"Nobody walks in L.A."

Well, yes and no.

At some point, you gotta get out of your ride and walk around.
So why not do it in style?

Now, in case you didn't know, sneakers have transcended their utilitarian function and have moved into the realm of collectibles. Artists are teaming up with Adidas, DC, Nike, New Balance, PF Flyers, Vans and others to create limited-edition kicks for the 20 to 30-somethings who snap them up as soon as (and sometimes, even before) they hit store shelves.

This section alphabetically lists the better sneaker boutiques in Los Angeles. I've even included a few stores located outside L.A. City because the sneaker community is a small, obsessive click that needs to stick together and support the mom-and-pop shops that cater to them. And since store-exclusive shoes are difficult to obtain once they've entered the eBay re-seller market, we gotta make sure we cover as many bases as possible. I've omitted all the big, boring, mall and chain-stores because they rarely carry the good stuff and don't need your support.

Here's where you get your kicks.

I don't spend much time in The Valley because it's hot and boring. One day I found myself driving through The Valley and saw this shop, so I stopped by and took a look. They had a good selection of kicks and a helpful staff. Probably still do, but I wouldn't know because I haven't been back (I try and stay away from The Valley.)

If you ever find yourself in the Valley, stop by Aftermath...that way your trip through won't be a total waste.


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In the late 80's, all "alternative" roads (e.g. punk, metal, ska, mod, etc.) led to Melrose. On my way home, I used take short detours towards American Rag to cop some Stussy tees (the Rag was one of the first inland stores to carry the label and the magazine URB when it was a free newspaper) and look at their super-expensive vintage clothes. At the time, nothing existed around the Rag, so you basically went out of your way to check their eclectic blend of new and old clothing, shoes and accessories.

Just a few yards south of Stussy/Union/Undefeated, American Rag has expanded their collection to include high-end Pumas, adidas, Vans and other designer sneakers you've never heard of.


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Sitting on the west end of the Melrose Strip, Brooklyn Projects specializes in commercial and limited-edition skate goods and it's not uncommon to find pros hanging around, too.

As you'd expect from a shop on Melrose, the good stuff sells-out quick so you gotta visit early and often if you want to play ball. Yet, being high profile (i.e. they have Nike Skate apparel and shoe accounts) they're constantly getting new stuff, so if they've sold out of a particular item, there's a good chance they'll have something equally cool in stock.

On one visit I was told by one of the two guys hanging out in front that, due to a power outage, the store was closed. I started talking to Daniel (one of the two guys) about a pair of Andy Howell's he still had in stock and he said, “You wanna come in and check them out?” Knowing I couldn't buy anything, he opened up the store and we talked about shoes for approximately 20 minutes.

Now that's customer service.


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With turntables in the front, mags in the back, clothing (Stussy, SSUR, etc.) lining the walls and kicks right smack-dab in the middle, Greyone makes the most of its approximately 600 sq. ft. retail space. The staff is friendly and good tunes can be heard from the live DJ often mixing on the 1200s.

Greyone carries a wide selection of fresh Nikes (not just Dunks and Jordans) and stocks the largest selection of BAPE STAs in SoCal and at the most reasonable prices (an oxymoron, I know, but that's Nigo's fault not theirs).

You'll find Greyone just a few blocks down from Pasadena City College, on the same side of the street.


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While Brooklyn Projects anchors the west end of Melrose and Workmens rests in the middle, Heavy Hitters sits on the east end just a few yards from La Brea and around the corner from Pink's Hot Dog stand.

Heavy Hitters dedicates three quarters of its shop to the Nike brand. Unlike some shops with shoes on display that aren't for sale, everything’s for sale at Heavy Hitters. And as of 08/15/05 not many shops had Jordan Infrared Laser IV’s, Medicom BAPE STAs, Roc-a-Fella AF1s, or Tinker P-Rods on display, let alone for sale.

