A Kick in the Head

As I may have mentioned, I’m not too crazy about the wave of boutique sneaker stores that are so in fashion these days. I’m just not convinced that a different presentation of the same pair of addidas or converse (actually, they aren’t even the same converse, they are now Nike’s in converse clothing) should warrant an extra 20-50bills.

With that said, I do like myself some shoes. Fashion and function; that’s my thing.
So although I might try and avoid the boutiques, I still am always on the look out for a kicken pair of kicks.

Two of my favorite places are Footland Sports in Little Tokyo and Sportie LA on Melrose in Hollywood. Both are unpretentious shops that carry a solid selection of sneakers and casual shoes.

Footland has a healthy selection of Vans, Nike’s, Clarks, and Puma’s. They are also the first place I saw a shoe brand called J Shoes. There is a particular pair of Vans there that I’ve coveted for quite some time, but haven’t managed to purchase for some reason. The shop is run by an Asian couple that probably hate me, cause all I ever seem to do is browse. Regardless, I like stopping by and checking out the latest. A few doors down is a tasty pastry shop with black bean stuffed pancake type things that are delish when fresh from the griddle.

I’ve been shopping at Sportie LA since I moved to this town. When I worked on Highland Blvd. A group of us would drive down to Melrose for lunch, hitting Golden Apple Comics and occasionally Sportie before hitting up Johnny Rockets or a cheap Mediterranean restaurant for food. Back then, the shoe shop was a tiny closet of a place packed with sneakers. Since my work is downtown now, I really haven’t made It back that way in quite a while, until last weekend. The place has quadrupled in size I believe. I entered what seemed to be the familiar tiny store only to notice that one of the side walls had been knocked out, making way for a maze of shoes. The environment is still messy, just even more so, but the selection is great. A small but good selection of PF Flyers which are my latest infatuation. Although I’m sure they carry a good selection of running shoes and whatnot, this place is mainly about style…so don’t expect any advice on the shoe that is right for your next triathlon. Sportie also has a separate store of apparel on the same block.

I’m trying to control myself from going back to Sportie for a pair of those Flyers but I’m not sure how long I can hold out.

Currently in my rotation of shoes are the following.

Jshoes –Tumble: Although a strange combination of euro/moccasin styles, this shoe is super comfortable for the summer. I’m into this brand, well made, funky styles. Maybe not totally me, style wise.

Born: This shoe is your basic casual leather shoe. Well constructed and comfy, this shoe is a good stand-by in the cooler months. Found a small selection of these at Shoe Pavilion, but for more selection check out the website. *Thanks to Raz for setting me streight on the background that I've have since edited out of this description. Check his comment for the lowdown.

Medium – Minimalist: I really dig many of Mediums designs. Very old school with subtle touches that make them fresh (touches of leather in weird places and whatnot). Each series of shoe is developed by a featured designer and carries their signature. Despite that, these shoes had a comfort curve similar to a pair of Chucks. Flat soles and rigid fit made this things pretty uncomfortable for a while. For the average price, these shoes should be much more comfortable from the start. Luckily I paid half the retail price for these on BlueFly.

Tsubo – Funky tech styling and pretty comfortable. High quality synthetic fabrics.