Outsole

Frank Klerks' great passion is collecting sneakers. What started as a hobby has now grown into the largest second-hand sneaker platform in Europe: Outsole.nl. More than 2,000 different pairs are currently online, the majority of which are the iconic Nike Air Max 1s, along with various accessories such as unique Nike and Adidas shoelaces.

Collecting

Just like the old days with Flippos and soccer cards, that is how it started for him about fifteen years ago. Frank: "I have a soft spot for the Nike Air Max 1. There are more than a thousand different specimens of it. During my high-school years, I was also inspired by others, like, 'what they have, I want too'. That has gotten progressively worse: at first, I had to buy a pair every week, now every day." 

In this way, he not only quickly developed a sneaker addiction, but also a trade in these popular shoes. "I have always had part-time jobs. But if you want to buy a lot, you will also have to sell. Because with sneakers, it works differently than with a television or a car, where the value is halved immediately after purchase. Worldwide, there are many sneaker collectors who sometimes pay substantial amounts for missing pairs in their collection." Of the average 100 orders per day, about 50% go abroad. The further away, the greater the amounts per pair of sneakers. Especially in Asia, collectors pay hefty sums for special sneakers. 

The average selling price is three hundred euros per pair; there are even outliers of up to twenty thousand euros. We ask Frank about the profile of the average sneaker collector. It turns out there isn't one; it is a very diverse set. Most sneakers are sold through the website. Occasionally though, customers indicate that they want to pick up the order and these turn out to be various types of people. Frank: "This customer contact is the fun part of the job, you then come into contact with fellow collectors and that immediately creates a connection."

New Construction

Due to the explosive growth of the webshop, Outsole has moved to its own office with a pickup location in Apeldoorn North. There, Frank expects Outsole to be able to grow quickly.

Export countries: Europe, North America, Asia, and occasionally countries in other continents.