While we're on the subject of rare kicks, the wall behind the cash register is worth checking as it plays host to many of Nike's most sought-after SBs and limited-edition collaborations, albeit in odds sizes. In the glass below the cash register you'll find limited edition BAPE STAs of some sort or another. If you're into that sort of thing, expect to pay dearly.

If you're new to the sneaker game or are a parent curious to see what $400-$500 sneakers look like, stop by the double H.


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HOT ROD [West LA]
2253 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310.446.5527
hotrodlifestyle.com

When I first visited Hot Rod close to a decade ago, they didn't even have a sign. Didn't need one. I'd stop by and they'd be putting together decks, helping out customers who had heard of them via word-of-mouth. I remember talking to one of the guys about skating in the 80's and early 90's (my heyday), and that I'd still be doing it if it weren't for a knee injury I sustained. Then, every few months I'd get a flyer for one of their infamous BBQs and somewhere on it I'd find the words: "Hope your condition improves."

Hot Rod started out as a small, for-skaters-by-skaters skate shop that carried more decks than clothes but, hampered by limited space and with retail being what it is, Hot Rod refashioned itself as a skateboard lifestyle shop in order to survive. Hot Rod remains a skate shop run for-skaters-by-skaters, it's just that now they also carry some of the nicest skate kicks on Westside.


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A sneaker boutique strictly for women? Financially, this sounds like a long shot but I'm obviously in the dark since Kendo's managed to stay open--on Melrose--for over a year now.

Dividing his time betweeen throwing sneaker release parties, working with his partner Greg on their Situation Normal venture and running this gig, Vlad's got his finger on the pulse of women's kicks.

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Kicks first popped up unannounced a few years on the chic Larchmont strip in Hancock Park. There they carried Le Coq Sportiff, Asics and Gola mixed in with the other brands you'd expect (e.g. adidas, Puma and Nike) while the owner's personal collection of rare Jordans and Nike SBs sat on display in a glass case.

After the Vice store in Silverlake shut down, Kicks expanded its operation to give Sunset Junction what it always needed: A good sneaker shop. The interior design of the new shop is beautiful and rivals the elegance and simplicity of Undefeated. In addition to sneaks, the Silverlake shop carries clothing, art and, on various days, has guest DJs manning the turntables in the front. I've been told that things are in the works, so I'm keeping an eye on this one.

Although the Silverlake shop's a bit bigger and is a block from Upon Shop Records (check the review in the Record Shop section) both shops carry most of the same goods, it just depends on what side of the city you happen to be visiting.

NOTE: The Silverlake shop is one of the few that has contacts with a sneaker customizer whose work they showcase [top-notch work] and whose prices are reasonable, so if you really want to get crazy, get some customs son.

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Proper sports a simple, clean layout, a friendly staff and a large, diverse selection of shoes. 1/2 shoe shop, 1/2 gallery, the shoes at Proper line the entire west wall while art can be found on the east wall.

To sweeten the deal, Proper also happens to be one of the few shops that gets the best stuff first. They had the Nike Considered boot months before most, the Adidas RUN DMC’s before the Adidas Concept store in L.A. and the Nike Kermit Dunks before anyone I knew at the time, etc.

I check their website daily--because their selection changes daily--and visit them anytime I’m in the L.B.C.


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They've been in transition for the past few months, so I'll wait until the dust settles before writing this review.

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"When the first Supreme store opened in 1994, James Jebbia, its founder, didn't really know, he says, much about the skateboarding crowd but was intrigued by its rebelliousness and creativity. He worked hard, then and now, to be true to that scene, right down to hiring local skaters to work in the store. "A lot of the kids from downtown New York are very, very particular," he says. This was his target: the tough, skeptical audience that wanted, say, clothes you could get only if you were in the know."
New York Times 04.10.06

Supreme, the NYC "skate" shop, touched down in the City of Angeles on September 11, 2004. Known for their limited-edition everything (e.g. collectible backpacks, shoe collaborations, box caps, etc.) you just might forget that they'd like to be known as a skate shop.

And I almost didn't include them on my list.

