West Coast chillin’.
As some of you may already know, the kid is in LA for a few days. I love Minnesota, but I had to take a few days away from the cold, rain, and snow and come out to the west side. A change of scenery is good every so often, and I’m also not one to pass up an opportunity to eat new foods and cop new jawnz.
And that’s what today’s piece is all about. I hit Fairfax, Melrose, and La Brea yesterday, and peeped a bunch of dope LA boutiques. You’ve probably heard of most of them, but there’s a possibility you haven’t been, so I’m going to give you my thoughts on each shop, and because I’m a nice guy I’ll even throw their adresses in so it’ll be easy for you to navigate if you come out here. Let’s get it.
Round Two-7320 Melrose Ave
The first shop I stopped at, Round 2 offered a dope mix of vintage gear with sneakers and current brands like Supreme, Bape, and Palace. Out of everything they offered though, I was the most enamored with the vintage gear. All the vintage Polo and Tommy Hilfiger you could ever want, vintage jerseys and snapbacks (I’ve never seen more Champion basketball jerseys in one place) and a ton of dope old-school Nike sportswear made for a very dope old-school aesthetic. If you’re a fan of vintage, you’ve simply got to check Round 2 out.
Undefeated-111 1/2 S La Brea Ave
Undefeated was definitely as advertised. With probably the best selection of any sneaker boutique I’ve ever been to, I got to check out everything from the new Asics x Reigning Champ collar Gel-Lyte III (crazy in person) to Raf Simmons and Rick Owens Adidas, to the new EQT Support 93/16 Boosts. Staying true to their sportswear theme, there’s also a giant picture of a hockey fight on the wall by their door. Great sneaker store.
OVO LA Flagship-130 N La Brea Ave
If I had to pick, the design aesthetic of the OVO flagship was my favorite of all the shops I visited. Everything was a stark, bright white except for the big gold OVO owl logo above the counter, and the shop was absolutely pristine. Everything from tees to sticker packs to lighters to fleece sweatsuits were available, and I left the shop with a whole new respect/appreciation for Aubrey’s brand.
The Hundreds-7909 Rosewood Ave
Although I don’t love the brand like I used to, I’ll always have a ton of respect for The Hundreds, and I had to make a pilgrimage to their store on Rosewood, as they were one of the brands that really got me interested in street culture as a whole. I still read their website daily (one of the best on the ‘net in my opinion), and the store was exactly as described. The best thing about the store is that they offer a well-curated selection of books, from the “All Gone” series to Ta-Nehisi Coates’s powerful recent offering Between The World And Me.
FourTwoFour On Fairfax-424 Fairfax Ave
I’d first heard of FourTwoFour when I saw pictures of an amazing distressed denim jacket they’d done, so they were at the top of my to-visit list. The shop is actually split up into two pieces, an extension in the front where brands like Rare Panther and Carrots were on display, and then in the back their house label was on prominent display. But the best thing about this store was the service by a long shot. Everyone working was incredibly friendly and helpful which is a rare commodity in a store that’s as high-end as this one.
Union-110 S La Brea Ave
Like high-end brands like Off-White, Neighborhood, and Visvim? Union is the place for you. It’s a small store with a relatively small selection, but that selection is made up of brands that you won’t find in many other stores. What I was most impressed by was their wide selection of Gosha Rubchinskiy, which was impressive seeing as that seems to be the brand of the moment.
I Love Ugly-170 S La Brea Ave
I’m a big Kith fan, so you know I love high-quality, well-designed garments, and that’s what I Love Ugly offers in droves. I hadn’t had a ton of experience with the brand before I set foot in the store, but luckily I have a homie that works there, and he brought me up to speed. The store is dimly lit, and the wood floors contrast nicely with the black walls. I Love Ugly has definitely established a nice aesthetic, and I’ve got a feeling that it’ll only be a matter of time until the New Zealand-based brand blows up over here stateside.
Supreme-439 N Fairfax Ave
Alright, alright. I know what everyone’s wondering: “What about Supreme?” “What was Supreme like?” “Did you go to Supreme?” I did indeed, and it was on a Thursday…the Thursday that the first S/S 2016 release took place to be specific.
I rolled out there around 12:30, and got in line. The line stretched down a few stores, but it wasn’t too crazy. I’d waited about half an hour, and the line hadn’t moved an inch. There were only about three people behind me, but I was starting to get antsy. Some kid who got in line behind me must have noticed, because he came over and offered me $20 for my spot. Deal.
So I didn’t actually go in Supreme. I’ll have another chance to get there sometime later, and I’m not the type of guy that wants to stand in line for hours just to get in a store. No thanks, fam.
Have you been to any of these stores? If you’re taking a trip out to LA soon, which shop do you plan to hit first? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check out our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
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