Young local turns disappointment into triumph with his own shoe company

(Binghamton, NY) With sneakers being such a popular fashion trend within the African American community, the demand for them in Black communities across the U.S is never ending. Kenneth Scranton has decided to take his love for sneakers and make himself an entrepreneur. 

“Kenrock Got ‘em Sneakers” is a business in which Scranton acts as a reseller; buying, trading and reselling shoes. Scranton says he originally got into the sneaker business through his job at Champs Sporting Goods, one of the largest sneaker retailers in the Broome County area. 

While working at Champ’s, Scranton looked forward to possibly becoming a store manager. He says once the promotion became a possibility, nothing else mattered to him besides trying to get that position.

“I never wanted something so bad before in my life and this was the first job I had that I actually liked,” Scranton said. “Plus, it kept me out of trouble and out of the streets at a time when I was trying to change my life.”

After putting in endless hours of hard work to get the promotion to store manager, Scranton was disappointed when it did not materialize. He took that disappointment and decided to set out to manage his own shoe company.

“I was embarrassed to sell shoes because people laughed at the idea but one day, I made a logo and business card, posted it on Facebook and sold a pair of shoes! That customer posted the card and everything just went up from there,” Scranton said.

As word that “Kenrock Got ‘em Sneakers” had the hottest shoes in the area spread like wildfire, his business quickly continued to grow. Today, Scranton’s shoe company is a go-to in Broome County for those looking to purchase the latest in sneaker trends. 

Scranton says he plans to make his business a franchise, opening different stores in different states across the country. 

“I want to be able to put my family on to what I’m doing so we can all be successful,” Scranton said.

To purchase your sneakers, search “Kenrock GotEm” on Facebook and look for his blue logo.