The best independent sneaker stores in NYC

Boundless NY

Photo: Francine Daveta

Premium Laces
If retro Nikes like the Ken Griffey Trainer or Nike Air Penny 2 Retro make you weak in the knees, Premium Laces could induce seizure. While the sleek, glass-shelved shop does have a $50 table for philistine shoppers, it really caters to shoeheads in the know—people who need a pair of the new Nike Airforce 1 Low Supreme for a cool $2,500. 68 Spring St. between Crosby and Lafayette Sts (212-334-4939, premiumlacesny.com)

Classic Kicks
TONY Discount! Rather than focus on a particular brand, Kicks has selections of the best from each label, housing an impressive variety of “lifestyle” sneaks from brands like New Balance and Converse, along with the more left-of-center Reine & Roi. While some pairs will run you into triple digits, most footwear hovers around $80. Check out Vans’ Sk8 Hi high-tops ($110) and Era low-tops ($80), made from soda bottles that have been melted down into durable plastic thread. Mention TONY for 10 percent off through April. 298 Elizabeth St between Bleecker and E Houston Sts (212-979-9514, classickicks.com)

Alife Rivington Club
At Alife, every shoe is special enough to have its own wooden cubby—a dark-wood setting for embossed leathers, satin trimmings and Technicolor Velcro. The long, narrow shop is one of 15 stores in North America to get shipments of the most sought-after, least produced Nikes on the in the world. Take a seat on the long leather couch and sample shoes from the Alife line, which run from $120 to $300 for a pair. 158 Rivington St between Clinton and Suffolk Sts. (212-375-8128, rivingtonclub.com)

Dave’s Quality Meat
Festooned like an old-school butcher shop, Dave’s greets you with a slab of (plastic) beef dangling from a hook—mental prep for being barbed and baited by some fresh footwear. Dave’s sells Huf from sunny San Fran ($100–$150); its own in-house clothing brand; and collaborative shoes like their own DQM Nike Dunk High ($120). You’ve never had so much fun being on the slab. 7 E 3rd St between Bowery and Second Ave (212-505-7551, davesqualitymeat.com)

Future Kicks
TONY Discount! We’ve all wanted images of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on our shoes at some point or another. Grass (yep, that’s his name) takes such requests. He’ll paint and polish a pair of Nike Airforce 1s any way your heart desires. Lookin’ this good ain’t cheap: The sneakers go for $100 and the artwork is another $150-plus—unless, of course, you’ve got a gig at the Grammys and you need them encrusted in Swarovski crystals, in which case you’ll pay $1,500. Future Kicks’ showroom is in Grass’s basement, and it visits are by appointment only. Tell Grass TONY sent you for 10 percent off until May 15. 718-679-2833, futurekicks.com

Flight Club
The majority of Flight’s business is through consignment, which means that sneaker connoisseurs, collectors and cranks bring their limited-edition, super rare shoes to be sold here. There are more than 500 styles to choose from, including the much-touted, Kanye West–designed Nike Air Yeezy ($750). You can also snatch up more modest fare like the Adidas Dublin in cobalt blue ($48) or blue-and-white Bapes ($275). The space is utilitarian, with no visual B.S. to detract from why you’re there—to fondle the plastic-wrapped sneakers of your dreams. 254 Greene St between E 8th St and Waverly Pl (212-505-2330, flightclubny.com); 120 Nassau St between Beekman and Ann Sts (212-233-7178)

Boundless NY
TONY Discount! Boutiques can be intimidating: salespeople eying you suspiciously, stark lights, unexpectedly high price tags. We love Boundless NY for its lack of these things. In addition to the usual sneaks, Boundless carries Clae for the fashion-conscious (try the suede high-tops in eggplant, $60); Tom’s slip-on canvas shoes for the crunchy ($30); and lightning-bolted, badass Vans designed by Bad Brains for both musicians and adolescent skateboarders ($59.99). Mention TONY for 20 percent off until May 15. 143 Roebling St at Metropolitan Ave, No. 1B, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-821-9690, boundlessny.com)

Autumn
Autumn provides low-key styles for the midtwenties crowd looking to be stylish without too much sass. Check out the Emerica X Spanky sneaks—which look like saddle shoes in dusty blue and gray. The space is welcoming—with dark wood and a rainbow of skateboards—and so are the prices: Autumn prides itself on selling nothing over $100. 436 E 9th between First Ave and Ave A (212-677-6220, autumnnyc.com)

Brooklyn Circus
If you love the look of antiques but hate the smell, Circus is where it’s at, stocking its shelves with goods like the 1930s-inspired Vael line. The shop looks like an old man’s closet, but the Jack Purcell Converse and Spring Courts out of France are anything but geriatric. Whether you’re XY or XX, you can snag some sweet new shoes for springtime for about $90–$120. 150 Nevins St at Bergen St, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-858-0919, thebkcircus.com)

Premium Goods
With three portraits of Biggie Smalls, artwork by ButKus and two racks holding more than 70 styles of collectible kicks, Premium Goods is aptly named. Owner Clarence Nathan caters to local (hip) dads and urban teenagers with Baby Vans ($25-$30) and chunky striped high-tops by Cr8tive Recreation ($100). As for the more serious merch, Nathan utilizes a display case, “’cause you don’t want just regular dreamers comin’ in and touchin’ ’em.” 347 Fifth Ave between 4th and 5th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-369-7477, premiumgoods.net)

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Shopping guide '09
Best independent shops Forget chain stores. It's the little guys we're loving right now.