Laces Out! Festival, a celebration of trainers and sportswear, returns to Camp and Furnace on Jamaica Street in the Baltic Triangle on Sunday, November 15, marking its 12th year. The bi-annual event will bring together dozens of traders, from big brands and independent shops to individual sellers offering rare, out-of-stock, and vintage pieces.
Traders and highlights
This year's lineup includes Baltic Triangle-based menswear retailer SEVENSTORE, which is sponsoring the event and showcasing its autumn/winter collection, alongside trainer cleaning brand Sneaky Clean. General entry ticket holders can enter from 1pm, while early ticket holders gain access from 12pm.
Organiser Rob May, 30, who founded the festival, said: "I've always loved trainers. I've always been into them and obsessed with buying them. I realised there are a lot of people like myself." He added: "When I was a kid, even as young as eight or nine, I was always into fashion, especially trainers. We weren't a family that could afford new trainers every week, but some kids could. I always thought to myself, when I'm an adult, I’ll be buying myself new trainers all the time. I think [the obsession] is because I couldn't have them."
Growing the event
Outside event days, May runs Laces Out Studio, a creative agency based on Jamaica Street above SEVENSTORE, where he works on marketing campaigns for sportswear brands. Reflecting on the festival's origins, he said: "Other places had trainer festivals like London but there wasn't one in Liverpool. [Laces Out] started naturally. I wanted to give myself a project and put myself on the map. Liverpool is a trainer-mad city so I thought [a trainer festival] would probably be successful here."
The events now draw thousands of attendees, running in the spring/summer and autumn/winter to align with key trainer release dates. This year's edition follows the release of the Nike Liverpool-inspired 110s, which saw fans queuing overnight in Liverpool ONE ahead of their October launch.
What to expect
Looking ahead, May pointed to the Saucony ProGrid Omni 9, a 2000s-inspired retro running shoe, as a potential favourite alongside the city's beloved 110s. He said: "The brand is having a big moment in the city."
Laces Out! Festival will be held at Camp and Furnace on November 15. Tickets start at £11.55 for general entry at 1pm and are available via Eventbrite.
