Featured image: File photo
1) Sole Superior – Singapore
Next edition: November 25, 2017
Sole Superior, established 2013, is a sneaker convention held in Singapore annually. Exclusive collaborative merch, the chance to discover independent local labels, and freebies have always been the event’s biggest draws. Of course, the chance to meet up with friends is also what keeps sneakerheads coming back year on year.
This year, attendees stand a chance to win lucky draw prizes worth over S$30,000. In addition, exclusive event merchandise by New Era, XLARGE, Novesta will be available for purchase. The convention will also be hosting its first ever afterparty featuring The Whooligan, YETI OUT, and music producer Falcons, who will be making his Singapore debut.
Keep up with Sole Superior on Facebook.
2) Sneaker Con – Hong Kong
Next edition: August 2018
Sneaker Con finally took its self-dubbed “The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth” to Asia – Hong Kong – in August 2017. According to a report by SCMP, the convention featured 200 vendors selling more than 60,000 shoes.
The Hong Kong edition brought some big names to the yard, one such is ten-time NBA All-Star/two-time NBA Champion Ray Allen.
Keep up with Sneaker Con on Instagram.
3) Sole Ex 2017 – Hanoi, Vietnam
Next edition: November 19, 2017
Sole Ex describes itself as the “largest and most fashionable street fashion show” in Hanoi. The event is hosted by Vietnamese streetwear and sneaker website, HNBMG.
According to its Facebook event page, this year’s edition will include a shoe display featuring rare sneakers such as the Louis Vuitton x Supreme pair. Other activities include basketball tournaments with prizes worth 8,000,000 VND (approx. S$500) up for grabs. Music performances are also part of the do, and this year’s event will feature Vietnamese rapper DEN and producer ONIONN.
Keep up with HNBMG on Facebook.
4) Sneaker Party – Bangkok, Thailand
Next edition: TBA
Sneaker Party Thailand aims to be the biggest sneaker market in Thailand. According to Siam 2nite, the 2016 event featured a sneaker raffle, a showcase of limited edition shoes, a rap battle and even a sneaker live painting session with Thai musician P”Song. The 2017 event was hosted a live mini-concert by Thai rapper URBOY TJ.
Keep up with Sneaker Party Thailand on Facebook.
5) Sneakerpeak – Jakarta, Indonesia
Next edition: April 2018
Sneakerpeak Indonesia is an event created in collaboration with Lippo Mall Kemang, Casio G-Shock, and six sneaker enthusiast communities. In addition to sneaker trades and rare sneaker showcases, the event has held talks focusing on topics such as shoe care, reselling, and the history of sneaker culture. Noteworthy attendees include Los Angeles based photographer Cole Young (whom we recently interviewed).
Keep up with Sneakerpeak Indonesia on Lippo Mall Kemang’s Facebook page.
6) Oki Sneaker Con – Okinawa, Japan
Next edition: TBA
Okinawa, a collection of islands between Taiwan and Japan, hosted its first sneaker convention in May 2017. The small affair was created to introduce sneaker culture to Okinawa’s community. As with most sneaker cons, a sneaker raffle and music were part of the event. Interestingly, though, there were also barbers on hand for haircuts.
Keep up with Oki Sneaker Con on the Get’Em Kicks Facebook page.
7) SneakerLah – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Next edition: October 2018
SneakerLah is Malaysia’s biggest sneaker convention. Past editions of the event have hosted up to an impressive 22,000 attendees. The con boasts a range of sneaker-related activities such as a sneaker trading pit, sneaker customizing workshops, and panel discussions.
Independent streetwear brands – and there are plenty good ones in Malaysia – take the opportunity to make their presence known at SneakerLah. SeakerLah 2017, which concluded earlier this month, saw guys like Stoned & Co pulling out the stops and Pestle & Mortar hawking their recent capsule collection made in collaboration with The Hundreds.
Keep up with Sneakerlah on Facebook.
8) Sole Slam Manila Trade Expo – Manila, the Philippines
Next edition: TBA
Sole Slam Manila is one of the more popular sneaker conventions held in Asia. A highlight of the event is the annual Sole Slam Awards. In an interview with Philstar, founder Antonio Aguirre said that the awards are split into 13 categories, and some such are “Best Dressed Male”, “Best Vendor Display”, and “Most Promising Brand of the Year”.
Famous Sole Slam Manila attendees include American rapper Bun B, and Nice Kicks founders Matt and Allison Halfhill.
Keep up with Sole Slam Manila on Facebook.
9) Yo’Hood – Shanghai, China
Next edition: September 2018
Yo’Hood, launched in 2012, is a massive sneaker and streetwear convention held in Shanghai, China. Event attendees can look forward to checking out the latest sneakers and be given previews of forthcoming streetwear and sneaker offerings across the biggest brands.
The 2016 Yo’Hood gave attendees an early look at the Nike Hyperadapt 1.0 and the Nikecraft Mars Yard. The 2017 instalment featured an exclusive capsule collection with artist Futura as well as the launch of limited edition RIPNDIP apparel to commemorate the brand’s first trip to China. Other notable installations include a pop-up store by HUMANMADE founder Nigo and Kojiharu, a member of pop group AKB48.
Yo’Hood is also known for its ability to draw big name attendees. Famous faces spotted at Yo’Hood include Pharrell, Futura, and Russell Westbrook.
Keep up with Yo’Hood here.
Thinking about traveling to any of these cities for their sneaker conventions? Do it. Plus you get S$40 off your next accommodation booking on Booking.com when you book via this link.
Read More: 5 Reasons to Attend SneakerLAH 2017