Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/259813
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WEBB CHAPPELL F ive hundred kids on Saturday. Another six hundred on Sunday. Some camp out for a week to walk through the doors of Concepts, a sneaker boutique in Harvard Square. The mob scene is just another day in the life of Deon Point, the almighty, omniscient deity of all things sneaker. Why the masses? There's a new drop. On St. Patrick's Day, an Aran-sweater-themed lace-up will hit the streets, Sir Sneakerhead A CULT FIGURE IN THE NETHERWORLD OF SNEAKERS, DEON POINT GETS READY FOR SPRING'S NEW DROPS AT THE INFAMOUS BOUTIQUE CONCEPTS. BY LISA PIERPONT and in April, a Reebok insta-pump, blazing in Versace- inspired emerald green and red fiery swirls, will be unveiled. Count on this: The kicks will be exclusive, sold out in a few hours, and brainstormed by Point, whose duties at Concepts range from blue- to white-collar. One day he might be stacking boxes in the storeroom; the next, meeting with athletic-shoe executives in penthouse board- rooms. "Our collaborations define us better than anything else," says Point, who played an enormous role in growing Concepts from a back-of-the-house pocket in The Tannery into one of Boston's flagship sneaker stores. The stories are legendary: "One kid was waiting for Lobsters [a lobster-themed Nike] and flew in from California," says Point. "His girlfriend got injured in a car accident, and she had broken her pelvis. He flew home to check on her, made sure she was OK, and flew back to wait in line. Crazy, right?" The sneaker industry fetches a whopping $30 billion worldwide, according to Global Industry Analysts, and it makes up 30 percent of the footwear market as a whole. Point, who grew up in Brockton, says the appeal blends democracy ("Anyone can afford a pair of sneakers") with social ranking. "A pair of Jordans was a status symbol that allowed [kids like me] to stand out, to be envied, and become popular." In high school, Point would work any job to score sneakers. He owned 300 pairs. Today, his closet tops 1,500. Point landed a job at Concepts in 2003 at age 26, after pursuing a general contracting career. "When I kept miss- ing new drops because of work, I asked the owner if I could volunteer at the store on weekends. I ended up getting offered a job." He started on the sales floor but quickly moved up as a buyer, designer, and manager. After all, who better to run a sneaker store than a sneaker freak? "Deon lives it," says Concepts owner Tarek Hassan. "He loves what he does, and you can see that at first glance." Along with curating collections, which range from New Balance to Balenciaga, Point collaborates with brands to create one-of-a-kind designs. Now in talks with Versace, among others, Point says, "We have always aspired to combine the everyday with fashion and have it become seamless." And Concepts seems to attract people from every walk of life: suburban high schoolers, Fortune 500 executives, pro athletes, and visiting Hollywood stars. "If we make them, the sneakerheads will come," says Point. Words to live by, along with these: Arrive early. 37 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-868-2001; cncpts.com BC INSIGHT Shopaholic: "I'm a huge fan of independent shops. Louis Boston carved its own lane without compromising— a must-visit." Cool hunting: "I like The Greatest Bar after games, Alibi before a night out, and Bijou when I want to drop a car note on bottle service." Deon Point traded pouring cement for designing sneakers. 52 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM TALENT PATROL 052_BC_SP_TP_Deon_Spring14.indd 52 2/7/14 12:26 PM