16-Year-Old Opens World's First Sneaker Pawn Shop In New York

Now here’s a sneakerhead that put his love for a good pair of kicks to use.

We’ve all heard the stories of some kid getting beaten up for a pair of Js. And we’ve seen photos of the lines when the newest pairs of sneakers release. But now the lines won’t be in front of any traditional shoe store. Instead, the people of New York will line up at sixteen-year-old Chase Reed‘s shop – the world’s first sneaker pawn shop – called Sneaker Pawn.

The tenth grader and his father launched the shop after Chase repeatedly used up his dad’s hard-earned cash buying new sneakers. The shop allows “investors” to trade up their kicks for quick and easy cash. If a prospective pawner comes in with a pair of high-end or dead-stock sneakers, Chase will evaluate the shoe and give the pawner cash. The pawner can then choose to buy them back with an additional storing fee added on to the original price, or they can sell them to another buyer and keep 80 percent of the profit.

According to the New York Post, Chase says there have been a number of high-profile sneakers walked into the shop, including Air Yeezys and a number of retro Jordans.

The Lenox Avenue and West 120th Street location is already getting a lot of business. Customers range anywhere from teen girls selling sneakers to pay for prom dresses, to young kids trying to make cash for rent. Regardless of the good publicity, Chase says it’s more than a business to him.

“I don’t look at it like a business. It’s what I do. It’s what I breathe,” said Chase. “It’s an idea that’s right in front of your face. It’s just about bringing the idea to life.”

PHOTO CREDIT & SOURCE: New York Post