Solebox

Solebox is one of Berlin's oldest sneaker shops, founded in 2002 by Hikmet Sugoer. Today, on Nürnberger Straße, a robot named Solebot retrieves the desired pair from the warehouse behind a glass front. The shelves feature Nike, Jordan, adidas Originals, New Balance, and Asics, along with apparel and accessories. The store is located close to Wittenbergplatz.

Solebox in Charlottenburg: One of Germany’s First Sneaker Shops

When Hikmet Sugoer opened a sneaker shop in Oderberger Straße in Prenzlauer Berg in 2002, there was hardly anything comparable in Germany. Solebox was one of the first addresses in the country that treated sneakers not as sports equipment but as collector’s items with their own releases, waiting lists, and a scene surrounding them. Sugoer became one of the most famous figures in German sneaker culture and later designed models himself for New Balance, Asics, Reebok, Puma, Adidas, and Lacoste. He sold the shop to the Snipes chain, and it is now operated by Sole Brothers GmbH. The Berlin store is located on Nürnberger Straße, a few steps from Wittenbergplatz, right in the middle of the shopping district around Kurfürstendamm. Anyone who wants to understand the history of German sneaker retail can hardly bypass this address. With Wittenbergplatz and Tauentzienstraße, the area around the store is one of the densest shopping districts in the city.

Sneaker Shop with a Robot: The Solebot Behind the Glass Front

After a renovation, the store operates with an idea not seen anywhere else in Berlin. Behind a glass front, the storage shelves are openly visible, and a robot named Solebot retrieves the desired pair and hands it over to the front. Solebox itself calls this the sneaker store of the future, and practically it primarily means that the question of size does not disappear into a back room. The assortment is broad: Nike, Jordan, adidas Originals, New Balance, Asics Sportstyle, Vans, A Bathing Ape, and Carhartt WIP, plus Salomon, Mizuno, Autry, and Birkenstock, complemented by clothing, hats, bags, watches, and jewelry. Most items are in the upscale price range; a pair of Asics Gel-NYC costs around 136 Euros, an Air Jordan 3 Retro a good 210 Euros. New releases are announced by the store via its own release calendar with date and time. Online sales operate separately from the store via an external warehouse, so goods ordered online cannot be picked up here.