It’s back. The third edition of Sole DXB, the lifestyle event featuring fashion, music, sports and kicking off on November 14, will be bigger and better this year, according to the three guys behind the event. What started off as an event for shoeheads, to celebrate all the beautiful things that a good pair of shoes can bring (and they say there are plenty), the annual event has now become a two-day attraction for urban and street culture: think tortured artists and musicians, shoe collectors, a bit of hip hop, some basketball and just some cool people all around.
“Sole DXB started out as a platform for people with similar interests to come together, exchange ideas and celebrate the culture, something what we considered was missing in the city,” says Hussain Moloobhoy, one of the founders of the event.
The advertising executive, along with Kris Balerite, who works as an art director in an ad agency, and Joshua Roberts Cox, who owns his own design company, are the three men behind Sole DXB. This year, they’ve partnered with the Dubai Design District (d3) who will play host to the event.
tabloid! asked them to give us 10 convincing reasons why you shouldn’t miss this edition of Sole DXB.
Get the freshest products
Brands such as Puma, Reebok and adidas will launch their latest collections at Sole DXB. Urban lifestyle enthusiasts can look forward to limited edition sneakers, capsule collections and the results of some exclusive collaborations.
Sneaker Swap
The Sneaker Swap area will see sneaker collectors from across the Middle East come together to show off their wares and look to add to their collection. These are collectors with a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality, making global connects, spending triple, scouring the net and travelling to distant cities, just to get their hands on a tempting pair of sneakers.
Street ball tournament
At the centre of the Sole DXB will be a basketball court, where the tournament will celebrate basketball culture. What’s more? The winning team gets to take home Dh10,000 and the bragging rights of being named the best street ball team in the city.
DJs and live hip hop acts
International and regional live acts will spin their magic over the two days. Some of the DJs confirmed included Mental Genius’ Dave Lubin and Tom Crane, Emtee Pockets, Brooklyn, Shef Codes, Dan Greenpeace, Junior J, Mo Megadon Mostyn, Mike Daniel and Don Corneille.
Get shopping
This edition will see the launch of ‘Early Retirement’, a 2,000 square foot concept space with a selection of curated goods, including sneakers, apparel and contemporary art from cities such as Manhattan, Beirut, Berlin and New York. There will also be a bookstore featuring a selection of titles from art book publisher Taschen, an art gallery hosting works by artists such as Remi Rough, Tava, Wissam Shawkat, robot&spark, and prints from photographer Julian Castaldi.
Live graffiti wall
London artist Remi Rough has been making images for more than a quarter of a century. His art began on walls and trains in South London in 1984 and today are exhibited in cities such as London, Paris, Perth, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Berlin and Ibiza. Rough will be painting a 10-metre-high wall during the event in front of attendees.
The talks
Urban and street culture will take an educational turn with eight workshops on street style and hip-hop that put the community and lifestyle in the spotlight. The origins of street wear culture and the fusion of luxury and street wear are some of the topics up for discussion by fashion designers, DJs, artists and sneaker connoisseurs.
Street Food
Shipping containers have been modified to house street food brands such as Taqado Mexican Kitchen, Clinton St Baking Company and Shake Shack, among others. After all, those fancy shoes need a bit of a break sometimes.
The people
Sole DXB is a collective expression of those who believe in street style and other sub cultures. While sneakers will be a key element at the event, visitors can expect to see a representation of the Middle East urban culture through art, fashion, music and more. And this is your chance to rub shoulders with people with similar interests and tastes. And check this out: Ray-Ban wants to dare you to prove your worth by leaving your hair in the hands of stylists from Chill salon, who will give you an ‘eccentric hairstyle’ using everything from undercuts, dying, slicing, splicing, spraying and chalking. If you are brave enough to get involved, you walk away with prizes.
Level Shoe District display
The shoe heaven at The Dubai Mall will be bringing out some of its big guns at the event, starting with an exhibition by Pierre Hardy. The high fashion footwear designer will present a special retrospective of his limited-edition sneakers, from the first in 2008 to 2015. Making a special appearance will be Singapore’s design team SBTG, who has become famous for their customisation of sneakers. Visitors will be able to buy a special collection of Air Jordans customised for Level Shoe District. The artists will also host a personalisation service, where guests can have their monikers stencilled.
