CLEVELAND — Cleveland's annual Sneakerball is returning in 2021 and invading a brand-new venue.
The popular event that fuses sneaker culture, music, and charity is set to take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday, September 25.
So what exactly is Sneakerball?
It's an opportunity for anyone to come out and enjoy good music, raffles, and sneaker culture, all while supporting a good cause. But here's the twist, guests in attendance arrive in formal wear, coupled with their favorite pair of sneakers!
But don't worry, you don't have to have the latest Jordan drop or pay well above retail for any other exclusive kicks, you can come just as you are.
"You can come out in and anything converse vans, just whatever to have a good time," said Saxx Booker, the event's founder and organizer.
Booker first curated the event back in 2018 as a celebration for her birthday.
"I just decided I wanted to do a sneaker ball and really tie it to a charity and just really invite some people out to have a good time," Booker explained.
Since its inception four years ago, the Sneakerball has donated a portion of its proceeds each year to Shoes and Clothes for Kids, a local non-profit that "provides new shoes, school uniforms, clothes and school supplies throughout the year at no charge to thousands of children in need," according to their website. It's an organization near and dear to Booker.
"I felt that their cause one, tied to something I love in terms of the fashion and things like that, but really just making sure that students are prepared for school, you know, with the right uniforms, with the right shoes, that fit, we've all been, been there and been in that position of the anxiety of what do you wear to the first day of school?" Booker explained. "So really helping students, kind of get past that is something that I thought was really important."
The annual event took on a new persona as Cleveland Sneaker Week last year, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"I didn't just want to like kind of disappear for the year...So we did two virtual events, and one smaller in-person kind of mixer," explained Booker.
But this year, the fun is back in full capacity. The event will be host by Saxx, as well as renowned DJ, Steph Floss. Music will be provided by Cleveland's own, Corey Grand.
"There's really something for everybody. There's no reason not to come. It's just a fun time that it's a good time for a good cause," Booker pitched.
The event is made possible with the help of local and national sponsors including, Jack Daniels, the Concession Stand, and more.
Tickets to SneakerBall are on sale now. General Admission Tickets are $75 and VIP tickets at $120. Doors to the event open at 7 p.m. for VIP guests and 8 p.m. for general admission. For more information at to purchase, click here.