Sneaker Pharm* Celebrates 1 Year At Their Dale Street, Manchester Location

Set up by the former solicitor, Vincent Tao, Sneaker Pharm* started its life at Hatch down Oxford Road in the heart of Manchester city.

Taking the jump from case studies to cleaning sneakers, Vincent (or Vinnie as he known to the locals) provided the thriving North West city with the very first “drop off” service of sneaker cleaning & a premium shoe care destination. Located literally next door to the likes of Suzie Loves Milo, a thriving sneaker & streetwear community of independent stores, eateries & pop-up events made Hatch a unique customer experience. In September 2023 it was announced that Hatch would be closing its doors permanently with a cost of living crisis and a new development plan. Sneaker Pharm* with its loyal Mancunian customer base & followers had to make the difficult decision to re-locate to new premises.

In October 2023 Sneaker Pharm* relocated into new premises on Dale Street in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter. A once edgy region of the City was transformed in the noughties with its barista style cafe’s, studio flats & independent stores. With a unique creative studio of sneaker repair gadgets and gizmos the space is something like an Aladdin’s cave for the sustainable sneaker fan. Although sneaker cleaning remains at the core of the Sneaker Pharm* business, Vinnie has diversified into adding Vibram soles to OG Air Max trainers & removing studded soles from football boots. Drawing inspiration from the traditional London shoe shiners & the Japanese principles of wabi-sabi, Sneaker Pharm* specialises in cleaning, stitching, repainting, resoling and sneaker restorations.With sustainability & creativity at its very core, Sneaker Pharm* now celebrates their first year at their Dale Street, Manchester location. We caught up with the Sneaker Pharm* founder.

So first of all give us some background about Sneaker Pharm* and where the vision came from?

Sneaker Pharm* was started in 2019 when I saw a gap in the market and a niche to get into. The market was buying shoes at an exponential rate but no one was talking about after care or fixing shoes.

You’ve recently moved into some new premises, how’s things going there?

We expanded into our own flagship last year and it’s been hard work. My hands are feeling the pain of the work but it’s part of the job. Building a business isn’t easy. Traditional bricks and mortar stores aren’t easy. You work for rent and are constantly on the wire but you find motivation in what you do and hopefully it’ll pay off.

With longevity of sneakers a key part of your business, where do you see the re-using sneakers thing going over the next few years?

I like to think more people will consider the life-cycle of shoes more. Less focus on hype consumption but more on careful consideration of pieces and purchases which in turn slows down waste and also increases attitudes towards product care. The resell market has subsided due to rising costs but people will still buy shoes. Maybe an increase in second hand vintage products?

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start something like yourself, cleaning and restoring sneakers?

My advice is do it because you like doing it. Money is a result of your work. Be transparent and manage expectations. The customer will always expect more.

Since as this is all about sneakers what are your own personal favourite styles to wear?

My favourite styles vary between New Balance 1906 or 860s but then sometimes I need more support because of fatigue so I switch out to an Air Max for the extra solid base

Where do you see Sneakerpharm in the next 5 years?

We will be launching our very own products and hopefully employing people.