Skate Shops in NYC?

[MFeliz3]

Hey Everyone,

I'm really trying to get more into Dunks and the history behind them. I'm looking to cop a couple pairs but I don't wanna shop online as I feel like that'll take away from the experience that would be to go to an actual skate shop to cop.

I made this thread for anyone like me who wants to get into Dunks more but doesn't know of a spot to go cop a pair or two.

Feel free to drop off spots that you recommend or any info that'll help in the future (Dunk history, favorite colorways, best place to start a dunk collection, etc).

Again, thanks in advance and don't be afraid to help each other out!

 

[Dubby]

https://niketalk.com/threads/2018-nike-sb-dunk-thread_____grs-and-qss-added.303260/page-417

These dudes could probably help you ^. All the CCS shops closed down tho which sucks. .

 

[luhem]

I respect you wanting to support skateboarding . SB’s were made for skaters but inadvertently sparked a new wave/generation of sneakerheads .

The first time Nike tried to infiltrate the skate scene (~mid 90s) they got slapped in the mouth and bullied out . Fast forward two decades and skateboarding is lined up to make it’s highly anticipated/dreaded (depending on who you ask) Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020 . Nike has been able to slowly crawl their way into a position of power within our subculture .

Lots of skate shops have had beef with Nike due to their account policies , like forcing shops into ordering a wall full of bricks for a chance to sell the one or two hyped silhouettes/colorways that people actually buy . More recently , Nike has forced many core shops to take SB product off of their online webshops & relegate SB (shoe*) sales to strictly in-store transactions while threatening to cancel accounts if they do not comply (only a handful of shops are still allowed to sell online - a number that will continue to decrease) .

The future of core skate shops is looking pretty grim since they can’t compete with modern day e-commerce . I go into my local shop to pick something up as often as possible (usually a shop tee/fresh deck) . Mom and pop shops in general are dying/being pushed out of business , which is a shame for American culture .

All that being said , it’s not 100% Nike’s fault by any means . I don’t blame them even though most of my peers do . At the end of the day , it’s the skaters’ choice to support certain companies and keep them afloat/relevant in skateboarding . That early 00’s run of Nike SB (shimizu / supa / gino / forbes etc) had a team that was creative , super stylish and tough as nails which made me an instant fan .

CCS/Tactics/Skate Warehouse/Active are not considered core shops . A core shop owned & operated by skateboarders in NYC is Labor . I would highly recommend dropping by and saying what’s up for the experience . Most people sleep on buying SB’s from brick and mortar skate shops (usually due to convenience/location) - but if you get cool with the employees/owner (actually skating helps) & they have a Nike SB account , you can get your hands on pretty much anything you want since most skaters aren’t down to pay $100+ on skate shoes meant to be thrashed .

As stated in the post above , here’s the SB Dunk thread - lots of information and cool folk in it : https://niketalk.com/threads/2018-nike-sb-dunk-thread_____grs-and-qss-added.303260/page-7858

 

[MFeliz3]

Appreciate the help man. I’ll look into it for sure!

 

[gentrification]

Labor