Located at 713 E. Second St., the celebration will be held on Oct. 12 from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The team will be offering free food to the first 300 people that come in the doors, along with free haircuts to the first 20 children that are 18 and younger.

The UpTwn Kix team is made up of Roberto A. Martir Rosado, Tanavia Saintkitts, Roseangeli Torres, and Christopher Saldarriaga.

Saldarriaga said the team began the business because of a passion for sneakers and the want to bring to Jamestown and the local area what would only normally be found in a big city.

“I’ve always had a passion for sneakers,” Saldarriaga said. “I come from humble beginnings and could not afford what I wanted when I was younger because my mom was taking care of me by herself. I see sneakers like art; a way to express yourself and as an extension of yourself.”

The back of one of Roseangeli Torres’s customized shoes, with a dedication to Kobe Bryant. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

Additionally, Saldarriaga said Jamestown does not have another similar shoe store besides Finish Line, and that UpTwn Kix also provides things that cannot be found anywhere else in the local area. Some of the shoes available at UpTwn Kix are customized by Torres, and Rosado restores old shoes to look like new. Saldarriaga said that sometimes someone will have a shoe that originally costs $100, and can come and get it cleaned for $25, saving money and giving the feel of a new shoe.

The slogan at UpTwn Kix is “bringing the big city to a small town,” and that is what Saldarriaga said they focus on doing. He added that the store’s first year has been “exceptional,” enough that in the coming months they will be moving to a bigger location on Fourth Street. They are still working on some of the specifics but will soon be ready to sign the lease. This by itself shows how the business has been prospering, Saldarriaga said.

For the upcoming anniversary celebration, Saldarriaga said the team wanted to give back to the community that has been giving to them. The free meals will be cooked by Torres and two other volunteers, and the team will bring in two or three local barbers to provide the haircuts.

“We want to help give to kids who maybe can’t afford a new haircut, or just someone who happens to walk by,” Saldarriaga said. “We want to give back to the community, which has people from all walks of life, and it is for a friendly reason.”

People should be interested in coming out to the celebration, he added, especially if they have never experienced UpTwn Kix before. Saldarriaga said they will get to experience what the team brings to the community if they have not before, and for families who may be struggling they can feed them and give their kids a new haircut for school.

Pictured is an example of one of Roseangeli Torres’s customized design shoes. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

“People will have a new experience seeing how we design and clean shoes, or they can come for a free meal and go about their day,” Saldarriaga said. “If everyone just comes for food and nobody buys anything that day, that’s fine because the purpose is to feed the community.”

In the future, Saldarriaga said the team hopes to expand both the business and the amount of people included in their celebrations. This is the second time they have had a celebration like this, with the first being on their opening day last year. At that celebration they gave free meals to 200 people, so they have added an extra 100 this year. Saldarriaga said he believes in giving back to the community that supports them and those who cannot give to themselves.

“I believe the grass is not greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it,” Saldarriaga said. “We want to help water this community for the next generation. Supporting UpTwn Kix supports the local community. We want to make a change one shoe and one person at a time.”

For more information and to see all of UpTwn Kix’s products, visit them on Facebook, Instagram or at uptwnkix.com.

UpTwn Kix provides a variety of unique items, including both customized and restored shoes.

Pictured is the team at UpTwn Kix, from left to right; Roberto A. Martir Rosado, Christopher Saldarriaga, Tanavia Saintkitts, and Roseangeli Torres. P-J photos by Sara Holthouse