Customers can come in to buy new shoes, or can bring in their used shoes for cash or store credit.
For used shoes, Guerrero prices the shoes based on the style of the shoe, its original value, and how much he can sell it for after he cleans them. He cleans the shoes by taking out the soles and laces, and cleans the surface of the shoes by “just scrubbing them down hard.” He also has a UV light he uses to lighten up the white.
“Once you break down the shoe and clean it, you can bring it back to life almost any time,” he said.
Guerrero is open to a variety of brands when he’s buying shoes for resale.
“I don’t turn down anything — Pumas, Adidas, Nike, Jordan,” he said.
“I just got into New Balance and Brooks running shoes,” he continued, to broaden his customer appeal. He also carries sandals and walking shoes. Shoe sizes can range from infant sizes up to men’s size 15.
New shoes are also part of the collection. Guerrero signs up for shoe raffles to win the chance to buy limited-release hype shoes when they are “dropped” and checks other online sources to see what’s available.
Part of the draw of used shoes is that the customer can save money off the cost of buying high-end shoes new.
“We’re affordable,” Fiedler said.
“We have $5 shoes out there, and we have shoes that cost $200,” Guerrero said. “If you don’t want an expensive pair of shoes, come down and see what we’ve got in our used section.”
The store also offers clothing like T-shirts and hoodies. Merchandise is posted on Facebook almost daily.
Guerrero got interested in opening a store from buying shoes for himself. He once bought two pairs of shoes as part of a raffle. He kept one pair and resold the other. He made $50 and realized that he could make more.
“I’ve been reselling shoes for two years now — it’s going on three years,” he continued.
5Seventeen Kicks is at 108 S. Main St, Unit 1, in Adrian. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. More information is available on the store’s Facebook page.
