Michael Sala, founder of SolePack, is on a mission to redefine sneaker and hoops culture through a unique blend of innovation, authenticity, and community. What started as a simple idea born on a New York City bus has blossomed into a global movement connecting sneakerheads, streetballers, and creatives across continents, with a product designed not just for carrying kicks, but for celebrating the soul of the game.
In recent years, SolePack’s growth has been driven by a tight-knit three-person team stretching from the East to the South to the West Coast: Sameer Walia, Global Head of Brand Partnerships; Willard Brown, Head of NIL & Athletic Partnerships; and Michael himself. Backed by the unwavering support of a global community who continue to share their own SolePack stories, the brand has earned the respect of legends like Allen Iverson and carved out a space where culture, creativity, and hustle collide.
The concept for SolePack came to you out in New York City, on a bus. What was the moment when the idea really clicked?
Yeah, it really was one of those aha moments. I grew up in the suburbs, Staten Island, and would commute into the city every day for classes at NYU. I was a total gym rat, playing ball every day, and I’ve always had a deep appreciation for sneaker culture. I was constantly running out of room in my backpack, this was back when we were carrying huge textbooks. So I’m on the bus one day thinking There’s got to be a better way to carry my sneakers. That’s when the idea hit me. I started imagining how I could fix the problem. I’d pick up backpacks from shops around Broadway, near 8th Street in the Village, and started cutting them up, experimenting. I began piecing together what would eventually become our original product, the SP1. It’s a sneaker-carrying accessory that wraps around any backpack, giving you extra space for your kicks.
From that day forward, I was committed to creating something that didn’t exist. I needed the product so I had to make it!
What made you believe in it so strongly that you decided to go for a patent? That’s a big commitment early on?
Good question. What gave me that early conviction? Honestly, part of it was just being young and a little foolish, but also inspired. I was really drawn to those early Nike stories, where they didn’t know everything but just did it anyways. That entrepreneurial spirit, jumping out of the plane and building the parachute on the way down, that hit me hard.
At the time, I was studying to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I loved working one-on-one with people, but I also wanted to make an impact on a larger scale. I saw this idea as my chance. I thought, Let me patent this. It was a utility patent based on function, a design that lets you carry your left and right shoe on either side of any existing backpack. The process was pretty crazy. I’d work in Staten Island, then take the ferry into Manhattan on my lunch breaks, hit the Garment District to find pattern makers, head to NYU for class, then come home and work a night job. I repeated that weekly.
Eventually, I met a guy who introduced me to someone else who made wallets and accessories. By then, I already had the patent, but I learned quickly that there’s a big difference between having an idea and turning it into a viable product. Just because something looks good on paper doesn’t mean it’ll work in real life. Getting from idea to a functioning prototype was a whole separate journey.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during product development? I heard you were DIY stitching some early versions?
Yeah, for sure. At that stage, I was basically trying to piece it together however I could. I was using whatever I could find, laundry bags, even webbing from the pet store that I thought could work as backpack straps. I stitched it all together just to have a physical model to present for the patent, and then later to manufacturers. Then came the next step: working with small-batch manufacturers to get a minimum viable product. I’d go back and forth into the city with my tech pack, send it out, and then wait two or three weeks. Sometimes I’d get the sample and it just wasn’t what I envisioned, not even close. Sometimes the logos would have glue all over them.
But I always reminded myself, this was just part of the process. I knew these were the necessary steps. I was committed. You go through the trial and error because you believe in where it’s headed. Even when it felt slow, I knew I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
What kept you going through that long trial-and-error phase? Was there ever a breakthrough moment, maybe someone’s feedback, or getting a sample that really confirmed your vision?
