The Re-Sole 206: How Seattle’s First Sneaker Dry Cleaner Is Revolutionizing Sneakercare
Takiyah Ward, founder and owner of Re-Sole 206, standing in front of her storefront in Midtown Square Central District (Photo: Jordan Somers)
By Elizah Lourdes Rendorio
The Re-Sole 206, Seattle’s very first sneaker dry cleaning business is revolutionizing how people care for their sneakers. Takiyah “T-Dub” Ward, artist and founder of the Re-Sole in Seattle’s Central District, offers high-quality customization and restoration services while also serving as a community hub to educate locals on the power of sneaker maintenance and sustainability.
“Re-Sole is the difference between throwing something away and understanding that you can put new life into that thing to make it last longer,” Ward said.
Ward’s passion for sneakers began in childhood as she watched beloved basketball players, such as Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, roll out their iconic shoe lines. Her love for sneakers sparked her interest in customization, where she spent more than 20 years honing her craft. From experimenting with do-it-yourself methods to now owning a state-of-the-art facility equipped with innovative cleaning tools, Ward can clean up to 25 pairs of shoes in just a couple of hours.
To Ward, The Re-Sole is about connecting people to the importance of sneaker maintenance.
“In order for us to do anything day-to-day, our body needs to be taken care of,” she said. “As far as with your feet, being able to build that rapport and routine around making sure that the things that you wear are of adequate support for your body—it’s a totally different way of thinking about it.”
Ward was presented with the opportunity to open The Re-Sole after creating a mural for the Midtown Square property in partnership with Africatown Plaza. The mural, which captures a timeline of historical Black figures that shaped the Central District, ultimately led to an invitation to open a retail store, where she expanded on her sneaker customization skills to cleaning and restoring.
The Re-Sole remains deeply rooted in the community, hosting monthly workshops where Ward teaches customizing, cleaning, and restoration to locals interested in sneaker care. They also participate in the Central District’s Artwalk the first Friday of each month, opening their doors from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to host a paint and sip event.
“Being Seattle born and raised, community and connection is incredibly important to everything that I do,” she said. “Being able to bring in some of our folks who are just moving here, trying to build community, trying to find their people, trying to find their tribe, having a space to kind of engage in that way has definitely been such a joy for us.”
Ward expressed the challenges she faced opening The Re-Sole as a first-time as a Black small-business owner, referring to the process as “difficult and convoluted.” She credited the Office of Economic Development’s Tenant Improvement Program for helping reduce financial challenges, along with the outpouring of community support that allowed her to open her business.
Earlier this year, Ward partnered with the Seattle Storm for their Kicks for Equality Campaign, designing 13 shoes that illuminate important social justice issues for Storm players such as mental health and gun violence awareness. The shoes are auctioned off, with proceeds supporting the Storm Foundation’s Force4Change Initiatives, which advocates for voting education and legislation, amplification of Black women, and support for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
“We thought she was a tremendous artist,” Crystal Langhorne, executive director of Force4Change, said.
Langhorne shared that she first heard of Ward through Storm co-owner Dawn Trudeau, and was eager to work with a Seattle-based woman of color who is dedicated to sustainability and creating a more equitable society through art.
To Ward, working with the Storm was not only a childhood dream come true, but served as a reminder of why she does her work.
“Being able to engage with people on a day-to-day basis and see their reactions to the results of our work and our process is definitely the daily…thrill and the energy that keeps you going,” she said.
Curtis Delgardo II, a loyal customer who has supported The Re-Sole from its inception, emphasized that Ward is filling in a gap within the sneaker community.
“T-Dub definitely saved a lot of shoes that I thought I was about to have to throw away,” he said.
Delgardo explained that while much of the sneaker world focuses on reselling shoes, Ward flips the script, focusing on maintaining the longevity and care of sneakers, ensuring their community value.
Well-maintained shoes have the ability to spark conversations from their unique colorways to the memories tied with their original release date, Delgardo said. To him, The Re-Sole presents an opportunity for people to invest in their appearance not only for themselves but also to encourage care and appreciation for footwear that brings people together.
This past weekend, Ward hosted Sole Food: For The Community in partnership with House of Hattie and Autumn Club. The event combined sneaker and food donations dedicated to uplifting communities in need throughout this holiday season. The goal of the night was to drive The Re-Sole’s mission of sustainability while also creating a joyous space to garner local support.
For Ward, The Re-Sole is not only about cleaning and customizing sneakers, but taking the extra step of caring for well-being, appearance, and community.
“Our soul, our spirit, our energy, is exuded through what we wear,” she said. “ If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you do good in the world.”
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