‘We once had to clean a pair of Yeezy sneakers worth €3,000’

It’s hard enough to start a business at the best of times, but to do so during a pandemic, while still at college at the age of 20 is extraordinary. Student Kevin Owens has two employees working in his new business: Sneaker Cleaner. He has a drop-off and collect arrangement with Grafton Dry Cleaners in Dublin but plans to go national and is talking to potential franchisees in the Middle East. He gives Bill Tyson a crash course in sneakers, including Air Force Ones and Yeezys.

How did you come up with the idea for Sneaker Cleaner?

I was in fourth year looking for summer jobs and there really weren’t any available because I was so young. I was into sneakers at the time and looking on Instagram I found something very similar in New York and LA. So I was, like, why isn’t anyone doing it over here?

How much do people pay to get their sneakers cleaned?

€35 up to €100 for what we call The Works, where we pull out all the stops. (There is also a Founder’s Hands service for €150 advertised on the website. For this, Kevin will personally discuss the ‘best approach’ to reviving your favourite footwear and ensure that ‘everything’ is done to make it look like new again.)

Why would people pay so much to clean their runners?

You have people going around with €700 worth of shoes on their feet. People pay crazy money for their sneakers so it’s worth paying €35 to keep them looking good. But even if you get a pair of Air Force Ones (a popular brand costing €100) like new again for €35, you’re saving money.

What are the most valuable sneakers you worked on?

I was still in school when I realised one pair I was working on was worth €800. That was when I decided it was time to get insurance. We once had a pair of Nike Yeezys worth three grand. I think it was one of the original ones. I didn’t realise at the time how expensive it was.

What’s the average amount people pay for sneakers?

€80 or €90.

How do you manage to start and run a business during lockdown – while going to college?

I can run it all from my laptop. We have two cleaners working away. The boys tick away and I make sure they have everything they need.

What does it take to be a good sneaker cleaner?

It takes a huge amount of patience. On the first day you can always tell [if new recruits are good]. I give them one pair and let them work on them for as long as they want. If they’re hitting the three-hour mark, you know they are dedicated enough.

What are the worst sneakers you have to deal with?

One of the pet peeves the lads have is barber’s shoes. We like barbers! But we used to get their shoes full of hair clippings (pre-lockdown). It ends up mixing in with the suede and you get this really weird concoction of suede and hair clippings…

How is business?

We had our social media in place and our website fully going since October but we really kicked off in January. The first quarter was up 273%. We’re looking at franchises at the moment.

Were you always entrepreneurial?

I suppose I always kind of disliked people telling me what to do…

What did your parents teach you about money?

They taught me that when you have enough, to realise you have enough and to help others. It’s hard to do it now because the charity shops are closed but we try and source shoes from them, like we do with the training pairs. We do them up and give them to homeless people. We hand them into Focus Ireland or the Peter McVerry Trust.

What was your first paid work?

Sports coach in summer camps for Raheny GAA.

What was your first job?

Diffneys’ on Dublin’s Henry St. It was an amazing place to learn high standards of customer service.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

That’s part of being a student isn’t it? But I think Covid is giving me a bit of a breather. I don’t have to pay rent so I can build up savings which is hard to do if you’re a student.

Do you have a pension or invest in the stock market?

A lot of lads I know might go in for the crypto (currency) bubble but, while I know how it works, my brain hasn’t fully digested it yet. When it does, maybe I’ll hop into it then. I’d prefer to have savings rather than invest at this stage.