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Behind The Hype

Rickey Hunley, a Rochester New York native, has always had a passion for sneakers since he was a little kid. His passion began when he started collecting sneakers during the time that he played basketball during his youth. With that same passion in mind, Rickey lived out his dreams and opened up his own sneaker store, The Plug, to share that same love for sneakers with people around the area.  The Plug is a sneaker resale store that primarily has higher-end shoes and larger name-brand clothing items. Rickey has brought a new avenue of business to Rochester and is taking over. Some of the name brands are Jordan, Yeezy, Nike, and Adidas. Rickey initially started his career as a store manager for Footlocker from 2010 to 2012. Then shortly after switched to a retail store by the name of DTLR. He worked as District Manager at that location from 2012 to 2020. Rickey took the experience he had working in the retail sneaker/clothing space and decided to open up his own store at East View Mall in Victor, NY. When asked about the reason for his location, Rickey said “I don't really call them competition, but like the other sneaker stores weren't applying as much as it was at Greece Ridge, if I'm not mistaken, like six or seven sneaker stores and already 2 resale stores. So you kind of want to go where you're more of a need versus just a luxury.” This location opened up in November of 2021, and from there Rickey built a reputation and has allowed people from all around Rochester to come together and share that same passion he has. Giving people easy access to the latest and hottest kicks.

X: Xavier 

R: Rickey 

X: “How did you get involved in the sneaker retail business?”

R:  “I worked at sneaker retail stores for 12 years before opening up The Plug so it was always easy for me to take that experience and open my own spot.”

X: “How is it competing with other stores around the area?”

R: “Yes, there's competition because of pricing, but at the end of the day, it all would it always boils down to customer service. We want to make sure that you know, with our inventory and selection that we're compatible to the market, but we want to offer the best customer service because I believe in people buying people”

X: “How do you deal/compete against online sneaker stores like GOAT and StockX?”

R: “We used those avenues for obviously for pricing. But we don't, we don't match dollar for dollar pretty much we have a principle based on our profit margins that we go by without pause to be somewhere on par with stocks and and build. So our prices are will be anywhere between call it $20 to possibly like $50 over payout on Stock X. We're offering a service where you can come in, get fitted, try on the shoe, all that before you purchase it as you know with StockX you can't try it on, you can't get your foot measured so you lose out on that that bit of customer service. We're offering the service as well as the product. That's why I see we'll never be able to match dollar for dollar the whole month's sales.”

X: “How long did it take to get to where you are today?”

R: “It took a while but I feel like I'm not there yet. We have obviously standard operating procedures that we go by the end of the operations, but I feel like every day we're constantly learning, we're constantly making mistakes. So you know, as you go you kind of just continue to elevate your game. I'm nowhere near where I want to be.” 

X: “During times of hardship, how did you work through those challenges?”

R: “Just having my people that's around me I use for support, ideas, and feedback. I'm also a faith-believing man, so I also pray when times are hard. I just use my network of people that's around me and people who want to help see me succeed.” 

X: “What has been your favorite part of owning a sneaker store?”

R: “I can do things my way, you know, as an employee you have cool ideas about what thing you could and to kind of differentiate yourself from other stores. But when you become an employer it goes back to making those mistakes. You can make as many mistakes and as long as it's not detrimental to the business. You can learn, and evolve, and you kind of have to do more thinking outside the box because there's marketing involved. But just having the freedom and the ability to think outside the box and make mistakes. That's not gonna cause you to be fired if you were an employee.”

X: “How would you compare your experiences working at Foot Locker and DTLR, to owning your own business right now?”

R: “I do have obviously business partners, so I don't just make all of the decisions by myself. I do consult with my guys. But in most cases, you're making this business decision because you know it's going to benefit the business at the end of the day. So just being able to be in the position to be like on the board, that's probably the biggest change as to being an employee”

X: “How did you decide on your location?”

R: “Yeah, I mean I knew I wanted to be in the mall location, so I felt like Greece Ridge Mall had way too many sneaker stores. So I chose Eastview Mall because at the time it was only Footlocker and Dick's Sporting Goods. And then JD later opened up after we opened up. You kind of want to be in the area where the competition at that time and I don't call them competition, but like the other sneaker stores weren't applying as much as it was at Greece Ridge, if I'm not mistaken, like six or seven sneaker stores and already 2 resale stores. So you kind of want to go where you're more of a need versus just a luxury.” 

X: “How would you describe the relationship between the store and the customers”

R: “Very personable. A lot of customers know me by my first name and I know them by their first name, their shoe size, or I may know them from a previous transaction. You know, people think, ohh, you see a lot of customers, you don't remember me, but I do know and remember a lot of customers. Its important especially when you get that 10-year-old or 11-year-old kid that may walk in and you build that bond with them and you say their name or you interact with them in a manner where you treat them like an adult or like a customer. The parents are appreciative of that. So it makes them at ease and comfortable spending money with us.

