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A New Brighton man has turned his love for trainers into his dream, with a thriving business, cleaning and restoring trainers for an elite customer base, which includes Liverpool FC players and MMA stars.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Brad Vernon, 35, who grew up in New Brighton and now lives in Egremont is the brains behind The Trab Lab. The business is a specialist trainer cleaning and restoration business that Brad has grown from a fun sidle hustle into his full-time job.
The Trab Lab currently has 5.2 k followers on Instagram, and a glamorous customer base.
The 35-year-old, who is also a father of one, has had the passion for trainers since he was a child. He learned to keep his trainers in pristine condition, since money was tight when he was growing up.
"My family didn't have lots of money when I was growing up, so I was taught from an early age to look after the things I owned," Brad told the Echo. "When it came to one of my biggest passions, trainers, I took that lesson particularly seriously."
Family and friends noticed Brad's talent for bringing tired trainers back to life. In 2022, Brad took the leap to start the business on top of his postman job.
He made use of Instagram to showcase his work, and as demand grew, Brad realised he could make a living out of trainer restoration.
He also invested in specialist cleaning equipment to take the business to the next level.
Today, the business reportedly restores between 50 and 70 pairs of trainers every week. Brad also repairs other shoes, such as Ugg boots, and even takes on hats.
As it stands, Brad has cleaned over 6,000 pairs of shoes, according to The Trab Lab's Instagram bio!
"It's amazing how much the demand has grown. The most popular trainers I clean are 110s and designer Diors," Brad said. "Some people spend thousands on footwear and can easily get caught out by bad weather, have an accident or simply wear their trainers until they're looking tired and dirty. Cleaning them isn't a nice job, but I take it to the next level with specialist equipment. I return them looking and feeling brand new, and I also offer a full restoration service if needed."
Brad and the businesses' reputation has seen him work with some high-profile clients, including Liverpool FC's Lewis Koumas and MMA fighter Joe Ryan.
"At first it was just to earn some extra cash, but it's become a full-on business," he said. "Recently, with it being festival season, I cleaned more than 70 pairs in one week. People love the fact that they can wear their best trainers, shoes or boots to events knowing I'm here afterwards to get them looking like new again. It's mad to think how it's grown and that Liverpool players and MMA stars are now my clients."
As well as building a life for himself, The dad-of-one has given back to his community. Last Christmas, he worked with his customers to support Charlotte's Brightside's Christmas gift appeal, raising more than £700 towards presents for children and teenagers. He will support the initiative again this year.
