Interview
Sound Systems, Sneakers, and Soul: What Sole DXB Gets Right
In conversation with Raj Malhotra on building something real, and why the best brand worlds are lived, not just designed.
10.06.2025
/
5 min.
by
Freedom Studio
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Sole DXB didn’t begin with a brand strategy. It didn’t have a pitch deck, a roadmap, or even a clear business model. What it had was instinct and a shared feeling among its founders that something was missing.
“There was nothing for people like us,” says Raj Malhotra, one of the partners in Sole DXB. “So we said, let’s build it. Let’s see what happens.”
That instinct - to create something because it should exist, not because it will scale - has been the quiet force behind Sole’s evolution over the last decade. What began as a sneaker swap turned into a block party, and eventually into one of the region’s most respected cultural movements.
And it’s still growing… not as a business-first brand, but as a fully formed world.
We often talk about brand worlds as meticulously engineered ecosystems, but Sole reminds us that not all worlds are built that way. Some emerge through belief, consistency, and time. Strategy isn’t absent, it arrives later, shaped by the lived experience of what’s already working.
That’s the nuance: letting strategy follow authenticity, rather than lead it.
“We never set out to build a cultural platform,” Raj explains. “We just kept doing what felt right (…) and didn’t compromise.”
It’s a mindset that values depth over scale, and service to a community over performative growth. Sole DXB wasn’t built for hype, it was built for people who genuinely needed a space like this to exist.
Take the Sole Sound System: a fully custom-built Jamaican sound system, introduced not because it made commercial sense, but because it made cultural sense. “If we’re going to talk about sound system culture,” Raj says, “we have to actually build one. Otherwise, what’s the point? (…) We don’t just want to throw a festival. We want to create something that makes life in a city (or space) better.”
That same ethos shapes how Sole collaborates. It isn’t a plug-and-play platform for hire. When brands enter the space, they’re stepping into Sole’s world, and they’re expected to respect it.
“We tell them, you’re here because you want to tap into this. So trust us. Let it be what it’s meant to be”, Raj insists.
It’s not about exclusivity, it’s about coherence. Sole’s strength lies in its ability to hold its own centre, and that means fewer events, not more. It means working with partners who make sense and saying no when something doesn’t feel aligned (even if it pays).
As Raj puts it, “That’s the only way to protect the world.”
And the world they’ve built is bigger than the festival.
It’s visible in the rise of homegrown brands like Amongst Few and Precious Trust, in basketball programs, supper clubs, and creative networks that all trace back to the same source. But none of it feels scattered or follows a rigid playbook, rather it’s all part of the same ongoing story.
“We expect more from our community,” Raj says. “If you’re coming back, we want to see that you’re building something. We’re not here to showcase you once. We want to help you grow.”
That’s what makes Sole different. Its growth isn’t extractive, it’s generative and it evolves with its people, giving more than it takes.
Some discover Sole at 18, others at 40. Everyone’s welcome, and everyone’s expected to contribute.
“For us, it’s simple,” Raj says. “From the age you’re five to the day you drop dead, we want to be part of your life.” That’s not a slogan. It’s a worldview.
At Freedom, we often explore how brand worlds can unlock new forms of value. But Sole DXB reminds us that some of the most powerful ones don’t start with scale in mind, they start with a sense of purpose and grow slowly, deliberately, and with integrity.
Sole DXB gave the region and its community something bigger than a brand.
It co-created an authentic world to belong to.
Sole DXB didn’t begin with a brand strategy. It didn’t have a pitch deck, a roadmap, or even a clear business model. What it had was instinct and a shared feeling among its founders that something was missing.
“There was nothing for people like us,” says Raj Malhotra, one of the partners in Sole DXB. “So we said, let’s build it. Let’s see what happens.”
That instinct - to create something because it should exist, not because it will scale - has been the quiet force behind Sole’s evolution over the last decade. What began as a sneaker swap turned into a block party, and eventually into one of the region’s most respected cultural movements.
And it’s still growing… not as a business-first brand, but as a fully formed world.
We often talk about brand worlds as meticulously engineered ecosystems, but Sole reminds us that not all worlds are built that way. Some emerge through belief, consistency, and time. Strategy isn’t absent, it arrives later, shaped by the lived experience of what’s already working.
That’s the nuance: letting strategy follow authenticity, rather than lead it.
“We never set out to build a cultural platform,” Raj explains. “We just kept doing what felt right (…) and didn’t compromise.”
It’s a mindset that values depth over scale, and service to a community over performative growth. Sole DXB wasn’t built for hype, it was built for people who genuinely needed a space like this to exist.
Take the Sole Sound System: a fully custom-built Jamaican sound system, introduced not because it made commercial sense, but because it made cultural sense. “If we’re going to talk about sound system culture,” Raj says, “we have to actually build one. Otherwise, what’s the point? (…) We don’t just want to throw a festival. We want to create something that makes life in a city (or space) better.”
