Inspiring Conversations with Alee Clark-Langston of SoleSlayer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alee Clark-Langston. 

Hi Alee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I grew up loving sneakers through watching my favorite hip-hop stars and their love for fashion as a whole. In my middle school and early high school years, I collected as many pairs of converse as I could because those were the sneakers my mother could afford at the time. Soon after, I got my first pair of Jordans (as a young adult) in the 10th grade, and my love for sneaker culture sparked all over again! I followed every shoe release, created a list of pairs I would get my hands on one day, and I even began customizing them myself. After graduating high school and scoring a stable job, I went after every sneaker I wanted as a child and more! That same job gave me the opportunity to save enough money over the course of two years to get on the business side of sneakers and begin my own sneaker reselling business where I would clean, customize, buy and sell sneakers. This same business, SoleSlayer, now has a storefront in the Lakes Mall that is a staple in my community and changed the sneaker culture here for decades to come. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Saving money and cash management overall is a pretty difficult part of owning a business. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook saving and making plans for your earnings, but it is very necessary to track your earnings and set spending limits. Another challenge is realizing as an entrepreneur some days you will not get rewarded for the time and effort you put in right away but since I learned to stay positive and productive, I know the end goal will be greater than I can imagine. 

We’ve been impressed with SoleSlayer, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
SoleSlayer is your go-to place in West Michigan for the hottest sneakers to date. We try our best to cater to families in the area by offering grade school-sized and adult-sized sneakers. We also carry popular streetwear such as Vlone, Bape, Supreme, and several up-and-coming clothing brands from here to Chicago, including our own! Not only can we order you hard-to-find sneakers, but we also buy new sneakers from people in our community. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I own over 100 personal pairs of sneakers that retail from $70 to $1,050! Sometimes I sell or trade sneakers from my personal collection to my customers because I know I’ll never wear them. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sole.slayer/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoleSlayer/