B3ATER, by Matheus Gabia: The new laundry specialized in sneakers

Matheus Gabia is the creator of the new laundry B3ATER, specialized in sneakers, from cleaning to restoration. They are also concerned with sustainability, helping you prolong the life of your favorite shoes and reduce environmental impact.

We asked the founder a few questions; check them out below:

• What is your relationship with sneaker culture?

I have always been very passionate about sneakers, but it was a very distant reality for me because, as a young person from the periphery, we had other priorities. It always felt a bit distant, but when I started to be able to acquire a few pairs, it was like a sign that things were moving in the right direction for me, kind of a personal victory.

• How did you start in the laundry/restoration business?

I started very young; as I mentioned, not having a wealthy youth, I always had to restore my things so that they would last longer. In that, I ended up seeing an opportunity to make some extra income and started doing it for some friends and even to resell.

• What is it like to bring back to “life” pieces that are considered sentimental to your clients?

I feel very honored to have the trust of people to bring back to life an item that holds so much importance for them, and also, loving this culture makes it indescribable to see a pair that is well destroyed have a new life; this even helps a bit with the issue of consumers' rampant consumption.

• What was the most special and challenging restoration you have ever done?

The most special restoration I have ever done was the Nike Dunk Freddy Krueger, as it is an extremely rare and quite expensive model, and having that trust placed in my work to restore something so special motivates me every day and makes me believe I am on the right path.

The laundry is open from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The address is Alameda dos Jurupis, 1005, room 93. The Instagram for contact is @b3ater.