Like I mentioned, my homie introduced me to a small business manufacturing guy, he had connections overseas. He shared how easy it could be. I showed him my pattern, and he suggested a few adjustments from experience. Then he told me, “I can have your sample ready in 10 days.” I remember meeting him on Canal Street in the city. He handed it to me, and I was like, holy crap. I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment. That first sample in my hands… I took it back to my basement, where I still store a lot of our stuff to this day, and just sat with it. I thought, “This could be a game changer. This could change the course of my life if I can figure out how to bring this MVP, this minimum viable product, to a global market.” That was the turning point.
At that time, Twitter was just taking off, even before Instagram really blew up. I was asking myself, “How do I connect this sneaker accessory product with the community that raised me?” So I started reaching out to folks in sneaker culture, streetball, and urban running. I don’t know if you know about Bridge Runners in NYC or Run Dem Crew out in London, those kinds of communities really inspired me.
These underground scenes, the subcultures, the off-the-grid movements, they were my vibe. They were what inspired me. So I reached out to those groups first, before I even considered mainstream. I didn’t know if traditional retail would ever even take us seriously. I just wanted to throw everything at the wall and see what stuck.
So once you had the sample in hand how did you start getting into retail?
That was a decade of grinding, and honestly, it’s still the battle we fight today. Proving ourselves. Showing the world that this concept works. We’re not just putting out another pair of sneakers or a new hoodie, we created something that didn’t exist before. That’s an uphill battle, always. We evolved beyond just the original SP1 accessory. We dropped a string bag version, a nod to our roots and the summer hoopers in the city. It has compartments for sneakers too. Then we developed a full backpack where the original shoe accessory locks right in. I can show you, not sure if you’ve seen it yet. We’ve even got one that’s unreleased. We just gifted it to one of our hip-hop fam out in Coney Island. It’s like a full backpack kit, and the SP1 clicks right onto it. That became our evolution.
Part of the journey is proving our value to retailers. We’ve been turned down a lot. That’s why we always go back to the community. They’re our sound board, they’re the ones who stamped our name from the jump. It’s all about building something undeniable. People might say no at first, but if we keep showing up, they’ll start to see what we’re doing.
The way you’re doing activations, bringing people in, letting them bring their own identity into the brand. What’s it like curating that kind of community?
That’s everything to us. It’s almost spiritual, honestly. You put that energy out into the world, and you attract that same energy back. But again, it all comes down to staying authentic to the roots. Like you mentioned Bobbito earlier, same thing with him. These relationships are built on trust. You show up, you keep showing up, and you let your commitment do the talking. Real ones who’ve been in the game a while can tell when you’re for real.
As a small business, we had to work with what we had. For us, that meant crowdsourcing the brand’s evolution. We didn’t have a big team, so we invited other creators into the story. We let them tell their stories through our product. Whether or not someone buys a bag, if they have a unique voice, we want to collaborate and amplify that. That’s where the real storytelling happens.
We’re still small, but like you said, it’s a movement. And we’re proud of that. We’ve got people riding with us from New York, Coney Island, Staten Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, to Japan, Korea, the Philippines, London, and Australia. That’s a reflection of people’s originality and their connection to the culture. We’re just lucky to provide a platform for them to express themselves through. Yeah, we’ve been doing a lot with AND1 lately. Shout out to them, they’re the OGs of streetball. They really shaped the culture. For them to embrace what we’re doing and let us be part of their story? That’s humbling?
I wanted to ask about your phrase, “For the Soul of the Game.” Where did that come from? And what does it mean to you?
Man, that phrase means everything to us. It’s a double entendre, the “soul” as in what drives you, your purpose… and the “sole,” the bottom of your sneakers. It’s baked into our name, SolePack. For me, it’s about why you get up every day and keep pushing, even when things aren’t going your way. Especially when they’re not. I always go back to day one, being a little kid hearing the bounce of a basketball, opening a fresh pair of kicks and smelling that leather. That sound of sneakers squeaking on the hardwood or smacking the backboard on an outdoor court. That’s the soul of the game. That’s what keeps you locked in when the grind gets tough.
