Page 16 - MidWeek - Nov 16, 2022

16 MIDWEEK NOVEMBER 16, 2022
STORY BY
GINGER KELLER
PHOTOS BY
LAWRENCE TABUDLO
Whether he’s making
a killing by selling sneakers, hanging with Hollywood’s elite or promoting local concerts, Connor Tumbaga makes sure there’s never a dull moment in his busy life.
Would you believe that all Connor Tumbaga has accomplished started because he was bad at math?
Spending one-on-one time with his 12th-grade mentor led the two to talk about topics outside of algebra. For example, their shared love for sneakers — and not just any sneak- ers, but rare ones that cost quite the pretty penny.
can flip it and make money?’ As a 16 year old, making $200 on a pair of shoes — or just making $200 in general — is a big deal.”
and Tokyo because there were limit- ed shoes that were dropping only in those cities. Hawai‘i only got such a small amount compared to what these major cities got.”
“I was getting really bad grades in school and I had a math tutor,” the Punahou School alum remem- bers. “That was my least favorite
“Whenever we would be in a math tutoring session, he would show me a new pair of shoes that were dropping,” recalls Tumbaga. “I was like, ‘Why would anyone wait in line for shoes?’ I had all the questions that all the adults have now asked me since I was 16 years old — and they still ask me today — ʻWhy do people want these shoes?’ Well, it’s because they’re limit- ed-edition shoes.
Eager for his new venture, the Mānoa native woke up before the sun to secure his place in line at Ala Moana Center Foot Locker. He then posted the sneakers on social media for more than he paid, and quickly saw how much of a market there really was for it.
As Tumbaga’s sneaker sales saw dramatic growth, so did his social media following. Before he knew it, he was one of the top resellers in the game, with his client list includ- ing big stars like Ariana Grande, Drake, Justin Bieber, Post Malone and more.
subject.”
Part of Connor Tumbaga’s job as a concert promoter is spreading the word about the exciting artists he’s bringing to Hawai‘i. PHOTO COURTESY
CONNOR TUMBAGA
“He said, ‘Do you want to wait in line for a pair of shoes, then you
“It’s easy money and doesn’t take away from your day, so I started doing this every weekend because there would be a new shoe drop ev- ery weekend, and I was like, ‘Wow, I can really capitalize on this,’” he says. “I hired other people to wait in line, then it grew to me hiring peo- ple in New York, LA, London, Paris
“I came up with this unique busi- ness strategy to have them buy the shoe then I would gift them an ad- ditional pair of shoes in exchange for a shoutout on their social media, which then grew my following even more,” Tumbaga says, adding that
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