One Pair

I got a chance to hear Jerren Thornhill present on his company, One Pair, at the Keystone Innovation District a few weeks ago, and I was inspired by what he is building.

One Pair was founded in 2020 and is a shoe store designed, owned, and operated by the kids of KC. The company buys, sells, and trades shoes, along with six different local clothing brands. Its store is located on 55th and Troost.

The employees of One Pair are teens and young adults who sell shoes and clothing but are also involved in the store’s day-to-day operations, including creating new designs for sneakers, social media, and more.

Customers can bring in their footwear and have it customized. One Pair’s team has done many different design types, such as breast awareness designs, custom works boots, and many more. Companies have even commissioned them to design special footwear for their employees, which can bring awareness to the designers at One Pair.

One of the big goals of One Pair is for it to be an education center run by the youth of Kansas City, where they provide an opportunity to teach money, ethics, life lessons, conversations, and experiences outside of a classroom.

With the success One Pair has had, I am hopeful to see it expand to other cities across the US.

Visit One Pair KC’s website to learn more or shop.

Website: www.onepairkc.com