EDMONTON -- The reselling culture in Edmonton has been growing in the past several years, with shoes in particular behind the growth of several business in the city.

“I own a pair of Versace loafers and I paid about $1,300 for them,” said Zubair Bhatti. “I can always appreciate a nice pair of shoes; it complements the outfit and adds some character.”

Usually buying second hand means paying less, often much less, for an item, but when it comes to designer products that isn’t always the case.

“We’ve got a pair like the red toe (Jordan brand) ones here. A used pair goes for $740, which is still a half decent price,” said Jared Day of Hype Fetish.

It can vary depending on the quality and colour, but Day said that a used pair of designer sneakers can cost over $1,000 — even more if it is a limited edition item.

Day, a sneaker collector, started selling and trading online before eventually getting space at a shoe repair shop last fall.

“Two or three years ago it used to be a lot slower, there wasn’t as many people who collected and stuff like that,” said Day.

“But once someone buys a pair of shoes, like the Yeezys or something, their friends are all like, ‘Where did that come from?’ and it just gets more people invested in the sneaker culture.”

A growth in demand since opening has Day moving to a bigger location in the summer.

Edmonton’s climate might not be the friendliest for designer shoes but another business owner, Shane Breau, takes advantage of this.

The former engineering student opened The Shoe Shine Shack, where Hype Fetish currently occupies a space, thanks to the growing demand for cleaning and repairs for designer shoes in particular.

“I took engineering in school so I look at the engineering aspect of it, that different products need different tools, different brushes and different soaps,” said Breau.

Breau said that most of his clients are wearing the shoes they bring in but some are hoping to clean up on the resale market.

“With all the reselling businesses like Hype Fetish and The Come Up that are out there, I think the community is stronger than ever and I’m really excited to see where it goes in the next couple of years.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joey Slattery