The IX Center hosted the Sneaker Travelers Sneaker Convention on Sunday March 26, 2023.  This convention travels to different locations throughout the country.  

The convention involves options to buy, sell and trade popular sneakers. A separating factor of this convention is the option to buy vintage clothes, custom sneakers, custom clothes, artwork, and other such things.  

The event ran from 12-5 p.m. with general admission tickets set at $20.   

Some of the shoes present included Yeezy’s, Jordan’s, Nike dunks, Kobe’s and exclusive shoes in the Nike Doernbecher collection among others. The Doernbecher collection involves patients at Pacific Northwest children’s hospital in Oregon designing their sneakers.  

Sneaker Travelers had a positive showing from local residents — mainly teenagers and people in their 20s-30s. For sneakerheads alike, any opportunity to buy, trade, sell shoes and check out new ones is a must.  

A unique vendor at the convention was the Jesse Woods Collection. Woods deconstructs sneakers and sews things onto them such as Gucci leather. Included in his clientele are the likes of comedian Kevin Hart, rapper Rick Ross, and various athletes.  

Woods had been restoring shoes since high school. Following high school, he attended La Roche University and Slippery Rock University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, psychology and management from La Roche. Post college, he worked at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center but quickly realized the office life was not for him. His work can be seen at the Instagram @jessewoods_collection 

Woods said: “Tried the traditional route in life getting the office job and I would rather do a million other things than that. I took a bet on myself left that and started sewing out of my house.” 

Woods said: “When I was at home with my parents they would be waking up and going to work and my light was still on and I was working. So, you’re gonna have to work like crazy but once you get to a point where you establish some sort of status things grow from there but it’s all self-hustle and you really gotta motivate yourself and there’s no off day. There is not a day where I’m not working.” 

Another unique vendor present was Good ol’ Days clothing. A main theme behind the brand is Christianity and God serving as an acronym for Good ol’ Days. The brand was founded by college friends at Indiana State University Connor Lash and John. Lash is currently majoring in marketing with a concentration in sales and a minor in fashion merchandising.  

Lash said they wanted the brand to stand for what he believes in, not just showcase fashionable streetwear. Good ole’ Days refers to joyous moments in the past and means different things for different people.  

Lash said, “The reason I felt good ole’ days would be a great abbreviation for that because its like not only does it bring back times of reminiscence and like good times for a lot of people…It means something different to everybody else so and I feel like God is the same way too in kind of both angles to that.” 

A substantial influence for Lash in the streetwear industry has been seeing various teenagers at conventions. Seeing the different ways people dress growing up in the popularity of the streetwear boom impacted his style. Lash also lists the late and iconic Virgil Abloh as having a major impact on his brand and career.  

Lash is bringing a unique idea to streetwear combining Christianity with fashion. He brings a Christian background and passion for the brand to the masses.  

“‘Good ole’ Days’ means something different to everybody and when people see God it means something different to everybody whether it’s positive or negative, so I just want to be able to put out positive clothing and give a positive connotation so people see that and they can get senses of happiness and senses of reminiscence on good times in their life and things like that,” he said. 

Lash plans on continuing to grow the brand as he graduates college in May. Lash wants to attend more shows, plan new drops and add more styles to the brand.