We recently connected with Jason Baez and have shared our conversation below.

Jason, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Naming a business can be challenging, however I found something that helps is figuring out what you want the name to tell others about your business in just a few short words.

I restore sneakers, mainly basketball & luxury designer sneakers. One day while I was cleaning a pair of shoes, something hit me. I couldn’t shake the thought that the soles I was cleaning were a picture of my life, and how God restored my soul even when I thought I was beyond repair..

Our shoes see everything from dirt, grime, and mud, to everything else in between. So do we.. our souls get dirty from various experiences in life that can seem impossible to overcome.

The message embedded in the name for my business is inspired by a passage in the Bible. Psalm 23:1-3. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.“ Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

If I had a vintage car, I wouldnt take it to a gas station to be restored, I would want someone who understood it’s value to be able to bring it back to form. In the same way, my soul needed to be restored, and after years or doing things my own way and falling short, I went to The One who knows what I’m made of, and knows what my true value is. When my clients bring their shoes to me for restoration, I want their experience to be similar. I want to help them see the value and potential in each pair regardless of their condition, restoring a sense of dignity and confidence to the person wearing them.

Every Sole (Soul) Has Value

Jason, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely. Restored Sole wouldn’t exist today if it wasnt for the support of my beautiful and loving wife, Raquel. She believed in me and this business since day 1. She’s always encouraged me to remain steadfast even when my confidence wavered. I don’t think I could fully capture my gratitude for her in words. We’re coming up on 17yrs of marriage and have 5 incredible children. Before meeting my wife and starting a family, I tried various career paths, but one thing was constant and never changed… I was always a sneakerhead.

My passion for sneakers dates back to my elementary school days. The very first basketball game I watched on TV was a Nets vs. Magic game where Shaquille O’Neal dunked the ball and the entire backboard and hoop came crashing to the floor. My love for the game of basketball was solidified in that moment.

Michael Jordan was dominating the league, and my fascination with sneaker design peaked with every new pair he wore on the court. From endlessly drawing Jordans and other basketball shoes, to finally owning my first pair of Jordan 12’s as a youth, my journey into sneaker culture was cemented.

I have this principle that remains at the forefront of every restoration: “Every Sole Has Value.” It’s not only about cleaning away the dirt, oxidation, and stains; it’s about envisioning each shoe in its original form through all of the wear, a task that requires both skill and conviction. My appreciation for design plays a huge role in this perspective, motivating me to restore every shoe I touch to its fullest potential. It’s a great joy to see the looks on my clients’ faces when the finished product is revealed.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My business is still fairly new in my opinion. I only started offering my services to the public in the Summer of 2022, and some things that I believe helped Restored Sole grow to what it is currently has been quality over quantity, honesty, and consistency.

In this digital age there are so many ways we can “cast our nets”, but you still have to know the waters you’re casting into, otherwise you may end up with a bunch of fish you never intended to catch. Learning who my target clientele is has been instrumental in focusing on providing quality service over quantity of jobs/orders.

Being honest also goes a long way in this field. It takes a lot of trust for someone to hand you a pair of shoes to be worked on for a few days, whether they paid $20 or $2000 for them. For me, consistency means a number of things, like keeping your prices firm even if business is slow, working on what’s in front of you, and always doing something, even when you dont feel like it, because let’s be honest, there are days when business owners and entrepreneurs just dont feel like it, but if you do at least one thing each day, you will have gone one more day working on getting closer to achieving your goal.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I’d have to say the majority of my new clients come by word of mouth. Most, if not all of my clients follow the business on social media before they get their shoes worked on, and I try to post as much work as possible when I complete a job. The results are often reposted or shared, giving Restored Sole more visibility. I’m really grateful for how my clients have supported outside of having work done on their shoes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @restored.sole
• Facebook: Restored Sole
• Youtube: @restoredsole
• Other: Request a quote for a sneaker cleaning or restoration here: https://form.jotform.com/231839152614052

Image Credits
Cam Robinson