WORCESTER, Mass. — The DCU Center was heaven for sneaker lovers Saturday, as the Boston Got Sole sneaker convention kicked off their first event of 2022 in Worcester.

The show provides a huge collection of sneakers customers otherwise may not have been able to buy. The convention was founded by brothers Jonathan and Joseph DiModica after their family lost everything in a devastating house fire in 2012.

They launched Boston Got Sole a year later at the ages of 14 and 16. Organizers said roughly 5,000 people showed up for Saturday's convention. Hundreds of brands, including Nike, Adidas, and Reebok, were available Saturday. The DiModicas said it's a unique opportunity for people to add to their wardrobe.

"The sneaker market is exploding and has been exploding for a bit," Jonathan DiModica said. "Joey and I have been in this for about 10 years now and this is way bigger than we ever imagined it. I think 10 years from now, we'll be saying the saying the same thing."

"Jonathan and I are still just kids doing it," Joey DiModica added. "We love what we do and we're just shocked that 5,000-plus people are coming to obviously buy, sell, trade. But also, a lot of people support us and just the reach that we have now is really insane."

The event featured giveaways, live performances, contests, and of course, tons of sneakers. The DiModicas said it has become one of the country's biggest sneaker conventions.