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Mar Yvette

Joined 6 years ago

New kicks on the block: Japan's exclusive sneaker shop finds its way to L.A.'s Little Tokyo.. In Short
Sure, its acronym might be grammatically incorrect--RIF stands for Reinforce--but this box-shaped shop has more important things to think about ... like being Downtown L.A.'s ultimate consignment sneaker pimp. Catering to hardcore footwear freaks who extol the virtues of pre-production Dunks and limited-edition Air Force Ones, the stark space opened in December 2006 as an offshoot of Japanese sneaker store LA Avenue. Rows upon rows of new Nikes, Vans, Pumas and Reeboks line the walls, while the most hard-to-find and discontinued styles are kept in the glass display case by the cashier, imparting an almost museum-like quality to the eye-popping kicks. The store stocks more than 1,000 styles (no two pairs are alike) with many in the $200 to $500 range. There's also a small selection of consignment clothing (hoodies, tees, long sleeves) from names like Undefeated, Supreme and W)Taps.

Hits: The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the store itself serves as a bright spot in the Little Tokyo retail resurgence.

Misses: Yes, the shoes are cool. But the prices are on the high side. The most expensive duo to date? A $9,000 pair of Nike samples for Undefeated!