Sneaker Culture
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Downtown's sneaker shop Blends gets an unnamed mention in a Bay Area article on sneaker culture.
It's 7 p.m. More than 300 people are gathered outside a small boutique store in downtown Los Angeles, waiting for the doors to open the following morning. They want to be among the first 250 customers so they get a chance to win one of 16 custom-made Nike Air Zoom Kobe 1's.
Kevin Macias, 18, of Fontana, is close to the front of the line, No. 7 to be exact. Macias arrived at 10 p.m. with some blankets, folding chairs and comrades, staying up all night while the rain poured down to make sure no one cut in front of him. For his extreme dedication, Macias became one of the blessed 16 to win a pair of the Nikes.
Blends is one of those places that you walk by at a non-event time and think "Oh, a shoe store." Yes it sells shoes, but these are shoes with a culture around them.
I realize that it's possible Bay Area geography could call something Downtown and have it be in Culver City, so I am just assuming we're talking Blends here.
Coleman on January 04, 2007, at 10:34AM – #1
It could be Blends on 4th or the new shoe store in Little Toyko on 2nd Street across from the village (between San Pedro and Central, on the south side). There was no sign when I walked by it on Tuesday, but it looked similar to Blends, with what looked like a larger selection of shoes that aren't "new-retro".
ecue on January 04, 2007, at 10:59AM – #2
It is Blends... my friend collectes Air Jordans and had me pick him up a pair there once...