Joe Diorio's TheSolexchange, "The Stock Market of Sneakers"

TheSolexchange (www.thesolexchange.com), dubbed “The Stock Market of Sneakers," was officially launched in April of this year by Joe Diorio. The Brooklyn-born entrepreneur calls it “one-half marketplace and one-half news-blog, where people can sell their sneakers 100% commission free and get all of their sneaker/culture news.”

This stock market is on the rise, buoyed by its biggest event to date, the National Sneaker Convention, a two-day extravaganza for sneaker-lovers and all things food-for-the-sole, is set for Saturday, August 27, and Sunday,August 28, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center (355 Plaza Drive) in Secaucus, New Jersey from 12 noon to 6:00 pm on both days.

“We came up with the idea because our customers were asking for ways to sell with Solexchange after a trade show was over,” says Diorio. “We sat down and created a digital version of our trade show so customers can now buy, sell, and trade with Solexchange all year round.”

Diorio, 37, is a sneaker junkie himself. He says: “I started collecting sneakers since I was a kid, Nike Flights, and the rest is history. Each pair represents a time or event in my life that is significant to that shoe.

“I keep a collection of 200 rare pieces that I don't ever wear, sell, or trade,” adds Diorio.”

A documentary on Michael Jordan, and not his sneakers, first captivated Diorio. “It was the Air Jordan shoe at first,” he recollects. ”At first it was a documentary called ‘Michael Jordan Air Time.’ The introduction was crazy, the crowd, the music, Michael's voice and then the clips of him catching hang time, wow! Then I saw a clip of the Jordan 1's in the video and I was hooked. I went from pumps to Jordan's and then the Jordan craze started from there.”

There are over 300 pairs of shoes available for customers on the site, some selling under retail. “The site caters to more than sneaker collectors, it caters to the every-day customer who's just looking for a good pair of sneakers for a great price,” reports Diorio.

While TheSolexchange website is only three months old, Diorio has been managing sneaker-related events for four years, growing from just 300 to 3,000 spectators. Even more are expected during the two-day National Sneaker Convention. Thanks to his passion for the sole-ful experience, Diorio has carved his niche. “I worked a lot of retail jobs before starting my own business,” says Diorio. “I actually did pretty well, making my way up to senior manager positions, but corporate life wasn't for me. I always found it hard to work in a structured environment, I love the creative and marketing of an event and the excitement of staying close to the consumer.”

Here are the full details on the convention:

The Solexchange (www.thesolexchange.com) National Sneaker Convention, a two-day extravaganza for sneaker-lovers and all things food-for-the-sole is set for Saturday, August 27, and Sunday, August 28, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center (355 Plaza Drive) in Secaucus, New Jersey from 12 noon to 6:00 pm on both days.

LIVE Performances by Hip Hop super stars Waka Flocka (August 27/5-6pm PM) and Lil' Uzi Vert (August 28/3-4pm), a meet and greet with NBA legend and Slam Dunk champion Spud Webb (August 27/2-3pm), and music by HOT 97's - DJ Bobby Trends (August 27/3-4pm) will be among the many highlights.

The two-day sole-ful experience will feature 25,000 pairs of rare sneakers for sale/trade, 300 vendors, FREE sneakers giveaways every hour, adidas Yeezy Boost 350's for retail, a 20,000 square foot trading floor, NBA-style free throw contests for FREE sneakers, and much, much more.

Guest speakers, all on August 27, will include Steiner Sports founder Brandon Steiner, Sneaker Collector "Mayor," and Sneaker Curator Suraj Kaufman, beginning at 2:00 pm.

Tickets are priced at $40, and can be purchased at www.thesolexchange.com.

Appearance schedule:

August 27

2-3pm – Spud Webb – meet and greet with NBA legend

3-4pm – HOT 97's - DJ Bobby Trends

5-6pm – Waka Flocka – (live music by hip hop artist)

August 28

3-4pm PM – Lil' Uzi Vert (live music by hip hop artist)