Family-owned sneaker shop hits stride

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This article was published 22/06/2021 (1537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A father-son duo wants to get sneakerheads into the perfect pair of shoes this summer.

Darren Litke, 49, and his son Aidan Litke, 18, a recent graduate from J. H. Bruns Collegiate, opened Wpgsneaker at 125–3025 Portage Ave. earlier this month.

The Litkes first found success selling footwear online through social media, growing their follower count to over 8,000 people. After about a year, the business became too busy to run out of their Royalwood home in southeast Winnipeg.

“The store became a goal and a dream of Aidan’s,” Darren said. “So, we looked into getting a temporary spot.”

Now, they’re hoping to show youth and parents in St. James and surrounding areas what the shop has to offer.

Darren also owns Fifth Avenue Hair Studio in the same building at 155–3025 Portage Ave.

Wpgsneaker carries well-known streetwear brands like BAPE, Fear of God and Anti Social Social Club. Much of the product the Litke’s source is deadstock — meaning items are authentic, new, but no longer in production, and therefore, harder to find.

The shop’s sneaker wall features dozens of limited-edition designs, many imported from Asia, designed by celebrities — like Kanye West’s buzzed about Yeezy line.

“It’s kind of exciting seeing people being excited when they get their shoe,” Darren said. “It’s satisfying to get someone that shoe or T-shirt or hoodie that they’ve been looking for.”

Winnipeg has an active community of high-end sneaker fans. Two Facebook groups centred around buying, selling and trading sneakers have a combined membership of over 5,000 members.

Many vendors sell their products through Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. Having a brick-and-mortar storefront and a customer service angle helps Wpgsneaker stand out from the competition.

For Aidan — a sneakerhead himself — the best part about running the shop is unboxing the new shoes, looking over the styles and appreciating the uniqueness of each pair. The shop brings in new shipments every week, he said.

Right now, his favourite item in the store is a periwinkle and cream-coloured pair of 2018 Air Jordans that feature tangerine accents and cheeky, on-the-nose phrases printed on the body of the shoe and the laces.

These luxury deadstock shoes go for roughly $2,600.

Like any other collector’s item, the price tag reflects several qualities — from make to model to rarity. The company focuses on delivering competitive prices for top-of-the-line clothing rather than offering significant discounts on less sought-after or knock-off wares.

“We have good pricing on the product we have,” Darren said.

“Affordable,” Aidan adds.

Wpgsneaker also buys new products from local vendors and some lightly worn shoes from enthusiasts looking to switch up their collections.

The shop carries clothing sizes small to extra-large and shoes ranging from youth sizes to men’s size 13.

There is also a full selection of women’s footwear.

Wpgsneaker is open Sunday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

To browse the shop’s shoe and clothing collection as Aidan unboxes them in-store, follow Wpgsneaker on Instagram.