Javier Osorio-Mejia’s tenacity in the world of exclusive and limited sneakers took him to the top of the game and ultimately led to the opening of his own store a Manhattan street known for high-end fashion.
But even as he built a name for himself nationwide under the moniker “Upscale Cracc” and racked up a list of celebrity clients, it was his hometown of Bayonne that he continued to call home.
Osorio-Mejia, a popular local sneaker reseller and owner of Orchard Street’s Vault 134, was shot and killed early Tuesday in Soho, in an apparent robbery attempt. He was 31.
Friends and fellow members of the streetwear community remembered Osorio-Mejia as a natural leader, dedicated friendand man with a relentless work ethic.
“He was really something special,” said Arvey Valderrama, who worked closely with Osorio-Mejia and said they were best friends. “He was an amazing friend. Nobody could say anything bad about him.”
Osorio-Mejia played baseball at Bayonne High School and was on the 2010 team that won the Hudson County championship.He went on to Farleigh Dickinson University, earned a bachelor’s degree at William Paterson and then a master’s in information technology, said his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother Floyd Lewis.
“He was the kind of brother everyone looked up to,” Lewis said. “He took care of everybody.”
Fashion was important to Osorio-Mejia even before it became his career, Lewis said. But once it did, his work ethic pushed him to all corners of the country to secure the most exclusive sneaker stock and built his reputation as a reliable source for the rarest merchandise, Valderrama said.
He said that together they started with selling sneakers out of a car.
Valderrama recalled a memorable trip to Houston where the pair had traveled for a store opening. When they arrived and the opening was delayed, they headed straight to Orlando, Florida for a sneaker drop, arriving perfectly on time and managing to secure the shoes despite a healthy amount of competition,he said.
Vault 134 opened in November 2022, and it was the culmination of Osorio-Mejia’s dreams. Within months of opening, celebrity clients included artists French Montana, Famous Dex, Jadakiss and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
Osorio-Mejia celebrated the store opening on his Instagram page:
“From growing up just trying to put together a few dollars to buy sneakers for myself. To camping out and chasing sneakers all over the world. We used to sleep in cars for days, whatever it was, to get what we liked. Then we took the resell game in the street by storm. To now opening up in New York City with my brothers. This is what I’ve dreamed of and it’s here.”
He had recently closed the location and was in the process of opening a new one, friends said.
Outside of his career, Osorio-Mejia was a doting father to his 2-year-old daughter, Valderrama said. They lived in Bayonne.
“His kid was his life,” Valderrama said.
He continued to nurture longtime friendships even as his career elevated, Lewis said.
He also began encouraging those younger than him to pursue similar careers if they had the passion, said Suraj Kaufman, founder of Sneaker Room, a store in the Jersey City Heights.
“Even though he got to a good level, he was still telling younger people and younger entrepreneurs that you can do it, too,” Kaufman said.
After his death, candles formed a makeshift memorial outside of Vault 134. Friends planned a vigil outside the store for Wednesday night.
Bun B posted a tribute for Osorio-Mejia on Instagram saying he was “sick to my stomach.”
“Gone miss you Bro,” he wrote.
New York City police are investigating the fatal shooting that occurred on Greene Street at approximately 5:15 a.m. Tuesday. Multiple New York media outlets have quoted sources calling the shooting the result of a botched robbery attempt.
