At the heart {and —ahhem— sole} of Jersey City is Soled Out, a sneaker consignment shop that brings customers some of the coolest brands and names out there. Names like Nike Air Max and Air Jordans, Yeezy, Balenciaga, Gucci, and more. Owner Tony Chen wrote into Hoboken Girl to let us know that it was Soled Out’s third anniversary in Journal Square this past May. To celebrate, Soled Out put nearly 200 items below market price for the day. “We sell a range of brands from Nike, Adidas, Asics to Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Balenciaga,” Chen says. “We usually draw a line of 100-150 people that camp out in front of the store hours and sometimes even days before we open, hoping to get first stabs at what’s on sale.” Keep reading to learn all about Soled Out in Journal Square and a Q+A with owner Tony Chen.
{Photo credit: @soledout2}
About Soled Out
That line queues up at 633 Newark Avenue in Jersey City for a reason. In addition to selling popular brands like Nike and Adidas, Soled Out also has quite the high-brow inventory.
“All items are authenticated prior to being accepted into our shop,” Chen says. “Not only do we do consignment, but we also offer buy-outs on the spot so sellers can be paid immediately. The choice is theirs.”
{Photo credit: @soledout2}
In addition to becoming a resource for Jersey City- and Hoboken-based sneakerheads, Soled Out is also known for collecting inventory that’s pretty rare.
“Soled Out is here to help clients seek their most prized grail that they have been looking forever for,” Chen explains. “That may be a vintage item to a pair of sneakers that came out over a decade ago to a rare collaboration that has been sold out for years. We also cater to clients looking for something the can use every day. We want to be the one stop shop for all your needs from head to toe.”
{Photo credit: @soledout2}
A Q+A with Tony Chen
Of course, Soled Out wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the shop’s dedicated owner, Chen. Hoboken Girl had the opportunity to sit down with him to learn all about his business + more.
Hoboken Girl: What’s your favorite part about running Soled Out?
Tony Chen: It would honestly be seeing it grow year after year. Brings me pride to see the business doing better every year. The business itself teaches me a lot and forces me to step outside of my comfort zone so I am never not learning.
HG: What’s your favorite memory from the past three years?
TC: It’s hard to pinpoint it to just one memory. My store started in Highland Park, NJ and moved to Jersey City three years ago. I am happy I made the move and never looked back. See old clients making the 40-minute trek to visit the shop always puts a smile on my face. Knowing that they have been with me since day one and still supporting the shop still gives me a gray feeling.
{Photo credit: @soledout2}
HG: Tell us about the third anniversary of Soled Out — and do you have any more upcoming deals or giveaways for consumers?
TC: Every annual anniversary, we do a big sale and put items in the shop below market value. Every year we try and outdo ourselves and make it a bigger and more seamless event. Still a lot of tweaking to do to make it run completely smooth but I love learning from it year after year. We currently do a weekly giveaway every Saturday on Instagram. All you have to do is like and comment from a photo that we posted within the last seven days of the drawing. We choose the winner live over Instagram.
Read More: Your Guide to Thrifting {+ Vintage} in Hudson County
HG: And because you’re local, what’s your favorite spot in Jersey City?
TC: My favorite spots in Jersey City would be Left Bank and Ani Ramen. I don’t eat out a lot, but when I decide to splurge, those are my go-to spots for me and my team at Soled Out.
