L.A.’s Fashion District on a Sneaker Kick

Interior of Holy Grail boutique in Fashion District.

Interior of Holy Grail boutique in Fashion District.

As of Thursday, May 4, 2017

After a decade of keeping a shop in downtown Los Angeles’ South Park section, near Staples Center, Holy Grail picked up stakes and moved to the city’s Fashion District. In April, it opened at 836 S. Los Angeles St. It is part of a group of sneaker shops running to the Fashion District.

In December, Footaction and its Nike-focused Kicks Lounge boutique opened two storefronts on Broadway, adjacent to Sheikh Shoes on the 700 block of S. Broadway.

photo

An interior of Nice Kicks in downtown Los Angeles.

In September, Nice Kicks opened a high end sneaker shop at 862 S. Main St., across the street from the California Market Center. Along with selling Nike, Adidas, Converse, Vans and Puma,(and yes, the collection Fenty Puma by Rihanna) it also is the site of streetwear events. On May 5, tattoo art hero Mister Cartoon and photographer Estevan Oriol will be making an appearance at the store reportedly around 7PM to 10PM.

No Fashion District sneaker blog would be complete without a mention of Blends. It was one of the pioneering boutiques in the area. The high end sneaker shop opened in downtown in 2006, when a blossoming of high end retail in downtown seemed like a pipe dream. In 2013, it moved from the Old Bank District to the Fashion District and is located at 725 S. Los Angeles St.

photo

Exterior of Footaction and Kicks Lounge in downtown Los Angeles.