New store Plugged In offers local street style on the Strip

LEAH HIBBERT Staff Writer

Sneaker culture and streetwear have reformed the world of fashion in recent years. Thousands of annual conventions, pop-ups and trade events take place nationwide for individuals to buy and sell merchandise.

David Deacon and Dallas Ogletree, two passionate sneaker enthusiasts, decided it was time that Knoxville got a local spot to do the same.

The pair opened up their vintage buy, sell and trade shop Plugged In back in June of 2021.

“Choosing a location was a long process,” Deacon said. “We wanted to originally be in the mall, but we were told a similar store already bought a space so we decided the Strip was the next best spot for foot traffic and the right demographic of people.”

Having enough on-hand products of rare and hard-to-get items isn’t an easy task , especially when trying to fill a whole store. However, Deacon and Ogletree have been raking up inventory since college.

“We started off buying and trading our own shoes in our dorm at Maryville College,”

Ogletree said. “Then about a year later, David got a job at Footlocker, so he was good at getting new sneaker drops. We started traveling around to different conventions and doing sneaker meet-ups around town too which is how we got most of our product.”

The pair said they continue to attend various meetups and conventions to get new products, just now with a bigger budget. Owning their own business has allowed the two to bulk buy popular products so inventory is always on hand.

Although UT students keep a constant traffic flow during the academic year, Deacon says a lot of locals and social media followers are very supportive and are a strong asset to their clientele.

“Throughout the whole year, the locals really support heavy,” Deacon said. “Even now with our online shop taking off, we’ve been shipping out here and to other states like Hawaii and California which is really cool.”

Ogletree and Deacon have collected enough products to fill two floors with merchandise and offer several different sizes and colors as well. They even have a dedicated University of Tennessee vintage section, which comprises everything from hats to bomber jackets.

“We don’t want to tell people how to dress, we just want to be able to cater to everybody so that whatever style someone does have, they can find an option here,” Ogletree said.

Plugged In offers designer pieces, hats, vintage pieces, sneakers, streetwear and even accessories. Deacon and Ogletree are proud to have a store just minutes from campus that really offers something for everybody.

The pair is also very active on social media, especially since a lot of customers buy through their Instagram page. Their handle @ pluggedinknoxville, has almost 8,000 followers and is updated daily with new items for sale or items they’re looking to buy.

“We’re always looking to buy new items off of people. If it will sell, we’ll buy it,” Ogletree said.

However, Jordan 1ns, Jordan 4s, Nike Dunks, Yeezys and anything streetwear are definitely items they’re always looking for more of.

The sneaker industry is no joke. Ogletree and Deacon just sold their highest-priced shoe in the store for a little over $8,000 – a pair of Jordan UNC 5’s, Player Edition. Although most pairs in the store don’t go for nearly that much, limited edition styles will sell for thousands of dollars. A pair of Jordan Travis Scott High’s still remain in the store for around $2000.

Whether you’re on the hunt for the rar- est sneaker on the market, want to up your streetwear style are just looking for a unique shirt for gameday, Plugged In has got it covered.

Burgers, books and balayage: 5 Black-owned businesses in Knoxville

monthly book subscription, which it draws from its curated collection of Black-affirming, Black-authored works.

The Carpetbag Theatre

BattleField Farm & Garden

Burger Boys

Business is booming in Knoxville, and the city seems to grow every day. Despite historical and present-day barriers, Black-owned businesses are fortunately also sharing in that growth.

Supporting locally-owned places has never been more important than now, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated –and continues to wreak havoc upon – small, minority-owned businesses across the country.

Here is just a taste of some of the Blackowned businesses you should visit all yearround. For more information about Black businesses in Knoxville, check out the Knoxville Black Business Directory.

The Bottom

Named after a historically Black neighborhood in East Tennessee, The Bottom is a bookstore and a non-profit community space. It was founded by Enkeshi El-Amin, formerly a sociology professor at UT, originally as a youth entrepreneurship program and sewing circle. El-Amin later departed from the role when she accepted a post at West Virginia University, but her mission is being furthered by the team.

The Bottom regularly hosts events celebrating Black culture and creativity. It also offers a

Established in 1969, this ensemble company’s mission is to highlight works by oppressed creators. In addition to bringing attention to the experiences of minority groups, the theatre intends to also offer a space for healing and learning, reframing trauma and empowering its community.

In addition to productions year-round, the theatre organizes a variety of other programs, including youth outreach and a digital storytelling house. For more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram.

In the spring of 2018, pastor Chris Battle set out to combat the food disparity in his community by starting a community garden at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in East Knoxville. He was later able to expand his mission with the purchase of the two-acre Abbey Field farm, which he rechristened as “BattleField.”

In addition to fresh produce, the farm also houses chickens and bees (affectionately known as the “Cardi Bees”). It regularly hosts educational events and farmers’ markets, which are featured on its Facebook page. The farm is always looking for volunteers and is currently offering a paid summer internship for Black youth.

Fox Den Hair Hangout

Nashville native and UT alum Foxy prides herself on being a “multicultural hair artist.” Her impressive resume includes working for Christian Cowan at New York Fashion Week 2022, as well as Rihanna’s SavageXFenty Fashion Show Volumes 3 and 4.

Intended to be a less stressful alternative to a typical hair salon, the Fox Den offers a variety of hair care services, including styling and coloring. Foxy splits her time between Knoxville and Nashville, and appointments fill up quickly. In addition to the website, Foxy is active on Facebook and Instagram.

Blink and you will miss it — or maybe not. Despite its tiny size, it is difficult to miss the distinctive red and white exterior of Burger Boys. In 2018, owner Jeffrey Bryant took his over three decades of fast-food experience and opened this small slice of burger heaven on the side of Chapman Highway.

Home of the free fries, every burger comes with a generous portion of spuds at no additional charge. In addition to its burgers, Burger Boys dishes up a variety of other southern classics, such as fried chicken and ribs.