YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Andrew Murphy of Canfield has been interested in athletic shoes for about a decade. Now he’s bringing that interest to downtown Youngstown.
Murphy has opened Youngstown Kicks at 23 W. Boardman St. in a storefront previously occupied by Greyland Gallery.
The new business joins more than 3,300 athletic shoe stores in the United States with collective revenue expected to exceed $20 billion by the end of the year, according to IBISWorld, a global market research firm.
Murphy’s interest in shoe culture started with seeing a pair of shoes that a friend wore, he said.
“From that point, I just fell in love with the culture,” including its various influences, such as hip hop, rap, jazz and other musical styles and “the design that gives you the style that you want,” he says.
The store will specialize in athletic footwear, carrying new pairs of familiar brands such as Nike, Adidas Solomon and New Balance, as well as previously worn shoes.
Prices for shoes will range from $20 to some “that can reach up to five-digit numbers,” Murphy says.
“Everything I acquire I have to travel across the United States for,” he says. Some of the items he acquires are hundreds – in some cases thousands – of miles away.
He sees potential clients in the young professionals who are increasingly residing downtown as well as in student housing near Youngstown State University.
Murphy also will sell clothing and provide sneaker cleaning services. Any previously owned sneakers he sells will go through a deep-clean process that includes vacuum sanitizing and ultraviolet treatment.
The store also will offer a lounge area where patrons can relax.
Pictured at top: Andrew Murphy is the proprietor of the new Youngstown Kicks athletic shoe store.