The hype about Hype Clinic

Brandi Howliet| Staff Writer

Air-Presto-X-Off-White-Black-MuslinNoir1Many students go to college to find their passion in life and to get a head start on their business pursuits. Starting a business while in college may seem impossible, but many students manage completing these hard tasks simultaneously.

The will and determination of the student developing a business while maintaining good grades and a social life is a task in and of itself. Starting and creating a business at such a young age is an extreme risk, and requires a lot of hard work. Many business owners don’t start their business until they’re financially stable—which may take years for students to achieve—or wait until they have enough time on their hands to properly run it.

While the older business owner may have many advantages over a young business owner, one thing’s for certain: They are both determined to get an established business out to the public consumer.

Many “sneakerheads” are into the business of reselling their old shoes for a profit.

According to, “Sneakers have become more mainstream than they were 10-15 years ago.”

Many sneaker brands have collaborated with big-name celebrities to help them promote their product and hopefully increase sales—for example, Puma and Rihanna. The partnership helped the business gain a big amount of popularity. When the Puma Creeper came out, it gained major hype. As a result, the Creeper became one of her most popular shoe campaigns within the entire collection, therefore their resale price increased.

According to Time Magazine, “Within six months, footwear sales had increased by about 16 percent.”

The resale business is primarily focused around reselling shoes for a higher price than originally paid as a way to gain a larger profit for the reseller. Some other popular resale sneaker shops are Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and Stock X.

The Nike Off-White Presto retails for about $250 but is on the resale market for $1,200. Despite the increased price, many people are willing to pay this large amount for these shoes.

Some of the largest brands have been created inside a college dorm. Brands such as Nike, Microsoft, and Facebook have all been created by college students. Hampton University students are no different. In fact, HU’s own Amir Blackwell and Malik Walker have their own budding business.

Amir Blackwell, a third-year finance major, and Malik Walker, a third-year political science major, are the minds behind Hype Clinic. The business is based out of Greensboro, N.C.

“There are few [disadvantages, such as] not being able to excel and pursue all opportunities that are available due to time constraints and limited flexibility with our schedule, maintaining such a heavy course load,” said Blackwell.

Hype Clinic’s “purpose/theme is an emergency streetwear/ high-end fashion source that aims to aid future generations with affordable drip through technological advances,” Walker said.

Many startup brands do not have nearly as many resources as a full functioning business. Despite the difference of resources, Blackwell and Walker still have the vision and intuition to help build their brand. This is an example of a Hampton University student-run business facing a lot of disadvantages but still prospering and delivering product to the public.


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