The 10 Best Sneaker Shops in NYC
It isn’t an understatement to call New York City one of the world’s best sneaker capitals. With so many choices and so many covetable models dropping literally every weekend, the sneaker shopping cycle has been broken down into a science. But as e-commerce gets more popular, the old-fashioned experience of going to a store and getting a pair of shoes becomes even more special.
Big companies like Nike and adidas are creating specialized stores that feel more like boutiques, and high-end shops like Barneys are beginning to cater to kick connoisseurs who now feverishly hunt for designers pairs from guys like Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Saint Laurent Paris’ Hedi Slimane. We examined the Big Apple’s current sneaker retail landscape and quantified the ten stores worth trekking to. These are the 10 Best Sneaker Shops in NYC.
LeadNYCShopsThe weather is warming up in NYC (at least it was for a minute) which only means one thing — its time to spend your weekends hitting the concrete jungle in search of the dopest footwear for the spring and summer. To help you out we decided to put together a list fo the best spots in the city to grab the hottest kicks. Click on the gallery to check out the The 10 Best Sneaker Shops in NYC.
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NiketownNiketown
Location: 6 East 57th St., Manhattan
When it comes to a one-stop spot, it doesn't get much easier than Niketown — it's like Nike Store online, but in real life! The massive store features sneakers for every situation or sport you might find yourself getting into, not to mention the dope limited drops and apparel for chilling or hooping at Rucker. Nice location, too — if you buy runners, you can head right into Central Park.
HouseofHoopsHouse of Hoops
Locations: 11 W 34th St., Manhattan and 268 W 125th St., Harlem
With a new location that just opened up in Manhattan last year, now you don't have to hit up Harlem World to get connected with Footlocker's finest. The perks — they receive some limited quanities of Jordans and other Nikes that other sneaker shops never get. The downside — campouts and other straight fuckery from NY "sneakerheads" that didn't even know Ewing had his own brand.
RivingtonThe Rivington Club
Location: 158 Rivington St #1, Manhattan
One of the first (if not the first) upscale sneaker shopping experiences downtown, ALIFE's Rivington Club is still going strong. Once the place to find Nikes and the like that weren't even meant for these shores, now they stock primarily grown-up material like ALIFE's own line and shoes from Pointer. There's still no sign, and you'll need to ring the bell to be allowed in. Exclusive.
adioriginalsadidas Originals
Location: 136 Wooster St., Manhattan
adidas Originals has been keeping it classic for a few decades but the past year the brand has really pushed things deeper with new colorways and designs to its skateboarding line as well as the always ill Jeremy Scott collabs. You camp out for your retro Jordans, we'll take the blood-colored Busenitzes and money-green Campuses. The whole front of the adidas Originals SoHo shop is garage doors, so on nice days it's like shopping outdoors.
Atmosatmos
Location: 203 W 125th St., Harlem
Taking things from the Far East to the East Coast, Japan's atmos put up a shop in the heart of Harlem, offering customers the best Jordan releases, limited Nike releases, and hard-to-find adidas Originals (atmos is the spot to go for Jeremy Scott uptown), not to mention complementary gear. Everything good isn't always downtown.
DQMDQM
Location: 7 E 3rd St. and 93 Grand St., both Manhattan
DQM has been holding it down for quite some time now, doing collabs with the like of Nike, adidas and Vans. The original shop on East 3rd is still going strong with product from Vans, Nike, adidas and HUF, amongst others, while the new General on Grand Street is purely Vans, with everything from in-line to Vault and all points in between.
KithKith NYC
Locations: 644 Broadway, Manhattan and 233 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn
After building in the game for over a decade with David Z., it was time for Ronnie Fieg to do his own thing. Slaying web servers in the matter of minutes with his previous ASICS and Sebago collabs, Fieg started his Kith and Kin crew and stores that featured as much aesthetic value with the decor as with the sneakers — further proving Ron rarely misses.
FlightClubNYCFlight Club New York
Location: 254 Greene St., Manhattan
Even if you've never made a trip to the city that never sleeps, you know about Flight Club. Yeah, the consignment shop prices might seem like a bit much for the Kicks Deal-savvy types that troll the internets for great prices, but when it comes to the reassurance that you are getting a legit product in great condition that hasn't been on retail shelves for a minute — Flight Club.
SupremeSupreme
Location: 274 Lafayette St., Manhattan
When it comes to streetwear brands, no one is really messing with Supreme — anything they put out is shutting the block down in the matter of minutes. And when the brand decides another brand is worth working with on the footwear spectrum, you know the final product is going to end up a classic and sometimes on eBay for 10 times retail. Bring a chair, you might need it.
21Mercer21 Mercer
Location: 21 Mercer St., Manhattan
Uh, live from the Mercer — one of the dopest spots in NY with the hottest Nike releases, quickstrikes, and the Bespoke AF1 experience is a must if you're looking for a pair of shoes from The Swoosh to set you apart in the streets. We also give them a +1 for the dope in-store (and outside-of-store) decor that changes up frequently. It's always a fresh experience.
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