Where did the name Saint Street Sneakers come from?

I created the name. It comes from a religious background, although I'm not religious.[Religion] is everywhere in Dublin. There isn’t too much meaning to the name I just really liked it. I like my alliterations. 

How does a consignment store work?

People bring the clothes in, we assess them, we value them and then we check them to see if they’re real. We then take 15% when it sells. 

Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have a shop, I used to be a skater years ago. I used to go to skate shops and they were always cool. I also used to do graffiti, so I always wanted that type of vibe for the store. I always wanted a store that would sell cool stuff, I didn’t know necessarily what is was going to be at the time. 

When did you decide to open up your own business? What was the initial spark that got the ball rolling on Saint Street Sneakers?

I travel a lot, not even just for music but in general. I go on holiday a lot, I’ve been to America so many times. I’m just fascinated by their culture, like the music and hip hop culture. Going to these places and seeing stores that are focused around that culture and knowing that we didn’t have that in Dublin. I guess that was the initial spark. I wanted to bring that to Dublin. 

What were some of the main challenges you faced when first setting up the business?

Money is always going to be an issue when you’re starting a business. You have to find capital to start it. We invested our own money into the business to get it off the ground. Money is always going to be an issue. If I had more money, I’d have a bigger shop and I’d have more stuff in it. At the moment, we are maintaining a good business and we’re doing well. We don’t have investors we have nothing like that it’s literally all just from us. 

How do you select clothes to display in the shop?

We are a consignment store so the clothes just come in we don’t have to source any of the stuff. I would refuse things if I didn’t like it. More often, I just trust my gut and judgment and if I like it and I think someone else might like it. There is definitely stuff that I take in that I know someone else will definitely like that I wouldn’t wear but I know it will sell. 

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

I would say just do it. Don’t be thinking about all the things that could go wrong, obviously don’t get yourself in mad debt or anything. Start small and just keep growing. 

Who are some of your biggest fashion icons?

Kanye, Pharrell, Nego. Skate culture in general not even people. The graffiti scene, all that type influences[my style]. 

Would you ever think of designing your own clothes?

Yes, they will happen in the future. I’m only going to design something that’s going to sell out. Unless it’s going to be nice. We don’t want to do it for the sake of it. 

Have you had any customers that really stood out to you?

Ariana Grande was in. I have a selfie with her. She just popped in.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I haven’t even thought that far ahead. We’re just taking it year by year. The store is growing and we would like to collaborate with Tola in the future. 

How did you get customers at the very start of Saint Street Sneakers?

We invested in our own products first and then once people started to come in, we would mention that it was a consignment store. Consignment is way better. We don’t have to source the items so there’s not as much work. 

How do you approach Social Media with your business?

Social media was already around when we started. We went straight on instagram. That’s the only social media platform we use. More traffic comes through here[as a result of Tola Vintage]. We’re business four years now and we’ve really started taking it seriously the last two years.

Is there an age range for the shop?

It would definitely be more younger people in the shop but there is a wide range of ages. Everyone likes kicks you know. 

What’s your favourite item in the store?

These Givenchy Airforce kicks. 

As well as his retail career, Dale is a prominent figure in the Irish music industry. He talks about how he got into music through youth club where he did a production course and learned a lot of the basics. He pursued his music when he studied it for three years in college. 

He speaks of his time last year where he was on tour DJing for Rejjie Snow all over the world. He’s visited countries like Australia, China and Japan as well as America, which most definitely influences his taste in fashion. He even made an appearance on the show ‘Round Two’!

Between Saint Street Sneakers and his music career, Dale emphasizes how there is never a good time to start something be it a shoe store or a music career however he stands by his advice that you should just do it. He advises people to think of the positives of starting something rather than the negatives. 

In the words of Dale, “think of the first step and go from there.''

“think of the first step and go from there''