Entrepreneurial Sneakerhead.
It may sound like a paradox to some, but Zaid Osman has made the term his own. Osman spent his childhood in Richmond, Virginia, where nothing, including cutting grass and ploughing snow was beyond the hustle to buy the latest sneakers.
Upon returning to the Mother City, he founded Sneaker Exchange, a fashion event that has grown from 80 people to 2 500 attendees since it first launched a few years ago. Osman used his network in America to source the coolest kicks and sell them to local enthusiasts.
|The hardest lesson I have learnt is to never underestimate people.|
The business grew exponentially. Backed by his business partner and mentor, Tebogo Mogola, Osman has taken his place at the forefront of South African sneaker culture. His store, Lost Property, caters to the likes of local celebs like AKA and Cassper Nyovest.
It seems he has mastered the art of matching limited edition sneakers with one-of-a-kind personalities. A celebrity following, feature on CNN, and event coverage on eNews, all at the tender age of 23.
For Zaid, nothing surpasses the importance of unrelenting self-belief: “People will tell you it’s not possible, but if you believe it, go out there and do it.”
