By David Sullivan
Nazr El-Scari is trying to make the world of sneaker reselling more accessible to everyone by creating an online reselling marketplace and concierge, Solecit. He has been reselling designer sneakers since he was 14 but has always thought it would benefit the so-called “sneakerhead” community to have more people involved.
“That’s something I’ve always wanted to fix,” said El-Scari about the exclusivity of the sneaker reselling community. “Especially for people who aren’t die-hard sneaker fans but still wanted to get some shoes that really fit them and spoke to their style and personality.”
That’s why he first started A Sneakerhead’s Paradise, which was rebranded to Solecit last year, when he was in high school. El-Scari then studied entrepreneurship at Lehigh University before moving to Boston to be closer to the city’s vibrant footwear scene, where major companies are headquartered.
During the pandemic, El-Scari saw an opportunity to capitalize on shifting trends and hobbies among consumers and stepped up his involvement with his project. “During the pandemic we saw a big boom in sneaker reselling,” said El-Scari. “With everyone at home, people were starting to pay a lot more attention to sneakers.” This resulted in highly expensive collector shoes flooding the market.
In 2021, El-Scari applied for StartUp Worcester to find a community of like-minded, energetic entrepreneurs looking to make a positive difference in people’s lives. “When I first moved here, one of the key things I learned in school about being an entrepreneur was finding a community to be a part of,” he said. “I didn’t know anybody [in Massachusetts] besides my roommates. And being an entrepreneur is an experience that a lot of people don’t fully understand.
As a result of being involved with the Worcester startup scene, El-Scari was invited to be a finalist pitch in the Five-Minute Pitch competition held by Venture Forum, a Worcester nonprofit that works with the Chamber of Commerce to host StartUp Worcester. El-Scari made connections through that event, and through StartUp Worcester, that helped introduce him to new networks and find new team members.
Solecit is now in the process of raising funds to expand the team and finalize the platform. El-Scari is investing in a custom online platform built from scratch with an algorithm and machine learning program. The unique concept of Solecit is that it not only offers a marketplace for sneaker resale but also a tiered subscription plan for membership and a personalized concierge system that provides tips to shoppers about what clothing styles might work best for their shoes based on their taste. This feature is designed to help people who are new to collector sneakers to build a look for themselves that they are comfortable with.
“My advice to new shoppers is to come in being open to wanting to learn more about yourself,” said El-Scari of Solecit. “The platform is really aimed at helping people express more about themselves in a way that’s more affordable to them.”
You can visit Solecit.co to see the fully functional website today, and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter under the name Solecit.
