“We know why you here” is the business motto for Danzo Sneakers, owned by 19-year-old sophomore foreign language and international commerce major Dan “Danzo” Sangwa.

The reason clients go to Sangwa is simple: to buy novelty sneakers at a comparably affordable price.

Sangwa is an international student at UK from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Upon moving to the U.S., he found that many students were interested in shoes but couldn’t find the ones they wanted at a fair price.

In November 2020, he took matters into his own hands, opening his business Danzo Sneakers to provide cool shoes for cool prices.

“That’s when I decided, what about starting this business – this new thing to see how we can work with prices to make all the college students afford the type of shoes they want?” Sangwa said.

Sangwa does the legwork for his clients, finding and purchasing a wide range of rare shoes from Air Jordans to Off-Whites in bulk. He then resells them for 5-10% less than larger-scale competitors like GOAT or StockX.

“Making a difference is attracting the people. If I’m deciding to make the same prices as those big businesses, I’m failing,” Sangwa said. “My goal to begin with was to make a difference with the prices.”

His sales are currently conducted online, but he hopes to one day open physical stores in the U.S. and back home in the Congo.

“The Congo is way different than the U.S. when it comes to modern things, infrastructure, transportation, clothing … (the Congo is) still in progress, and we need those people that are getting education overseas and in America that can bring that education back home,” Sangwa said.

Growing up in the Congo, Sangwa helped his parents with their business endeavors, sparking his own dream of being a business owner. It was also there that his love for fashion began. He said he wants to give back through his business.

“As much as I can change the Congo, I’ll go for it,” he said.

Sangwa said he also believes in the importance of shoes.

“When you have it, it doesn’t matter the type of clothes that you wear, how much your clothes is, just the shoes that match everything else and that’s it,” he said. “Your outfit costs a million dollars.”

Although Danzo Sneakers reaches mostly college students now, Sangwa aspires to help sneakerheads everywhere experience the joy of a good pair of shoes.

Despite the hardships of business owning, Sangwa said he is dedicated to this mission.

“Certain people won’t help you, they’ll just talk, but at the end of the day they’re not gonna support you. They’re not gonna be a part of your evolution, so you stay focused on your plan and keep moving,” he said.