A young engineer who was struggling to get by after being furloughed in 2021 set up a thriving shoe storage business supplying footballers and celebrities.
Dan Hibbard, 22, worked as a heating engineer but was furloughed during the first Covid lockdown. Due to his low apprentice wage, Dan, from Harrogate, struggled to live on a tiny furlough payment. Together with his friend Aden from Knaresborough Dan launched a shoe storage box brand 'Solecube' from his grandma's spare bedroom. Solecube shoe boxes can be used to create fully customisable sneaker walls and towers. Dan claims the boxes also utilise UV technology to keep trainers the same colour as at purchase. since the launch of his business, Dan has supplied footballers from Manchester United and Arsenal as well as Tom Zanetti and rappers across the UK. Solecube has been hit with Brexit delays and the affects of the pandemic but Dan told the Yorkshire Post business is now thriving. The pair now dream of becoming a worldwide brand. "My business partner and I met on Instagram during the first lockdown we both have a passion for sneakers and fashion", Dan explained.
"Times were tough so we spoke about how we could make some extra cash and we also realised we don’t have anywhere to store our shoes so we thought why not make our own boxes.
"We got together and came up with the name and idea of Solecube.
"We then started to get messages from rappers all across the UK including potter payper and Leeds MC Tom zanetti and many other celebrities.
"We started with only selling a hundred boxes but since then we are in the thousands and we are ordering more each time we sell out."
Dan told the YP stock is selling out 'within four weeks' of coming in.
" The demand has been huge for out products", he added."We both work full time jobs and run this as a side hustle but we love it and enjoy it and want to keep growing it. "We have big big dreams and want to take it all the way to the top."
The pair have boxes on sale in Status Sneakers in Leeds and in other shopping centres.
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