Limited edition sneakers are often expensive and tough to get. But a new startup is giving fans access to the coolest kicks around – through a sneaker subscription plan.
“This makes it so that… $1,000 dollar shoe can be worn by different people many, many times,” started Brian Mupo, CEO of KYX (pronounced “kicks).
I met up with Mupo at their Los Angeles headquarters, which was filled with boxes of sneakers.
Mupo tells me the site, which has been around for about a year now, has “thousands” of paying customers and about 300 premium sneaker styles to choose from, with more always being added.
Rental plans range from $79 a month to $349 a month.
“We send the shoes to you… you enjoy them… you have experiences in them… you take pictures in them… then at end of each month, you elect to keep the shoes for another month, swap them out for new ones or elect to purchase the shoes if you really like it,” explained Mupo.
Some of the sneakers are tough to get a hold of, and if you can, you would have to be prepared to pay way over retail. Mupo sees KYX as a way of getting the hottest sneakers onto more feet.
Before any sneakers are sent out, they go through a process to certify their authenticity. I learned the biggest giveaway of counterfeit sneakers is if they smell like too much glue.
Sneaker returns are thoroughly cleansed using a variety of methods. Most of the sneakers I saw looked new. They are also given a UV light bath to banish any germs.
These aren’t sneakers to wear on a hike or play basketball in. Think Instagram pics, outings with your friends and content creation. KYX deliberately keeps its policies on too much wear and tear vague, so renters feel comfortable in their own shoes, at least until it’s time to give them back.
Like any rental company, KYX has credit card info so if there’s intentional damage, they can always do something about it.
“The majority of shoes that we get back to us are in really great shape,” said Mapo.
After a shoe has outlasted its exchange cycle, retired souls are photographed and placed for sale on marketplace sites.
KYX represents a new way to put your best foot forward. It’s still expensive, but less expensive than building a collection of these expensive shoes yourself.
“In the world of limited release sneakers… most things can be gotten, but the price tag is often… quite frankly offensive,” Mapo concluded.
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