Levitate Sneakers —

How Jason Created a Sneaker Empire At Just 20

How Jason Created a Sneaker Empire At Just 20
Jason spent his days after school lining up for limited edition sneakers, though usually leaving empty handed it sparked an obsession that led to endless hours of research and eventually a business.
by Emily Toone Nov 25, 2022 — 2 min read
How Jason Created a Sneaker Empire At Just 20

About this business

Business Type

Retail Locations: 1

Location

Canberra,
Australia

Products Used

Learn how you can power your business with Square today. Contact Sales

Jason, twenty, moved to Australia at the age of 12 with his family from China and spent his days after school lining up for limited edition sneakers, though usually leaving empty handed it sparked an obsession that led to endless hours of research and eventually meeting his now business partner in line.

Today, Levitate Sneakers call Canberra home and are soon expanding to a second location in Perth. Stocking hundreds of different sneakers, including a rare pair from Back To The Future worth more than $50,000! We recently visited Jason at Levitate in Canberra to learn more about how he turned an obsession into a thriving business and what he has learned as a young entrepreneur.

SQ: What made you decide to turn a passion/obsession into a business?

J: Everything started when I was just a regular high school kid lining up in front of the stores trying to score myself a pair of sneakers. Because of the demand and the super limited quantities, I usually come back home empty-handed, but I managed to make friends and met my business partner during this time.

Simultaneously we discovered the huge potential within this market and with years of grinding and a never-changing passion we were able to turn our obsession into a business that we love running each and every day.

SQUARE pewpewstudio 20220928 -289 HR

SQ: Where do you source your stock from?

J: It’s all about networking and forming strong relationships. We made lots of friends that have the same obsession with sneakers during line-ups back in the day. We were able to maintain great relationships with them as well as the newcomers in the game. They trusted us and now consign their stock to us.

With dedication and some great opportunities, we have also found suppliers from all over the world including Europe, East Asia, and the USA.

SQ: Why did you set up shop in Canberra?

J: It may be a unique choice with a smaller population of 400,000, but we had a vision for the city. I was here for visiting family and I found the city had great potential and needed something that could help boost the process — here we are.

SQUARE pewpewstudio 20220928 -911 HR

SQ: What’s your favourite moment as a business owner?

J: Learning, always learning. I am only 20 years old and driving a business toward success is like sailing a boat in the middle of the ocean. I have been through ups and downs and being able to stay humble and always open to learning how to do things, big or small are my favourite moments in owning a business.

SQ: Best piece of advice you have for fellow business owners/entrepreneurs?

J: Make decisions carefully and always seek statistics and evidence that support your decision.

SQ: What are the coolest pair of sneakers that you own?

J: The coolest pair of sneakers that I have is probably a pair of Jordan 5 “Trophy Room” with only 8000 pairs manufactured worldwide, and every pair has a unique number at the back of the sock liner.

SQUARE pewpewstudio 20220928 -143 HR

SQ: Why did you choose Square to power your business?

J: When I was looking for checkout terminals for my store I realised that Square is the only product in the market that has its own developer portal, customisation and integration support that I needed for our unique catalogue.

SQ: What do you see as the future of sneaker culture?

J: Sneaker culture is now part of mainstream culture. Sneakers back in the day were not recognised and the word “sneakerheads” was interpreted incorrectly. Now you see everyone on the streets are wearing Jordans and Dunks, whether they know about the sneaker culture or the history behind the pairs or not. It’s spreading wildly and people are accepting it and it’s becoming a massive trend.

SQUARE pewpewstudio 20220928 -793 HR

SQ: Any future plans for Levitate Sneakers?

J: We are expanding! We are coming to Perth and Sydney. We will also be getting exclusive drops of streetwear brands and fashion. Can’t say too much about that, everyone loves surprises. Make sure to follow our social media to receive the latest news!

Emily Toone
Emily Toone is a Content Manager at Square where she covers everything from how businesses can start, run, and grow, to how enterprise companies can use tools and data to become industry leaders.

Products mentioned

Square Terminal

Square Terminal

Accept all types of payments and get your money fast.

See how -/^

Related case studies

Keep Reading

Tell us a little more about yourself to gain access to the resource.

i Enter your first name.
i Enter your surname.
i Enter a valid phone number.
i Enter your company name.
i Select estimated annual revenue.
✓

Thank you!
Check your email for your resource.

x
Results for

Based on your region, we recommend viewing our website in:

Continue to ->