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Nov 13, 2023

High school shoe entrepreneur, 15, opens KE Soles store at Fairlane

Michigan’s newest king of the high-end pre-owned sneaker business is 15-year-old

Michigan's newest king of the high-end pre-owned sneaker business is 15-year-old Dearborn student Kassem Elkhechen.

On March 11, Elkhechen opened his shoe store at Fairlane Town Center. The store, called KE Soles, has in stock about 800 pairs of high-end, pre-owned sneakers in new or like-new condition.

"I’ve got over 800-plus shoes to choose from," he said. "Like (Nike) Dunks, Jordans, Yeezy's, new Balance's. … Pretty much most of the high-end shoes you can name. We have them here."

And he knows his shoes. He's been in the business of reconditioning and selling pre-owned shoes since he was about 10 years old.

"I got into this business because when I was younger, like, my parents weren't able to afford any type of Yeezy's or anything like that back then," Elkhechen recalled.

He didn't start off buying shoes. Like a wise entrepreneur, Elkhechen started small and worked his way up.

He started a shoe-cleaning business.

He said that through trial and error, he learned the best and easiest way to clean a pair of sneakers.

"I learned that I don't need to use the expensive cleaner because all you really need to use is just soap and water," he said. "And then as long as you have good brushes and you know what you’re doing, you’ll be good."

Friends and family members would drop their shoes off at his house which he would then return to a like-new luster for around $10 to $15. After expenses, his profit margin was over $5 per pair.

"I probably cleaned like 30 shoes just to get like 200-something dollars," Elkhechen said.

Elkhechen still remembers the first pair of Cream Yeezy's that he bought with his own money from a website.

The Cream Yeezy 350 is a shoe style made popular by Kanye West. New, out-of-the-box, the shoe would retail for around $550. Elkhechen bought his first pair for around $220. He wore them several times and then cleaned them up and sold them for a $50 profit.

Today the Cream Yeezy shoe price has dropped to around $350 but online resellers are asking hundreds more for shoes in nearly new condition.

"And that was when I realized that I could do this," he said. "Then I just started buying shoes with $200 I had because I just never spent my money on anything else except for shoes. And then I bought another shoe and then a high school kid bought them for like 120 bucks."

And from that, the KE Soles shoe empire was born.

Due to his business savvy, KE Soles quickly started to draw attention. As soon as he started his brand on Instagram, people in the Dearborn area began to take notice. And then word spread.

"We pass out business cards, we meet like famous people, and stuff like that," he said. "Those (people) shout us out. Someone's friend will come, and they will buy a pair of shoes and they will shout us out. And then their group of friends will come to buy five shoes altogether. And then they all follow you on Instagram. If you do people right, they will do you right."

The most expensive pair of shoes Elkhechen has sold is a size 13 pair of Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago for $17,000. Elkhechen refuses to say who, but he sold the pair to "a super famous rapper" who begged him to sell them.

He still owns two pairs of the shoes, which are on display in the store. The price of the Off-White Chicago shoes soared after the designer died of cancer in 2019.

Elkhechen likes to keep his clientele list private, but he claims to have sold shoes to several famous singers, rappers, graphic artists, and even sports figures.

Recently KE Soles bought 100 pairs of Panda Dunks from a special supplier, paying slightly over the retail value but plans to resell them quickly at a profit.

Panda Dunks are made by Nike and feature monochromatic black and white leather with the Nike Swoosh incorporated in the design. KE Soles plans to sell each pair for around $215 which is still lower than what other outlets are selling them for.

Elkhechen was able to procure the available store space on the second level of Fairlane Town Center after being told of its availability by a family friend who owns another business in the mall.

"This spot was completely trashed with ripped carpet," he said. "We had to build this wall that we’re sitting against. We had to build all these shelves (in the storeroom). The office had to be redone, the floors, the display shelves, all the walls that we put in. So, we had our budget but then it tripled by the time we were finished with this."

In the first half of his day, Elkhechen attends Henry Ford Early College, a high school collaboration between Dearborn Public Schools and Henry Ford College. By mid-afternoon, he's at his shop, starting his workday.

As a father, Mohammed "Moe" Elkhechen couldn't be prouder of his son. Moe is also a business owner, but works part-time at his son's store until he gets out of school.

"What real-life business teaches you, school never teaches you," Moe Elkhechen said. "So, this is just a plus that he's able to do this. He's motivated to do this."

Kassem and his father have been putting on the miles traveling across the country looking for shoes to buy.

"I love his motivation and love his dedication to it," Moe Elkhechen said. "He definitely strives harder and harder to become good at what he does, and honestly, we’re really proud of him."

Elkhechen and his dad also would stand in line at stores to buy shoes in bulk at lower prices. They also go to many out-of-state events and walk the floors looking for deals. KE Soles also carries exclusive lines of shoes that may be sold out or harder to find at many of the larger shoe retailers.

"We do events all over," Kassem Elkhechen said. "We’re just in Fort Lauderdale buying shoes for the store before when we knew we were going to open up. And then we do some other events and then people also bring them by the store."

The process of buying and quickly turning over the shoes has become a very lucrative business for Elkhechen. His inventory of approximately 700-800 pairs of shoes, as well as the build-in of his store, have all been paid for without any bank or personal loans.

"A lot of stores do consignment," Elkhechen said. "Everything in our store is owned."

Elkhechen runs KE Soles as a sole proprietor-limited liability corporation (LLC) and has a bookkeeper/ accountant who keeps him informed of what bills are coming due and for how much. He pays for his own business insurance, rent and utilities at the store.

"The stress level to get the store up and running was definitely a little bit hard, especially being in a mall," Moe Elkhechen said. "But you always have foot traffic. You have a lot of pedestrians that walk by. They just want to come in to check out the shoes. Some buy, some don't, but everybody enjoys it. And the safety of the mall is a lot better than being just a brick and mortar outside where break-ins are more prone to happen."

Kassem's dad is keeping an eye on his son as he runs his own business while also still going to school. Kassem plans to graduate in two years from HFC-EC with an associate degree.

Kassem said he was considering adding new locations as the brand continues to grow. His father is also supportive of the idea, but is also apprehensive.

"For him, probably another location, you know, maybe bigger things … we don't know," Moe Elkhechen said. "You know, as long as he's finishing his office work, school and whatever he decides to do, it's all good. But it's still too early, I guess, to say. I mean, we’re a week into it. Yeah. So, you never know."

As a budding entrepreneur, Kassem Elkhechen has advice for those looking to go into business for themselves.

"You’re going to have times when you have to return a shoe because of a flaw or find people you can't trust," he said. "You’re gonna have mishaps. But in the end, it is worth it. You’re going to have a few worst days and then have better days. Never stress because it is always going to get better. People who buy from me now know that I am going to take care of them every time."

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