X: “How do you handle new sneaker releases or limited-edition drops?”

R: “ We try to go by what's hot. It is hard as you know, if its a bigger day, one weekend you'll have a shoe that's going to require a campout, and everybody's calling. Then you'll have another release where like nobody wants the shoe because this is not a fan favorite or whatever. We try to stick with the trends because again, we're a small business, so we can't just buy every release and put thousands of dollars into every release. Sometimes you kind of have to chase the hype a little bit and we'll monitor what needs to be purchased, whether it's early, the day of, or like the few days after based on what the market is. So we just kind of follow based on the demand.

X: “How does a typical day look like for you in regards to owning the store”

R: “I don't want to say it's simple because I've been doing retail for so long, but it's pretty standard. You know every day for the most part is the same. You just got to make sure you're on top of what bills need to be paid or some things come out of insurance. Like right now I need bags for the store and I forgot to go get the bags hahaha. So it's just every day is something different but at the same time, it's all kind of the same. But I don't have an assistant manager. It's really just me, so I’ll leave notes, and if there's things that you're gonna have to do obviously to make sure that you stay ahead of the turn. Some of the major operations are keeping the store clean, keeping good customer service, and making sure nobody steals from you.”

X: “Where do you see your business in 5-10 years” 

R: “Hopefully, I mean there's two ways this can go. We would love to see an opportunity where we can expand beyond just Rochester and potentially go out to Florida. We're trying to get a spot in Florida to open up. So expansion is one, or potentially we could get acquired by a bigger company that likes what we're doing right now, so it's either expand or get acquired.”

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Footwear in the Flower City

What was once just a practical piece of attire to protect your feet, sneakers have now grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry that represents passion, obsession, and even status. The sneaker industry has changed tremendously from what it once was. It has grown to become an international phenomenon that includes fashion, culture, and self-investment. Companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Jordan have shown the world that they are more than just shoe manufacturers; they are cultural figures. 

The community surrounding sneakers has also grown to a completely different level. People around the world have taken the trend and hype of sneakers and transformed them into their own personal businesses, where they have become extremely successful. Being only a consumer, I have found a lot of joy and excitement going to these stores and checking out the selection they have. 

I fell in love with sneakers after beginning my basketball career back in 2017. From then on, I have grown almost obsessed with the culture surrounding sneakers. I started my collection after buying my first pair of Jordan 1’s, although I loved the shoe, I felt like something was missing. That missing piece was simply being able to go to a local store and embrace the culture and atmosphere of being in a sneaker store. As a Rochester, NY, native, there were never really any retail/resale sneaker stores around the area. That was until I had heard about a store named Capacity, on Park Avenue in Rochester. 

Capacity finally gave me my first real experience of going into a legitimate sneaker store. An experience that I had been waiting for almost two years at that point. Unfortunately, I had set my expectations too high for what this store would be like. When I would go online on apps like Instagram and TikTok, I would constantly see videos of larger sneaker retail stores like Soleworld, Cool Kicks, GQ, etc. These stores had an extensive collection of shoes, clothes, and accessories. They also had a really large storefront that constantly had people buzzing around inside. They also had good Hip Hop/R&B music playing throughout the store. Capacity just didnt really have what these other stores did and it kind of bummed me out. 

 I thought that the selection of sneakers wasn't very broad, and even if you found a shoe you liked, there were only one or two sizes they had in stock. This made buying the right shoe very difficult. Not only that but it was like a ghost town in the store and the overall vibe was a little too mundane. No music was playing and when I entered the store I wasn’t greeted. Overall, it just wasn't what I was looking for or expecting, and it didn't ruin the experience for me, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Now, to be fair, the expectations I had initially were from stores that had major social media presence, held a very diverse selection of shoes, and had cheaper prices on their shoes. I did enjoy my experience at Capacity, but it was less than what I was expecting. 

In November of 2021, there had been rumors buzzing around that there was another sneaker store opening up in Rochester. Now, while I was initially ecstatic about this, I thought back to my previous experience at sneaker stores in Rochester and told myself not to set expectations for this location and just enjoy being there. What I didn't know was that the store opening up, The Plug, would be exactly what I was looking for. I remember going to the store for the first time in mid-late December and being absolutely blown away. 

