SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Anyone in the sneaker world knows that some of these shoes can sell for hundreds of dollars. And while most people just buy a new pair of shoes when their old ones get worn out, one man from Scottsdale decided to try something new.
Kai Ellenson is a U.S. Army veteran. During his service, he was stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas, and Germany before finally returning to his hometown about eight months ago.
Now, he runs IVO Shoe Cleaning, and patches up some of the premier top-of-the-line sneaker styles that show up on social media.
"Shoe cleaning wasn't really my main thing," Ellenson said. "But I've done a lot of online stuff and wanted to build something local."
It was when he was looking at shoes at the gym that the idea hit him.
"I usually just go buy a new pair of shoes when they get dirty. Some of these shoes go for two, three hundred dollars, and sometimes up into the thousands," he explained.
Ellenson realized, "I'd pay somebody like 20-25 bucks to go and get my shoes cleaned."
He went out and bought his supplies that night.
"I started out with ... I think it was baking soda. And Dawn dish soap."
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But since then, Ellenson's business has taken off. Between making his own supplies and working with cutting products, Ellenson said that the exact formulas are a company secret, but he's pulled all kinds of clients with them.
Everything from larger cleaning companies to exotic car dealerships, to people who are just excited to show off their shoes on social media.
He's tackled Air Jordans, Louis Vuittons, Yeezys and more. But for Ellenson, it's meeting the clients that's the best part.
"You know, meeting people, a lot of people said they love the business and they're like, 'I can't believe I didn't think about this!' And so that's been pretty motivational," he said. "It's nice the being able to meet the community."
Previously known as Arizona Shoe Cleaning, the business recently changed to its current name: IVO Shoe Cleaning.
The whole process takes about a day from drop-off to pick-up. You can see Ellenson's work on his Facebook and Instagram pages, and schedule a cleaning through his website.
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