Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on Wednesday proclaimed it “Sneaker Week,” giving a bouquet of municipal flowers to an event, now in its ninth year, that celebrates the city’s place as one of the epicenters of the athletic footwear industry.

“It always felt like we were doing it for the city,” said Sneaker Week co-founder Herbert Beauclere, who accepted the mayoral proclamation in an afternoon event at the Jupiter Hotel. “For the city to recognize that feels great.”

Beauclere and Megan Davis co-founded Sneaker Week in 2017 , positioning it as a Portland version of South by Southwest, but one focused on footwear. The sneaker and apparel industry is one of the cornerstones of the regional economy thanks to the presence of corporate giants, such as Nike and Columbia Sportswear, as well as hun

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