It’s no surprise the Atlanta metro is a hub for sneaker culture. When it comes to sneaker shops worth seeking out around town, Sole Play in Downtown Decatur is among the elites. From their impressive selection of new shoe and clothing releases to their vault of rare and vintage Jordans and Nikes, there’s something to be found for every sneakerhead at Sole Play.
For co-owner Anthony “TJ” Bennett, the shoes are just the start. “I like to say we’re a community impact store,” says Bennett. “The shoes give us a built-in audience to do the most for the people we serve.”
Opening in 2022 after years of success at their first Lawrenceville location, Sole Play Decatur started with the goal of being a true destination for sneaker lovers inside the perimeter. It didn’t take long to reach that goal. Shortly after opening, lines stretched around the block for new releases and an organic community began to take shape around a shared love of sneakers and fashion. Bennett quickly saw the potential to be more than just a shoe store.
As a lifelong shoe fan and gamer, Bennett recognized an opportunity to bring two of his loves together under one roof by focusing on building a safe and welcoming space for gamers and sneakerheads alike, two communities with a significant overlap of fans. “Black Americans are some of the top consumers of the gaming industry, but only about 4% of industry jobs are held by Black people,” says Bennett.
Enter the “Play” half of Sole Play: a video game haven equipped with the latest consoles, 10 state-of-the-art gaming PCs, and streaming setups for live play; all just steps away from their impressive walls of sneakers.
“On the surface, it’s entertainment, but I don’t want this to be a solely transactional business. We want to create a dope experience around shoes and gaming where you can also learn a lot. We’re finding ways to hopefully fill that gap.”
For Sole Play, filling that gap starts with providing access and awareness. The shop offers plenty of opportunities to get in the door like weekly Super Smash Bros tournaments, in-store events for shoe and game releases, partnerships with Decatur High School’s esports teams, and laid-back sneaker meetups. They have created a comfortable environment that encourages hanging out, not just shopping, and provides a relaxed space to engage with the community. They also get creative by weaving in awareness and engagement with the existing sneaker and gaming cultures.
“We would get people literally camping out in front of our shop a week before a shoe dropped,” Bennett explains. “We decided to offer access to new releases if you attended a mental health check-in with us. Most of the time, people just come for the shoes. But 90% of those people leave grateful for the discussion and didn’t know how much they needed it.”
As a natural extension of this community work, Sole Play established the Sole Circle Foundation, a non-profit with a three-pronged mission that encourages mental health awareness, financial literacy, and STEM in gaming.
Plenty of businesses claim to put people first. Sole Play is truly making that claim a reality. Their addition to the Decatur community is a natural fit with the kindness and independent spirit of the city.
“The City of Decatur has welcomed us with open arms and provided the perfect place for us to pursue our mission,” Bennett concludes.
“What we’re doing is bigger than shoes and fashion. We’re taking the power we’ve been given and leveraging it to do the most for this community. We’re working to push the next generation forward.”
"What we’re doing is bigger than shoes and fashion."