That same ethos shapes how Sole collaborates. It isn’t a plug-and-play platform for hire. When brands enter the space, they’re stepping into Sole’s world, and they’re expected to respect it.
“We tell them, you’re here because you want to tap into this. So trust us. Let it be what it’s meant to be”, Raj insists.
It’s not about exclusivity, it’s about coherence. Sole’s strength lies in its ability to hold its own centre, and that means fewer events, not more. It means working with partners who make sense and saying no when something doesn’t feel aligned (even if it pays).
As Raj puts it, “That’s the only way to protect the world.”
And the world they’ve built is bigger than the festival.
It’s visible in the rise of homegrown brands like Amongst Few and Precious Trust, in basketball programs, supper clubs, and creative networks that all trace back to the same source. But none of it feels scattered or follows a rigid playbook, rather it’s all part of the same ongoing story.
“We expect more from our community,” Raj says. “If you’re coming back, we want to see that you’re building something. We’re not here to showcase you once. We want to help you grow.”
That’s what makes Sole different. Its growth isn’t extractive, it’s generative and it evolves with its people, giving more than it takes.
Some discover Sole at 18, others at 40. Everyone’s welcome, and everyone’s expected to contribute.
“For us, it’s simple,” Raj says. “From the age you’re five to the day you drop dead, we want to be part of your life.” That’s not a slogan. It’s a worldview.
At Freedom, we often explore how brand worlds can unlock new forms of value. But Sole DXB reminds us that some of the most powerful ones don’t start with scale in mind, they start with a sense of purpose and grow slowly, deliberately, and with integrity.
Sole DXB gave the region and its community something bigger than a brand.
It co-created an authentic world to belong to.
Sole DXB didn’t begin with a brand strategy. It didn’t have a pitch deck, a roadmap, or even a clear business model. What it had was instinct and a shared feeling among its founders that something was missing.
“There was nothing for people like us,” says Raj Malhotra, one of the partners in Sole DXB. “So we said, let’s build it. Let’s see what happens.”
That instinct - to create something because it should exist, not because it will scale - has been the quiet force behind Sole’s evolution over the last decade. What began as a sneaker swap turned into a block party, and eventually into one of the region’s most respected cultural movements.
And it’s still growing… not as a business-first brand, but as a fully formed world.
We often talk about brand worlds as meticulously engineered ecosystems, but Sole reminds us that not all worlds are built that way. Some emerge through belief, consistency, and time. Strategy isn’t absent, it arrives later, shaped by the lived experience of what’s already working.
That’s the nuance: letting strategy follow authenticity, rather than lead it.
“We never set out to build a cultural platform,” Raj explains. “We just kept doing what felt right (…) and didn’t compromise.”
It’s a mindset that values depth over scale, and service to a community over performative growth. Sole DXB wasn’t built for hype, it was built for people who genuinely needed a space like this to exist.
Take the Sole Sound System: a fully custom-built Jamaican sound system, introduced not because it made commercial sense, but because it made cultural sense. “If we’re going to talk about sound system culture,” Raj says, “we have to actually build one. Otherwise, what’s the point? (…) We don’t just want to throw a festival. We want to create something that makes life in a city (or space) better.”
That same ethos shapes how Sole collaborates. It isn’t a plug-and-play platform for hire. When brands enter the space, they’re stepping into Sole’s world, and they’re expected to respect it.
“We tell them, you’re here because you want to tap into this. So trust us. Let it be what it’s meant to be”, Raj insists.
It’s not about exclusivity, it’s about coherence. Sole’s strength lies in its ability to hold its own centre, and that means fewer events, not more. It means working with partners who make sense and saying no when something doesn’t feel aligned (even if it pays).
As Raj puts it, “That’s the only way to protect the world.”
And the world they’ve built is bigger than the festival.
It’s visible in the rise of homegrown brands like Amongst Few and Precious Trust, in basketball programs, supper clubs, and creative networks that all trace back to the same source. But none of it feels scattered or follows a rigid playbook, rather it’s all part of the same ongoing story.
“We expect more from our community,” Raj says. “If you’re coming back, we want to see that you’re building something. We’re not here to showcase you once. We want to help you grow.”
That’s what makes Sole different. Its growth isn’t extractive, it’s generative and it evolves with its people, giving more than it takes.
Some discover Sole at 18, others at 40. Everyone’s welcome, and everyone’s expected to contribute.
“For us, it’s simple,” Raj says. “From the age you’re five to the day you drop dead, we want to be part of your life.” That’s not a slogan. It’s a worldview.
At Freedom, we often explore how brand worlds can unlock new forms of value. But Sole DXB reminds us that some of the most powerful ones don’t start with scale in mind, they start with a sense of purpose and grow slowly, deliberately, and with integrity.
Sole DXB gave the region and its community something bigger than a brand.
It co-created an authentic world to belong to.
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