1205 N. Milwaukee, (773)252-6994, espacecity.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and bags. Designers: Puma, Lacoste, Adidas, Miss Sixty, Penguin and United Nude. Owner: Neighboring City Sports took the reigns from original owner Drew Ee last year. Vibe: Sleek yet comfortable. The store is easy to navigate, with neatly organized racks and displays. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Sporty, urban and stylish. Fit for an impromptu party in a studio space followed by drinks and dancing at Ohm. Shopper’s Perks: Espace purchases only three-to-four of each item, so each purchase here feels like a real find. The wide array of price points accommodates everyone from financially challenged fashionistas to professional shoppers.

Espace

1021 W. Lake, (312)633-4000 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s footwear; baseball caps, zip-up hoodies and tees. Designers: Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Timberland shoes; LRG, Artful Dodger, Adidas, Rock & Republic clothing. Owner: Percy Gibson helms this West Side boutique in addition to his North Side sneaker shop, Encore. Price Range: Expensive-Luxury. Vibe: The store is tricked-out bachelor pad meets upscale boutique. The front is filled with high-end footwear displayed like art, a big-screen TV, couches and a well-kept bar waits in back. The Look: Sneaker-head heaven—the walls are even decked out in autographed hip-hop photos. Shopper’s Perks: The store is open until midnight on the weekends, and a party vibe permeates the shop as the night goes on. Also, Self-Conscious is one of five stores in the Midwest to have a quick strike account with Nike, meaning that highly coveted shoes show up out of nowhere.

Self-Conscious

3941 N. Sheridan, (773)477-4007 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Sneakers for men and women. Designers: Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Creative Recreation and several labels from Germany and Japan. Owner: Percy Gibson recently became the sole owner of this streetwear shop. Vibe: A pulsing, high-energy room with bright lights and hip-hop beats to accompany your shoe shopping. No shoe racks here; each sneaker is given its own display space, making it easy to marvel. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: The Encore client may seem laidback and sporty, but don’t be fooled. This shopper is going to sidestep even the smallest puddle, as they think of their shoes as works of art. Shopper’s Perks: Encore carries hard-to-find shoes and Gibson only stocks a few in each size, which means these are more than shoes—they’re collector’s items. You can also get one-of-a-kind sneakers made, as Encore will happily custom laser any pair of shoes. The Thing for Spring: Get your hands on a pair of the extremely limited-edition Michael Jordans, which are in their last release.

Encore

4351 S. Cottage Grove, (773)285-1067; 1400 N. Milwaukee, (773)489-1900, leaders1354.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing and shoes for men. Designers: Ice Cream, BBC and Ten Deep for clothing; Reebok, New Balance, Puma and Adidas for shoes. Owner: There is no singular owner at this shop, as the entire crew behind this operation functions as a team. Riding the heels of their successful 5-year-old Bronzeville operation, they opened a North Side outpost last this year. Vibe: Artwork both hangs and is painted graffiti-style right on the walls, hip-hop music plays overhead and a DJ booth sits in the back, which is occupied a few times a week by local spinners. This place is so chilled out, it seems worlds away from the bustle of Milwaukee Avenue. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: A fusion of skater meets hip-hop meets Average Joe. The clothing here is streetwear, and the selections cater to those who are heavily influenced by the growing sneaker culture. Shopper’s Perks: There’s just something about shopping at a trendsetter: Leaders 1354 was the very first streetwear boutique in Chicago. Plus, they have the Chicago exclusive on several lines, including Lemar and Dauley, The Hundreds, Ice Cream, BBC and 10.Deep. The Thing for Spring: Cardigans, hats and windbreakers from Pegleg.

Bronzeville Store

Leaders 1354

Wicker Park Store

Leaders 1354

1837 W. North, (773)489-0818 (women’s flagship store), 1922 W. North, (312)423-6693 (men), 1849 W. North, (773)342-8684 (shoes), 2357 N. Clark, (773)404-5826; 122 S. State, (312)346-3034; 643 W. Diversey, (773)649-9257; akirachicago.com (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Goods: Women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and shoes. Designers: Rock & Republic, Citizens of Humanity, 7 for All Mankind, Max & Cleo, DKNY, Salvage, Gold Sign, Ben Sherman, Free People, Kensie, Kitchen Orange,Mieko Mellucci, French Connection, Serfontaine; dresses by BCBG, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson; sunglasses by Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana and Just Cavalli; Monarchy, 7Diamonds, Tankfarm, Ben Sherman, Custo Barcelona and Scotch & Soda for men, shoes by Ted Baker, Creative Recreation, L.A.M.B., Chinese Laundry, Schutz, Adidas and Converse. Owners: College friends Eric Hsueh, Jon Cotay and Erikka Wang began their North Avenue domination with the Akira women’s store in 2002. Now Akira encompasses several different stores all over the city, and 20,000 square feet of retail space on a single street in Bucktown. Vibe: The atmosphere mimics the clothes—it’s young, poppy and vibrant. Clothing is organized by color and designer so you don’t have to mess around. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: With so many designers, there are so many looks. But a youthful energy shines in feminine prints, bright colors, current trends and designer denim. You can score everything from denim-focused, kick-it gear to an ensemble perfect for sipping martinis at Enclave. Shopper’s Perks: The store’s personal shoppers expertly lead you through “one-stop shopping”—they’re happy to grab shoes or accessories from the other stores to completely finish your look. Stop by to pick out an outfit for a night out and receive complimentary club passes.

Akira Wicker Park

Akira

Akira Men

Akira (Men)

Akira Shoes

Akira (Shoes)

Akira Lakeview

Akira

Akira Lincoln Park

Akira

Akira Loop

Akira

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008