PORTLAND, Ore. — This weekend, Portland is hosting three days of footwear culture at Sneaker Week.
The founders of the event said this isn’t just a typical sneaker conference focused on trading shoes but a place for people to learn how to enter this niche industry.
"Portland celebrates so much," said Megan Davis, a co-founder of Sneaker Week. "We celebrate pizza, we celebrate wings, we celebrate slushies, and we don’t ever give a dedicated moment to one of the largest industries that brings people to Portland."
In 2017, Davis partnered with Herbert Beauclere, a friend working in footwear design. Together, they created Sneaker Week after realizing the Rose City thrived as a center for shoemaking and had a population of sneakerheads curious about entering the industry.
“We’re focusing more on programming for aspiring professionals and emerging designers, people who want to get in the game,” Davis explained.
Based in Pioneer Courthouse Square, each day of the weekend is dedicated to a specific theme: Knowledge on Friday, Innovation on Saturday, and Culture on Sunday.
Guest speakers — like Christopher Dixon, a footwear designer who started at Timberland and now leads his own brand — will share their insights.
“Believe in yourself. Believe in your vision,” Dixon said passionately. “It takes a risk, but there is no reward without the risk. I would say go for it if it’s in your heart and your passion to do something special.”
Many young faces are inspired to think outside the box.
“Interest in shoes, like why people want to create them,” said teenager Achar O'Donnell, who attended through the Boys & Girls Club. “See if there is more to it than just a nice pair of kicks.”
Tickets for the K.I.C. Off Festival portion of Sneaker Week 2024 are available here. A single-day pass is $35; a three-day pass is $85.