Kicks Klinic owner Julian Brown. (Photos courtesy Kicks Klinic)
Growing up, Julian Brown didn’t get new sneakers very often.
His father taught him to appreciate what he had until he was able to get more. So, he started to clean and take care of his sneakers to keep them looking new.
“That’s something I never stopped doing,” said Brown, who now owns sneaker cleaning service Kicks Klinic and will open his first brick-and-mortar shop at 22 E. Broad St. by the end of the month.
Kicks Klinic cleans sneakers, bags and hats and also provides shoe shining services. Services range from the “Calm Get Right,” which includes inside and outside shoe and lace cleaning and deodorizer starting at $50 to the “Designer Deep Clean,” which includes inside and outside shoe and lace cleaning, a 24-hour ice session, deodorizer and repellent treatment starting at $120. They also offer cleaning for kids’ sneakers starting at $25.
He said a popular service is a de-yellowing service that cleans sneakers with a yellowish tint from oxidation.
“It just adds to the overall aesthetic of your sneakers, when they have that kind of fresh out the box, white and clear presentation,” he said.
Brown turned his sneaker cleaning hobby into a business in 2021, after he started cleaning a large bag of sneakers that his cousin gave him.
“It kind of just kind of fell in my lap essentially,” Brown said. He originally called the business Ju Kleans Kicks, but rebranded in 2022 to refocus the company title away from his name.
Kicks Klinic’s new storefront at 22 E. Broad St.
Customers currently ship their shoes to Brown’s private workshop in Henrico, where Kicks Klinic is currently based. He primarily advertises through social media and said that the new storefront will bring more visibility and accessibility to the business.
Kicks Klinic also offers its services nationwide with additional shipping costs.
Brown said he was drawn to the Broad Street shop because it is a central location in the city, with Virginia Commonwealth University and Shockoe Bottom close by. He said the location felt right due to its proximity to Virginia Union University, where he attended college and what ultimately brought him to live in Richmond.
He’ll also join a thriving sneaker business community, with stores like Kicks Boomin, MBM Kicks, DLTR and Foot Locker along Broad Street.
Robert Brown of Sperity Real Estate Ventures brokered the deal for the storefront, which was previously home to The Someday Shop before it closed in May 2022.
Kicks Klinic attracts a wide range of clients, Brown said, from high schoolers to senior citizens. He said the business takes advantage of a guiding fact: everybody wears sneakers.
“We’re just here to really help the community as far as sustainability and just protecting our investments,” he said. “The prices of sneakers are only going up so it makes it even more important in today’s day.”
Brown said his years of practice and high level cleaning products and equipment provide a deep clean that a do-it-yourself sneaker scrub can’t achieve. At times, at-home sneaker cleaning can damage the shoes. He uses cleaning products from NuLife Kicks, a Las Vegas-based company that also sponsors and trained Brown.
Kicks Klinic’s staff currently consist of Brown and a part-time employee, but Brown plans to hire additional staff in the fall once the storefront is up and running.
“We look forward to serving the greater Richmond community as well as the whole state of Virginia,” Brown said.
Kicks Klinic owner Julian Brown. (Photos courtesy Kicks Klinic)
Growing up, Julian Brown didn’t get new sneakers very often.
His father taught him to appreciate what he had until he was able to get more. So, he started to clean and take care of his sneakers to keep them looking new.
“That’s something I never stopped doing,” said Brown, who now owns sneaker cleaning service Kicks Klinic and will open his first brick-and-mortar shop at 22 E. Broad St. by the end of the month.
Kicks Klinic cleans sneakers, bags and hats and also provides shoe shining services. Services range from the “Calm Get Right,” which includes inside and outside shoe and lace cleaning and deodorizer starting at $50 to the “Designer Deep Clean,” which includes inside and outside shoe and lace cleaning, a 24-hour ice session, deodorizer and repellent treatment starting at $120. They also offer cleaning for kids’ sneakers starting at $25.
He said a popular service is a de-yellowing service that cleans sneakers with a yellowish tint from oxidation.
“It just adds to the overall aesthetic of your sneakers, when they have that kind of fresh out the box, white and clear presentation,” he said.
Brown turned his sneaker cleaning hobby into a business in 2021, after he started cleaning a large bag of sneakers that his cousin gave him.
“It kind of just kind of fell in my lap essentially,” Brown said. He originally called the business Ju Kleans Kicks, but rebranded in 2022 to refocus the company title away from his name.
Kicks Klinic’s new storefront at 22 E. Broad St.
Customers currently ship their shoes to Brown’s private workshop in Henrico, where Kicks Klinic is currently based. He primarily advertises through social media and said that the new storefront will bring more visibility and accessibility to the business.
Kicks Klinic also offers its services nationwide with additional shipping costs.
Brown said he was drawn to the Broad Street shop because it is a central location in the city, with Virginia Commonwealth University and Shockoe Bottom close by. He said the location felt right due to its proximity to Virginia Union University, where he attended college and what ultimately brought him to live in Richmond.
He’ll also join a thriving sneaker business community, with stores like Kicks Boomin, MBM Kicks, DLTR and Foot Locker along Broad Street.
Robert Brown of Sperity Real Estate Ventures brokered the deal for the storefront, which was previously home to The Someday Shop before it closed in May 2022.
Kicks Klinic attracts a wide range of clients, Brown said, from high schoolers to senior citizens. He said the business takes advantage of a guiding fact: everybody wears sneakers.
“We’re just here to really help the community as far as sustainability and just protecting our investments,” he said. “The prices of sneakers are only going up so it makes it even more important in today’s day.”
Brown said his years of practice and high level cleaning products and equipment provide a deep clean that a do-it-yourself sneaker scrub can’t achieve. At times, at-home sneaker cleaning can damage the shoes. He uses cleaning products from NuLife Kicks, a Las Vegas-based company that also sponsors and trained Brown.
Kicks Klinic’s staff currently consist of Brown and a part-time employee, but Brown plans to hire additional staff in the fall once the storefront is up and running.
“We look forward to serving the greater Richmond community as well as the whole state of Virginia,” Brown said.
“His father taught him to appreciate what he had until he was able to get more.” We should all abide by this philosophy.
Congrats on the new space Julian – excited to partner with you and help you bring your business to the next level!
Wishing Julian all the very best for tremendous success. The resuscitation of Broad Street in the Arts District will be led by young entrepreneurs such as Julian. They will definitely be difference makers.
Go get ’em, Julian!!