‘This is a dream come true.’ DJ Khaled opens a shoe store in Miami Beach
Calvin Lamar came looking for shoes.
He knew DJ Khaled was set to appear at the grand opening of the We The Best SNIPES store but the tourist visiting Miami Beach from Kentucky really just wanted to do some school shopping with his daughter Mayala Herbert. Get a couple articles of clothing. A few pairs of kicks. The usual.
Lamar and Herbert left with a golden, limited edition We The Best SNIPES key, a few flicks with Khaled and, of course, new shoes for the both of them.
“I was really just going school shopping,” Lamar said with a laugh while Herbert shyly summarized meeting Khaled with, “It was good.”
The father-daughter duo was among the hundreds who braved South Beach’s near 100 degree temperatures just to be the first to enter DJ Khaled’s inaugural SNIPES store on Thursday. Aside from the regular SNIPES merchandise - sneakers, athletic wear, clothes - DJ Khaled’s outpost has a recording studio, Art Deco touches and even an Aston Martin-inspired watersports vehicle. The store aims to provide a “unique shopping experience like no other,” DJ Khaled said in a statement.
“This is a dream come true,” DJ Khaled said to crowd prior to cutting the orange ribbon that officially opened the store. “I want you to know, I appreciate every single one of y’all coming out and supporting everything I’ve always done and everything we gone do.”
Fans snapped pictures, took videos and waved items ranging from shoes to towels to hats in an attempt to get DJ Khaled’s autograph. The result was a hectic scene where workers had to balance both sales and a meet-and-greet for a select few supporters, some of whom waited for more than three hours just to get 30 seconds with the internationally known producer.
“I wanted to make my son’s day,” said Ralphy Silas, a producer who added he’s known DJ Khaled for decades. His son, Ryan, flashed a bright smile when he finally got a chance to meet DJ Khaled moments later.
Silas beamed with pride as he talked about the man he considers a friend. The same sentiment was shared by Johnny Mollings, better known as DJ Nasty who first met DJ Khaled when he was still getting established.
“It’s great just to see someone you grew up with keep the same energy, same vibe and now the world can see that,” said Mollings, who serves as DJ Khaled’s official tour DJ.
As Khaled stood taking pictures and signing autographs with the long line of fans that extended out the store and down Collins Avenue, Mollings explained how important his supporters were to the multi-platinum producer. Every so often Khaled would take a break from the meet-and-greet but, as Mollings explained, he wanted to interact with every fan – whether that be giving away limited edition keys, pairs of his We The Best Air Jordan collaboration or even simply hopping into someone’s selfie.
“Nobody’s got a brand like him,” Mollings added. “It’s amazing to see.”
We The Best SNIPES
673 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
