Sneaker Craze Draws Large Crowd

On Jan. 27 from 12 to 4 p.m., the "DunkXchange," an exciting event was held in Brea for those known as "sneaker heads."

Gary Hughes is the CEO and founder of the DunkXchange events. He became interested in fashionable shoes when he was a kid. He saw the fad of trading shoes becoming popular and was tired of making deals and buying sneakers with people he couldn't see face to face.

He joked about how he received fake "Heineken Dunks" four different times through eBay. Hughes was determined to stop the fake deals for fake shoes dilemma that many people have experienced from buying online. His goal was to find a way to exceed beyond the deceiving business by which many people have been affected.

Hughes created the first DunkXchange with the help of Armani Exchange and Downtown Brea's "Bar 330." Hughes' co-founder is 23-year-old Curtis Brown, who is a DJ there. Hughes and Brown have worked together for over a year and are still going strong.

The DJ spinning at the event was named Prince Robledo, but likes to be called "Roial 1." He has been DJing at these events since they started. He plays old school, mainstream, hip-hop and rap music. He dresses flashy, like the attendees of the event, wearing an oversized bright-colored jacket with flashy $1 bills all over it.

Ultimately, they hired people to sell, trade, and buy sneakers and clothing to keep the business and the event successful.

With a line wrapping around the restaurant, groups of people of all ages were excited about the start of the event. For those over 21, there was an open bar for them to enjoy.

In the midst of the pool tables and chairs were stacks of shoes and clothes hung up in every corner. With lots of interaction going on between the sneaker heads, the sales included bright-colored sneakers and hip-hop clothes. While some people went to buy, trade and sell, others were there simply for the experience.

Justin Hudson, a 19-year-old business man at the event was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt, tight jeans, bright red high-top sneakers, a black hat and shiny gold jewelry to match, resembling the '80s. It was so crowded that he had to make room in between the men and women's restroom. He was looking for "good deals to make more money." He also admitted that "[I] only buy to resell."

Standing next to Hudson was 17-year-old Ricky Nguyen who made a little corner for himself and his friends to sell their items. Nguyen and his friends created their own store after Brown hired them as his employees.

As these ordinary individuals became almost incognito, developing into businessmen and women in the midst of such small conditions, negotiations were being thrown around left and right. The $5 entry fee wasn't about to scare them off.

The attendees of these DunkXchange events have a great deal of thanks to give to the miraculous idea of both Hughes and Brown. These two individuals that are attempting to stop the scams and dilemmas that so many people have dealt with.

Though it appears that this event is leaving a sense of "sneaker craze" to the whole occasion, there is a great deal of importance on why there is such an event. Providing these events continue to take place, the easier it will be to buy, sell and trade sneakers without having to worry about being cheated.