To start, the overall vibe of the store was exactly what I was searching for. The store owner, Rickey Hunley, had greeted me as soon as I walked in. Asking me how my day was going and if I needed anything, just to let him know. There was two walls full of extremely diverse shoes, which made it exciting to pick and choose the right shoe that I wanted. I personally wear a size thirteen shoe, so finding shoes in my size is usually a challenge. Yet I was able to find at least twenty five shoes in my size. There was also a section dedicated to popular clothing items, including brands like Fear Of God ESSENTIALS, Supreme, Bape, etc. 

There was also at least thirty people scattered around the store, checking out shoes, clothes, etc. One thing that I specifically remember was that Rickey had set up a mini basketball hoop in the store, and if you made the shot within three attempts, you could get fifty dollars off of whatever item you bought. I unfortunately didnt sink my shot, but I really enjoyed the fact that he was able to bring something fun and challenging like that into the store. I ended up buying a pair of Nike SB Dunks and was more than pleased with my experience. The Plug was so much more than what I had expected, and it was finally the experience that I had been waiting for the past four years.

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Soles for the Soul

My passion for sneakers started after joining my local basketball travel team in the winter of 5th grade. I had never played organized basketball before, so I was anxious about both learning how to play and fitting in. I remember one of my first practices showing up in regular running shoes and being told that I should get real basketball shoes so I don't end up hurting myself. With that advice, I went to a local Dicks Sporting Goods with my mom and picked out my first ever pair of basketball shoes. The shoe I picked was the KD Trey IV’s. In the sneaker community, these were more of an actual playing basketball shoe rather than a fashion piece. Yet at the time, that didn't bother me at all. I became completely obsessed with the shoe itself and the history behind it. From that point on, my love for shoes grew more and more. The shoes gave me a new sense of confidence, and I began to play better than I ever did before. 

It wasn’t until 7th grade that I bought my second pair of basketball shoes. My previous KD’s were pretty beat up, and the traction on them wasn't the same as they once were. This time around, when it came to purchasing new shoes, I used an app called StockX to help me find the right shoe. I spent hours researching what shoes were technically the best for actual playing. I watched YouTube videos, read through countless articles online, and even created a spreadsheet rating shoes on their traction, ankle support, comfort, price, and weight. I eventually ended up purchasing the Kobe AD Exodus ‘Moon Particle’. This shoe was one step closer to buying more fashionable shoes, yet still using them for basketball. I ended up waiting about a week and a half for these new shoes to come in, constantly bugging my mom to track and see where they are. When they finally came in and I was able to test them out, I realized how the wait was worth it. Every aspect of the shoe was exactly what I was looking for. They were extremely comfortable, I had great ankle support, the on-court traction was good, and they were a super cool-looking pair of kicks. 

The next step in growing my sneaker collection was buying a pair of shoes that were for a fashionable purpose rather than actual functionality. Over the years, I have done research on dozens of different shoes, all with varying histories and stories behind them. Yet one shoe that always stood out to me was the Jordan 1. The only problem at the time was the price of them. The exact pair that I wanted was the Jordan 1 Retro Chicago, which at the time were between 800$-1200$. Now obviously, as a young and clumsy 14-year-old, wearing a pair of 1200$ shoes probably wasn’t the best idea, yet it was all I wanted. So after saving up money for two years, I had around 400$-500$ dollars to spend on a pair of shoes. With this money, I ended up buying two pairs of shoes. I got the Jordan 1 ‘Mochas’, along with the Jordan 11 ‘Concords’. These shoes were the start of the collection that I continue to expand today. Along with these Jordan 1’s and 11’s, I have added a pair of Jordan 1 Mid ‘Smoke Grey’, New Balance 550, and even Jordan 1 Low Football Cleats. I think that the next shoe I want to purchase is the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 ‘Pine Green’. Right now it's just a matter of finding a pair for a reasonable price that are in good condition. Overall, I am extremely happy with the collection I’ve built so far and hope to get it to be around 10-15 shoes that I truly love.

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Leaving A Footprint, Rickey Hunley and The Plug

(Entrance to The Plug, located in Eastview Mall, Victor, NY)

Rickey Hunley, a Rochester, New York native, has been passionate about sneakers since he was a little kid. His passion began when he started collecting sneakers while playing basketball during his youth. With that same passion in mind, Rickey lived out his dreams and opened up his sneaker store, The Plug, to share that same love for sneakers with people from around the area. The Plug is a sneaker resale store that primarily has higher-end shoes and larger name-brand clothing items. Rickey explains that, “I worked at sneaker retail stores for 12 years before opening up The Plug, so it was always easy for me to take that experience and open my own spot.”

