Wildwoods to Host Its First-Ever Sneaker Convention
The first-ever Jus Nice Sneaker Convention is coming to the Wildwoods Convention Center at the end of August. The one-day-only event promises sneakerheads the chance “to buy, sell and trade some of the most unique and high-in-demand sneakers available.”
Organizer and sneaker re-seller Justin “Jus Nice” Roper says he put together the event after attending sneaker conventions in other cities and realizing his town should have something similar. “I know there are a lot of kids around here who want to collect sneakers, but they never had an opportunity to have something like this here,” he says. “Before now, we’ve had to travel three, four hours to get to one.”
![Roper with some of his sneaker collection. He says he's amassed nearly a hundred pairs in the last ten years.](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_1672.jpg)
Roper with some of his sneaker collection. He says he’s amassed nearly a hundred pairs in the last ten years.
On August 22nd, the Wildwood Convention Center will be overflowing with sneakers of all varieties. For this first go-round, Roper says he’s lined up nearly a dozen vendors from New Jersey and New York who will bring a host of their latest and best kicks and sneaker accessories for purchase. Among the vendors will be independent retailers like Vineland’s Swagga Splash, Souled Out City, and, for the budget-conscious, Absecon’s 2nd Chance Boutique, which focuses on like-new second-hand sneakers.
On top of that, each person attending the convention can bring a collection of their own shoes that they can trade with other guests or just show off. The number of shoes you bring depends on the ticket price, which is broken into a three-tier system: For $21.25 you can bring 3 pairs, $26.25 lets you bring 5, and those who pay $31.25 can carry in a whopping 8 pairs.
There will be live music throughout the day by DJ I-ROC, and giveaways and raffles. Roper—a sneakerhead himself—says he’s raffling off some sneakers from his own collection, including two pairs of the highly coveted Air Jordan 1 Retro 99s.
The Jus Nice Sneaker Convention takes place on Saturday, August 22nd from noon to 5 p.m. All ticket purchases include one raffle ticket and can be purchased here.