Every sport has its own fashion culture. Some such cultures are especially indecipherable to non-participants—what’s up with those tight spandex shirts with the Nascar-style designs that bicyclists wear, for example?—while some work their way into the more general fashion realm, fully detached from the athletic pursuit originally intended (think Air Jordans). This week, with the Chicago Marathon bringing 40,000 or so 26.2 milers along with their supporters to the frontline of the city’s consciousness, running gear will have its annual fifteen minutes of fashion focus. For its first-ever sponsorship of the Chicago Marathon, Nike has responded with seventy-five products designed for, or to commemorate, the big day. Some, like finisher t-shirts, will be available only to the select few and will be unveiled at the race, but most can be bought right now at Niketown or Nike.com. A few notable favorites include the twenty-fifth anniversary-edition Pegasus running shoes, which pay homage to the city with “CHI” on the tongue and the city flag on the heel, and the men’s short-sleeve Dri-Fit shirt with a neighborhood map. Dri-Fit, in fact, is one of those “insider” sacred cows to runners, who subscribe to the adage “cotton kills.” Nike’s shirts provide the most variety of marathon memorabilia, including a couple of shirts designed to recognize specific neighborhoods on the route, including Chinatown, mile twenty-one, and Wrigleyville, mile seven. Perhaps the most iconic, though, is the pizza-slice shirt, “Run it Chicago Style,” which perhaps appropriately, is not Dri-Fit. (Brian Hieggelke)

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

5210 S. Harper, (773)493-7454, phliworldwide.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Sneakers for men and women. Designers: In-house line Phli. Alife, Nike, K Swiss. Owner: Dave Jess, the brains behind local streetwear brand Phli, opened his shop five years ago. Vibe: Manager Jay describes the shop as an “Urban Gap.” Price Range: Shoes ring in at anywhere from $65-$350. The Look: Hip-hoppin’, no stoppin’. The Phli guy is looking casual yet hot, with all eyes turned to the super sweet, hard-to-find kicks on his feet. Shopper’s Perks: The stock here caters to a variety of sizes. “Some guys come in here looking for a 5X shirt; and some of the skateboarders come in looking for a medium shirt,” Jay says. “We have a range of people.” The Thing for Spring: Look for a new selection of shoes, logos and designs. Phli is keeping its devoted clientele on the up and up with their new blog. Visit thephliworld.blogspot.com.

Phli