(Women & Kids Footwear Section along with shorts) 

Rickey has brought a new business avenue to Rochester and is taking over. Some of the name brands are Jordan, Yeezy, Nike, and Adidas. Rickey initially started his career as a store manager for Foot Locker from 2010 to 2012. Then, shortly after he switched to a retail store by the name of DTLR. He worked as District Manager at that location from 2012 to 2020. Rickey took the experience he had working in the retail sneaker/clothing space and decided to open up his store at East View Mall in Victor, NY. 

(Customer checking out a pair of shoes in the Men's Footwear Section) 

One principle that Rickey has lived by throughout all of his work experience is the importance of the bond that's formed between the employee and the customer. Now that Rickey is an actual owner, he honors this principle even more and truly feels strong about it. Rickey say’s “A lot of customers know me by my first name and I know them by their first name, their shoe size, or I may know them from a previous transaction. It's important, especially when you get that 10-year-old or 11-year-old kid that may walk in, and you build that bond with them and you say their name or you interact with them in a manner where you treat them like an adult or like a customer.” 

(Section of store that provides an opportunity for local businesses to sell their clothes) 

Eastview Mall has really never had a sneaker store like The Plug before, so when asking Rickey about the reason for him selecting Eastview Mall, he said this “Yeah, I mean I knew I wanted to be in the mall location, so I felt like Greece Ridge Mall had way too many sneaker stores. So I chose Eastview Mall because at the time it was only Footlocker and Dick's Sporting Goods.” This location opened up in November of 2021, and from there Rickey built a reputation and has allowed people from all around Rochester to come together and share that same passion he has. Giving people easy access to the latest and hottest kicks.

(Rickey helping out a customer with finding the right size for the shoe)

A big shark that almost all in-person retail/ wholesale stores have to deal with is online shopping websites. When it comes to the sneaker game, they deal with those same problems, too. Two major online sneaker/designer stores have a large portion of consumers. These stores are StockX and GOAT. On these apps, you can purchase new, used, or slightly used items. Not only that but they are always 100 percent guaranteed authentic. They also offer a feature where you can list your own shoes on the app, and the company takes a portion of the sale. 

(Additional Men's Footwear Section that includes Yeezys, Adidas, and New Balance) 

When asking Rickey about his experience dealing with online sites like these, he said “So our prices are will be anywhere between call it $20 to possibly like $50 over payout on Stock X. We're offering a service where you can come in, get fitted, try on the shoe, all that before you purchase it as you know with StockX you can't try it on, you can't get your foot measured so you lose out on that that bit of customer service. We're offering the service as well as the product. That's why I see we'll never be able to match dollar for dollar the whole month's sales.” 

(Customer trying on shoes to see if they fit) 

Being a store owner in general can be a very constant and challenging position. You have all the power yet no real flexibility. Hiring staff to work at your business obviously helps, but based on your character, it can either be a higher pace where you don’t have much free time to do anything, or you can relax more and have employees help with certain tasks. Rickey talks about how his day-to-day life is at the shop. “I don't want to say it's simple because I've been doing retail for so long, but it's pretty standard. I don't have an assistant manager. It's really just me, so I’ll leave notes, and if there are things that you're gonna have to do, obviously, to make sure that you stay ahead of the turn. Some of the major operations are keeping the store clean, keeping good customer service, and making sure nobody steals from you.”

(Closer look at the Kids Footwear section, along with shorts)

Now, as most stores do, there are always times of hardship and struggle. Everyone has their own way of dealing with certain problems, whether it be directly related to the store, or even personal issues. Yet I wanted to see how Rickey keeps himself grounded during these stressful moments. “Just having my people that are around me I use for support, ideas, and feedback. I'm also a faith-believing man, so I also pray when times are hard. I just use my network of people that's around me and people who want to help see me succeed.”

(Customer checking out how the sneakers look and feel) 

One cool aspect about sneaker stores that sometimes gets overlooked is the process of actually getting shoes. When I asked Rickey his strategy for keeping up with his inventory, he told me about how people will bring in their own shoes to sell. He will also look at local companies to see if they would want to swap certain shoes. Yet one thing he mentioned that I found super interesting was how he handles it when a limited-edition sneaker drops, he said this “We try to go by what's hot. It is hard, as you know, if it's a bigger day, one weekend you'll have a shoe that's going to require a campout, and everybody's calling.” 

(Rickey checking out a customer) 

When wrapping up my interview with Rickey, I wanted to ask him where he wanted himself and the business to be within the next 5-10 years. Rickey eagerly responded with, “I mean there are two ways this can go. We would love to see an opportunity where we can expand beyond just Rochester and potentially go out to Florida. We're trying to get a spot in Florida to open up. So expansion is one, or potentially we could get acquired by a bigger company that likes what we're doing right now, so it's either expand or get acquired.”