For Kendrick Wauchope, owner of the newly opened solemates shoes in downtown Newburyport, footwear has long been a personal passion. Ever since the sneaker craze of the late ’80s and early ’90s, Wauchope has been a fan of fashionable kicks.
Married to Erin Postl, owner of Shine boutique, also in downtown Newburyport, Wauchope is no stranger to the world of retail, so when considering bringing a shoe store downtown, he did his homework first. “If I was going to bring a shoe store here, I wanted to do it right. For all of the incredible clothing and retail shops downtown, there wasn’t a dedicated shoe store, so right away, the idea felt like it would be useful,” explains Wauchope. And when the location at 29 State Street (coincidentally across the street from Shine) became available, “everything fell into place rather quickly,” he says.
The shop, which opened in April and sells both men’s and women’s shoes, is “a little bit fun and trendy,” but “we are not a New York City shoe shop in Newburyport. I like to describe our inventory as including shoes and trends that might be new to you, but not so crazy that you couldn’t wear them every day if you wanted to,” says Wauchope.
Solemates is currently having fun with a variety of summer styles, including brands customers will have heard of, like TOMS and Sam Edelman, while also introducing customers to new brands and styles such as Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn, Seychelles, and more.
“For summer, we have a variety of casual shoes, sneakers and sandals—and we also have a point of view. As much as you want to appeal to a wide audience as a shop owner, and I think we very much do, it is important to me that we have our own vision and style and target,” says Wauchope, who is also betting on the customer experience at solemates to set the shop apart from other shoe purchasing options. “I really want people to ask questions and ask for multiple styles or sizes, so that they get the best shoes for them. I think this makes the shoe buying process all that more enjoyable and fun,” he says.
Being among other shop owners downtown has been wonderful so far, he explains. “I think the local shop owners in Newburyport work together in a way, we try to support each other and recommend one another’s stores. It’s a very welcoming place to open a business,” he explains, especially when so many owners live locally on the North Shore. In fact, Wauchope says local pride is an important piece of the solemates brand, which is why he is bringing in custom Newburyport apparel and merchandise, things that will appeal not only to locals but also to visitors wanting to commemorate their visit with a special purchase.
“I am happy about the warm weather that summer brings and the foot traffic and visitors that come with it, but at the end of the day we aim to be a destination for shoes year-round, regardless of the temperature outside,” says Wauchope. As fashion starts to look toward the fall, Wauchope says customers can expect to find a variety of boots and cooler weather styles for both women and men in store. The store also sells sunglasses and other small accessories and plans to bring in handbags as well.
29 State St., Newburyport, solematesnbpt.com