“We stay true to what we do. All our stories have gravitated towards things authentic to what we represent here in Columbus, what we try to embody.”

Dionté Johnson
Sole Classics
Columbus, Ohio

Sole Classics owner Dionté Johnson has been intent on representing the culture of Columbus, Ohio, the city where he was born and raised, since he bought the shop from the original owners in 2010. Before a career in footwear and even before his athletic journey, Dionte' has always found his peace through design. In 10 years as the owner of Sole Classics Dionté would turn that hobby into a discipline in design. Self-taught, Dionté would use Sole Classics to learn great branding through interaction with dozens of brands and thousands of clients, leading him to collaborate with Vans by designing 12 shoes since 2013.

Sole Classics has garnered press for unique projects that disrupt what the world is used to with sneaker releases. As for his interest in streetwear and his plans to expand Sole Classics’ apparel selection, Dionté says, “I know what got me into sneakers; I know what got me into streetwear: it was the storytelling.”