Since 2002, Undefeated has grown into one of the most prestigious names in sneakers. The boutique keeps a consistent assortment from your favorite brands on the shelves, ranging from quickstrikes to its plethora of collaborations. The brand cemented itself in the pop culture world in 2006, when it was featured in an episode of HBO’s Entourage. There are plenty of reasons why Undefeated is still going strong almost 20 years after it was established. This is a must-visit.

Round Two began in Virginia and expanded to NYC, Chicago, and Miami, but its Los Angeles storefront really put it on the map. Round Two was one of the first stores of its kind, allowing customers to buy, sell, and trade new and used sneakers and streetwear. Thanks to a selection of contemporary and vintage items, the L.A. location quickly drew celebrities. While many know co-founder Sean Wotherspoon for his sneaker collabs, Round Two is where he really started to gain his following.

Bait’s empire extends up and down the West Coast, and even Japan, but it all started in the Los Angeles area. The store boasts a top-tier Nike account and regular collabs with almost every other sneaker brand. The Bait formula mixes footwear fandom with comic book and video game geekery, spinning sneaker projects out of licensing deals. Think G.I. Joe-themed New Balances and Reeboks dipped in Toy Story prints. Alongside the shoes, the store goes deep on collectible toys from Medicom and more.

There are stores in L.A. that carry the usual sneakers for resale, there are shops that stock the latest shoes you see everywhere, and then there’s Sportie LA, which in 35 years of business has become a city staple. It draws surfers buying Vans, affiliates buying Cortezes, and the new era of sneaker connoisseurs on the hunt for something rare. You don’t go to Sportie LA looking for anything specific—the shop is known for odd shoes from the past, and you buy what you find.

Sneakerheads know Bodega’s Boston shop and its hidden-in-plain-sight theme. The L.A. store has much of what you’d expect from the retailer, including an on-the-nose setup up front. The L.A. store is “hidden” in the downtown area’s ROW DTLA mall, with Bodega’s actual entrance appearing under the guise of a produce market. Inside, you’ll find footwear ranging from Jordan Brand to Salomon, including Bodega’s own collabs with New Balance and Nike. The apparel is just as strong.

Few cities are less like Stockholm than Los Angeles, but Sweden’s Sneakersnstuff has expanded around the globe, with one of its newest and coolest shops located in sunny Venice Beach. The store is everything you’d expect from a retailer in its location. Opened in 2019, it has the charm of the souvenir shops that line the boardwalk. Sneakersnstuff carries all the top tiers from brands, including the latest Off-White x Nike collaborations, Yeezys, and more.

Kith opened the doors of its first West Coast location in early 2018 in grand fashion, with the eyes of the sports world focused on Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Weekend. The flagship’s launch featured a four-sneaker Nike collaboration with LeBron James, who wore an exclusive version of the model for the big game. Along with a top-shelf selection of sneaker, streetwear, and fashion labels, visitors can grab something sweet from Kith Treats, the brand’s cereal and ice cream shop.

This one isn’t exactly a sneaker store, but it’s still an important destination for people seeking out distinct footwear. Every DSM location has a strong sneaker account, and Los Angeles’ version of the avant shopping center from designer Rei Kawakubo is no different. Of course, there are the regular NikeLab collaborations and Comme des Garçons projects you won’t find anywhere else, but there’s also a good selection of smaller footwear brands that core sneakerheads tend to forget about.