Sneaker shopping in London
Similar to all major cities, London is the scene of several independent sneaker shops that stock all your favourites and some hidden gems. These shops however are hidden in the shadows of your major shops such as JD Sports and Offspring which means you’ll often walk straight past and some essentials for the collection will go unnoticed. Here are a few…
Before the Coronavirus, Presented By London was a location that I would see on Instagram weekly. Located on Percy Street, Bloomsbury acts as a hub for those who have a large influence in the industry on social media and some of the biggest collectors in the country. It is also a place known for hooking up celebrities with their sneakers. One of my favourite elements however is how the interior looks different to every other place on this list and most designer shops. An interior filled with brick-shaped interior is a unique feature and a creative way to display shoes. This presentation method is also what makes this shop recognisable on social media.
Located in Bethnal Green, Mr Sneaker has been described, on the internet, as “the best specialised trainers store in London”. They offer a great blend of the everyday sneakers and the high-end more expensive stuff. However, while being described as one of the best in London, other people have described how it looks exactly like every other sneaker shop and does exactly what you would expect and nothing different. Another person explained how you if you were not looking specifically for this shop, you would walk straight past without noticing any different. However, being described as one of the best must count for something. There must be a factor that makes this shop different from the rest, that makes it worth visiting to find out.
The first thing of notice about Footpatrol London (Berwick Street, Soho) is the effort that has gone in to make the interior appear as a high-end exclusive sneaker shop. Since the company moved to Soho to add to its reputation of being a fashion hub of London, this shop has acted as proof that Footpatrol has become one of Europe’s biggest sneaker retailers. It stocks all the latest and most-exclusive footwear including Jordans, Yeezy’s and huge collaborations. Its a place that must be visited if you’re in the area.
Sneakersnstuff is basically the trainers industries answer to everything that is already in Shoreditch. The place itself looks a home in Shoreditch. The environment and culture of the store blend in with its surrounding which is what makes it a main reason as the why a person would go out of their way to travel to Shoreditch. SNS have an army of followers worldwide. It’s no surprise their London store is in one of the cities most cosmopolitan corners. This recently opened flagship store becomes the latest addition by a company that already has hugely popular shops in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and New York.
Footpatrol has some stiff competition for the title of being the best shop in London. This is because unlike Footpatrol, the END Clothing store looks nothing like anything else in the area. END’s bland new two-story needs to have something special about it that will make it stand out. The surrounding area is packed with well known brands all of which would make the average sneakerhead walk straight past. Size?, Adidas, Supreme, Palace, Patta, Dover Street Market, and the aforementioned Footpatrol are all just a short stroll away and you could easily spend a fortune in any one of those before even realising END has a new store next door. That being said, this new flagship store is nothing short of jaw dropping.