I remember being a kid going to Athlete’s Foot or Foot Locker, getting a pair of Delta Forces or something, hearing that crinkle of the paper in the box, pulling out the little arch inserts, that fresh leather smell. Whether it was marketing or just childhood magic, it made a lasting impression.
So let’s talk about your collaboration with Viola and the Iverson backpack. How did that come about? And what was it like having Allen Iverson react to it?
Man… that was one of those moments. We’d been working with Viola, shout out to Abe. He and Sameer believed in us from early on. Sameer’s like a man of the world, always looking to uplift cool, innovative brands. He connected us with Viola, and we started building. Al Harrington brought us into the Viola space. They’re creating a whole new lane in cannabis, disrupting the space in a smart, authentic way. So we went out to Detroit and got really immersed in their world. At one point they said, “Why don’t you gift AI a Viola-inspired SolePack?”
So we did, and to see AI look at the bag, see his name stitched into it, and say, “Yo, you did this for me?” That was special. It was like a game-recognizes-game moment. And then to see him wearing it, carrying it, shouting it out during the weekend… man. That meant the world to us. Getting that kind of stamp from a legend? Priceless. Man, just even talking with Hot Sauce regularly and having his stamp of approval, that means everything. I grew up a point guard in New York City, so having guys like AI, not necessarily from NYC, but still part of that creative, point guard lineage, give me encouragement is huge. Even Shane [Battier] and Marbury. It’s incredible. Like you said, it’s a real co-sign and I truly appreciate it.
You got an NBA license through NBA Lab! What does it mean for SolePack going forward?
Yeah, shoutout to our partners at NBA Lab. We’ve had a relationship with them for a few years now. We’re technically sublicensed through them. They’re kind of like an incubator for niche products like ours, brands that don’t have a direct NBA license yet. So they extend their license to us through their platform, and we’ve done a few collabs together over the years. We just keep trying to make noise in every arena we touch. Every relationship has its highs and lows, but we stay committed to telling our story in an authentic way and trying to level up each year. For example, we ended up in the Dallas Mavericks arena during the playoffs a couple years back. And just this year, shoutout to Jason and the MSG Networks team, we got to do something during the Knicks playoff run.
All these little moments, they’re part of the bigger picture for us. Especially being based in NYC, it’s about planting those seeds here at home. Kofi, another one of our guys over at MSG, helped us carve out that lane. We’re just super stoked to keep building in our hometown. It’s crazy, man. We’ve got such an authentic New York story. One day, we hope that gets a proper spotlight at MSG.
What are some of the most interesting ways you’ve seen people use or style the bag? Any memorable moments of it “out in the wild”?
Man, so many. We originally created it just for sneakers, but people have gotten super creative. Being in NYC, some folks use it for graffiti spray cans, that’s a real nod to the pillars of our culture. Others use it for baby diapers. Snacks. Even wine bottles! All these life hacks are incredible. One of my favourite stories: Jason Atienza did a hand-painted version of our bag for All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. We got to present it through AND1 to Ben Wallace, who had a film screening with Slam out there. It was a last-minute thing, we had to ship the bag out while I was still en route on a plane during a snowstorm. But it got there just in time, and we were able to hand it to Big Ben on stage with the whole AND1 crew, Ros Gold-Onwude, everybody. That was a special one.
Looking ahead, what’s next? Any innovations or upcoming collaborations you have lined up?
Maybe an SP2… We are still working on variations of the SP1. I don’t know if you’ve seen, but we do a lot in youth sports, especially with Made Hoops, one of the biggest youth basketball platforms in the U.S. We’ve got a few backpack concepts in the works with them. Their graphic design team is amazing, they’ve already put a bunch of dope designs on our bags. Now we’re playing around with different silhouettes, maybe targeting different age groups. Don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s exciting stuff.
We’re also looking to bring in investors in the next year or two. That would allow us to execute on some bigger ideas and launch more styles with a full team behind us. Really looking forward to that.