The customer service at Supreme is terrible. Walk in and no one bothers. Say hello and you might get a head nod. Ask a question and it's answered as though you've already asked five. I've been to Supreme a few times looking for specific things and now I go just for the punishment. It's a bummer because the guys behind Supreme seem like cool cats: Interviews portray them as humble, easygoing guys who give props to other stores…maybe it's just that the people running their west coast annex suck. Word. For an east coast store setting up shop in the birthplace of modern skateboarding, you'd think they'd mind their manners and be a bit more friendly.

Still, Supreme gets listed because they anchor the east coast skate scene and offer good product, in spite of their questionable connections to the "skate" scene. They carry their own clothing line, a few others, some decks and a few skate shoes. If you're having trouble finding them, just MapQuest Canter's Deli--Supreme is just a few doors north of the famous Fairfax eatery.


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One of the first West Coast boutiques dedicated to sneaker culture, Undefeated is the collaborative effort of Eddie Cruz (of Union) and James Bond (of KBond, the Beverly Blvd. shop that is now closed.)

Taking control of the billboard that sits above their shop and dubbing it The Billboard Project, the Undefeated crew curates billboard content by hand-picking artists and setting them free. Often limited-edition shoes are created in conjunction with each billboard makeover (e.g. KAWSONE, Mr. Cartoon and Jordan IV collaborations) and the ensuing block party-style celebrations are a blast. Whether it's raffling off a pair of exclusive kicks or handing out free t-shirts and commemorative posters, Undefeated always finds a way to keep things grounded in the limited-edition, collectible-obsessed sneaker world.

Still you'd think having exclusive connections with Nike (too many to mention), Adidas (Consortium Series), DC (KAWS), Visvim and other shoemakers would get to their heads…but it doesn't. Staffs at both locations are courteous, knowledgeable and helpful.

On any given day, you'll find tourists inside and out simply standing around with blank stares as though they just witnessed a car crash.


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Undefeated. Stussy. Union.

These three contiguous stores (112.5, 112 and 110 S. La Brea respectively) mark the epicenter of sneaker culture in the United States.

Don't think so? How many stores carry limited edition Nikes? Not many. How many of these stores have been chosen by Nike to do collaborations? Even fewer. Well in 2005, Nike asked each store manager to design the shoe of his choice and named The 2005 Nike Clerks Pack in their honor. Did I mention that these three stores sit right next to each other? Anyway, in anticipation of each Clerks Pack release, lines formed around the block and days in advance while bulletin boards around the world buzzed with anticipation and documented each subsequent release with the same ferver usually associated with UFO sightings.

A mid-90's startup, Union began peddling their own line of t-shirts (still got my O.G. logo shirt with "12" on the reverse) along with other high-end, hand-picked t-shirt startups before everyone else decided to get into the limited-edition screenprinting game.

When you roll up to the 100 block of La Brea, you don't just visit one store, you visit all three. For each store offers something different even though the staffs at all 3 stores are close friends and have worked for and/or with each other in some capacity at some time or another.

Of the 3 shops, Union carries the Nike SB account (UNDFTD's Santa Monica shop carries it as well), so you know what that means: Japanese tourists and long lines when shoes drop.


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What Hot Topic is to goth, Workmens is to hip hop: a mall-friendly version of youth culture.

Breakdance dvds are looped on muted televisions while hip hop mixes flow from the speakers. Established hip hop clothing lines are offered next to newer lines and an impressive array of underground hip-hop cds crowd the display cases---they're free with the purchase of a 12 dollar sticker (get it?) Spray paint, markers and sketchbooks are found next to the dvd section.

Along the east wall you'll find an inconsistent shoe selection which, once every blue moon, will display shoes not found anywhere else in L.A. They do, however, carry Triumvir3 customs, the Upper Playground Artist Series, Jordans, once had a few pairs of the Ricky Powell Photograph Series line and, get this: Workmens was the first store in Los Angeles to carry BAPE STAs.


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