HYPE OPENS IN UPTOWN

HYPE is a new, high-end sneaker store in Uptown at 2835 Hennepin Ave. S. It offers a mix of high-end, hard-to-find kicks such as Air Jordans, Yeezy’s and Dunks, as well as clothing from local designers.
Owned by Arif Mohamed, Abdulkarim “AK” Abdulle, Sir Curtis Kirby, and Yassir Mohamed, the store’s name isn’t your standard definition of hype: intensely promoting a product or idea and often exaggerating its importance. Instead, these social entrepreneurs put a fresh spin on the word with the acronym Help Your People Eat, a meaning that is about more than buying, selling and trading sneakers.
“One of our goals is to help other local/Black-owned businesses grow,” said Abdulle.
All the owners have dabbled in reselling sneakers and share a love of fashion. The business started with them pooling together $6,000 to buy 18 pairs of sneakers at a swap meet in Bloomington, renting a small storage unit and selling shoes online. Continuing to collect more sneakers, they needed a larger storage unit.
They heard from sellers that they’d rather sell to the owners of HYPE because transacting with a personal contact brings a sense of safety as the face-to-face interaction establishes a relationship. With this positive reaction and having a few successful pop-up events, they decided to open a physical store.
“We pride ourselves on connecting with customers. It’s about more than selling sneakers,” commented A. Mohamed.
Aspiring to make an impact in the community, Abdulle said, “It’s about paying it forward.”
“We plan to give back to people in the community, and part of this is being a safe place where people can hang out. Kids can come here and play video games,” Kirby remarked. A gaming console is tucked into the corner of the store and is accompanied by comfortable chairs. He added, “This can help keep them away from gangs and drugs.”
The store is the length of half a basketball court. Sneakers line both walls. Running down the middle of the store are two racks of clothing.
“I’ve always been into fashion,” commented Y. Mohamed.
The other owners talked about their love of fashion, as well. Knowing several local clothing designers and having gone through ups and downs when it came to securing a brick-and-mortar space, they know getting a physical store can be tough for any entrepreneur.
With their desire to give back to the community and help other Black-owned businesses, Kirby said, “It had us thinking, what can we do to bring the community together? We decided to bring in clothing brands from local designers.”
Y. Mohamed explained, “It brings in a larger variety of customers so it’s more exposure for us and them.”
Kirby commented, “People just need to give others a shot so we give local clothing designers the space for free.”
“We all came from humble beginnings, so we know the importance of helping people who are on the come up,” said A. Mohamed. “We’ve all been there. We’ve all been at the bottom, and we know what it feels like.”
“We also want to show kids this is possible,” Kirby chimed in.
Another part of their mission is a shelf that’s lined with the same type of hard-to-find sneakers you’d see on both walls with one key difference. This space is designated for kicks they’re selling at lower a price-point than one can find on third party websites. It exists because giving more people the opportunity to purchase a cool pair of kicks has value to these owners that goes beyond bottom lines.
A. Mohamed said, “We pride ourselves on connecting with customers. It’s about more than making money off shoes.”
The four owners view themselves in the same light as a modern basketball team who have roles, but can also play cohesive, position-less basketball by being able to easily step in and handle any role without missing a beat.
They are excited to have opened HYPE in the neighborhood and want to help revitalize the once thriving area.
“Prior to the commotion, it was a statement to have a space here. We always wanted to be in Uptown,” said Y. Mohamed
“Seeing our store is a reminder that the heart of Minneapolis is never going to die,” stated Kirby.
HYPE is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Follow them on Instagram (/thehypempls/) to see what sneakers they have in stock, events and more.
They plan to continue hosting popup events. “This is a collaboration,” remarked Kirby, to “help one another get our businesses off the ground.”
At these events, they’ll be have a rotation of different food trucks, music, and clothes from various designers. There may be free haircuts from local barber Melly P. And, as their acronym states, they’ll literally be helping people eat with free food from Nashville Coop.