As unrest over the death of George Floyd continued this weekend, sneaker boutiques and streetwear destinations throughout the country were decimated by looters.
Throughout the weekend, photos and video from both news outlets and people active on social media platforms revealed sneaker destinations in major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Boston and others being looted. Some of the prominent storefronts hit by looters include Flight Club, Kith, Concepts and several others.
Below are the stores that have experienced looting during the unrest.
Concepts
Late on May 31, local network WCVB captured video of Concepts’ location in Boston on Boylston Street being looted, with dozens of people leaving the store with sneaker boxes and more. Storeowner Tarek Hassan told FN on June 1 that it’s too early to determine the extent of the damage done but it will not deter him from rebuilding and serving the community. “It’s hard to tell right now [the extent of the damage] but I can tell you it’s not good at all. It was devastating. It’s not just product, it’s the store too. But I can say that we were back at it first thing in the morning, we wanted to get it up and running. We’re not going to let this take too long. We will come back strong,” Hassan said.
Cool Kicks
The three co-owners of the secondary market standout shared videos and images on their respective Instagram accounts on May 31 of looting. “Today I felt helpless… I watched the law enforcement witness a crime and do NOTHING. My brothers and sisters, this is living backwards. If you take from me, then how will I be able to give to you? We’re not learning anything. Let’s Wake Up. This ain’t it yo,” wrote co-owner Mook, real name Davon Artis.
Watch on FN
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4FHfNnWiU/
Flight Club
On May 30, photos and videos surfaced on social media and via media outlets of pioneering consignment store Flight Club’s location on Fairfax Avenue in L.A. vandalized and broken into, with its rare and hard-to-find sneakers being looted by dozens of people.
Kith
Social media videos shared late on May 31 of Kith’s store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City captured looting, with people removing items from mannequins in the windows.
Rif LA
Veteran secondary market sneaker store Rif LA on Fairfax Ave in L.A. was looted on May 30. The shop provided updates throughout the weekend, engaging with its followers. Rif LA’s last message was a positive one. “Im not even mad. God has a bigger plan and I know this is bigger than anything that we loss. What happen to George Floyd should have never happen. Praying for better days for all of us and especially for the black community. They need our support more than ever,” the store wrote on Twitter.
Round Two
Co-founder Sean Wotherspoon shared video on social media of the Round Two and Vintage by Round Two stores on Melrose Avenue in L.A. vandalized and empty on May 31, a day after they were looted. The same day, Wotherspoon shared images of his first store in Virginia, which was also looted.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2i7z3pyzA/
SoleStage
Another secondary market standout, SoleStage, saw its location on Fairfax Avenue in L.A. looted on May 30. The night of the looting, store co-owner Saam Mobasseri shared a live video on Instagram of his empty store and the cleanup process. On May 31, the store shared a message via the same social media platform. “The last 24 hours has been a crazy ride. We appreciate all the support and love we have received from all around the world. We will bounce back. But let’s not lose focus on how we got here. The African-American community needs our support now more than ever. We stand with you, we ride with you. #SoleStage,” the store wrote.
Sneaker Politics
The Dallas Morning News reported on May 30 that Sneaker Politics in the city’s Deep Ellum section was looted. According to the report, looters entered the location amid protests on May 29, and after being notified of the activity store manager Kellen Daniel returned to the store to broken glass, missing shoes and empty racks of clothes. “I’m angry and hurt,” Daniel told the Dallas Morning News. “It’s just sad that a few people will diminish what the protest is about.”
