What is good? Stores

Kith, New York City, USA

Kith and Kin, known as Kith, comprises of two stores in NYC. One in Manhattan the other Brooklyn, but still both keeping the items it sells as exclusive as ever.

It is nigh on impossible to obtain certain items from Kith, let alone if you're an international customer. Recent releases have seen just in store releases and no online sales, making sneakers that are already super rare, even rarer!

 

Asics x Ronnie Fieg GL3 'Super Green'

One of my favourite sneakers of the year definitely has to be Super Green's. They're an ideal shoe in flattering tones of grey accented by different materials all over and lime green branding. The GL3 is one of the cleanest silhouettes when it comes to Asics.

This sneaker happens to be unbelievably rare, not even seeing a limited release to the public, this sneaker was handed out in Haiti to help people with no/battered shoes. Soles4Soles was the charity Kith worked with to achieve this feat, and although as nice a gesture as it is, the prices these could have sold for could have raised unreal amounts for the charity. These sneakers would easily sell for around $1000.

Hanon Shop, Aberdeen, UK

Hanon is one of the best, if not the the best, retailers in the UK. The staff are really friendly and make everyone and anyone feel welcome. Hanon boasts an impressive collection of collaborations with such brands as Asics, Adidas, Saucony and Puma to name a few.

Hanon, one of 3 UK stockists for the Nike Air Yeezy, is where I had to go to to pay for and collect the Yeezys that I won. Definitely worth the 7 hour train journey each way, but that's what it's all about.

Asics x Hanon GL3 'Wildcats'

One of my all time favourite sneakers are the Wildcats, the blocks of colour separating the sneakers into levels of solid colour shows how beautiful the silhouette for sneakers is. The burnt orange on top works in contrast with the burgundy lower section, paying homage to a dying species which calls Scotland it's home.

The Wildcats were released late in 2011 when I had insufficient funds, they stay as my all time favourite release.

24 Kilates, Barcelona, Spain

24 Kilates is one of the best European stores related to street culture, boasting collaborations with Asics, New Balance and Reebok to name a few. Collaborations result in a better customer experience and end product, usually with a wooden box, containing other accessories such as a bottle of wine.

Asics x 24 Kilates GLS 'Las Trez ZZZ'

The presentation and photography of the products is second to none. Well composed and suitable for the target audience. The whole package shows that you can get more when it comes to sneakers if you know what you're looking for.

Footpatrol, London, UK

Footpatrol is probably the most notorious shop in the UK for street culture and exclusivity. I have attended ques at the store for a release from 6am, other people had been there since the night before. I love the sense of community when there's a release, obviously there is a lot of people getting jealous and trying to push in etc, but overall the atmosphere is always good.

The store gets pretty much any release that's hard to get hold of, except store collaborations from other stores. Footpatrol is only a small location and when you walk in to the second room, you feel really homely, it's as though you were in a log cabin.

Asics x Footpatrol GSII

Boasting collaborations with Asics, Reebok, Le Coq Sportif and Adidas, which have all been sell out shoes. These limited Asics saw ques of over 100 people to obtain the shoes, started at around 6/7am. They came in a wooden box numbered to 100 and each had a screenprinted cotton drawstring bag to mark the release.