¡Buenos días!

Preparing for this once in a lifetime trip was challenging. We found it harder to compile a list of great sneaker stores to visit than learning Spanish (75% of it is derived from Latin!). Awe-inspiring cathedrals and the intense skateboarding culture here have more prominence than sneaker enlightenment.

On the flip side (pun-intended), Spain is dubbed ‘The Mediterranean Mecca of Skateboarding’ after all. We learned a great deal about the origins and the breathtaking sites across the country to witness it.

The absence of a simplified all-in-one checklist for the ‘sneakerhead-tourist’ prompted us to create one ourselves. It is nice to note that it is spring season as we cover this story, and with the cosy 16-20°C temp, we scoured the heart of Barcelona’s iconic calle (streets) and passeig (roads) for the best the city has to offer in vintage and special edition footwear. A Google map with all the stores featured on this list is shared here. Enjoy.

The 10 Best Sneaker Stores in Barcelona, Spain (Map)

#1. 24 Kilates – www.24-kts.com
11am-9pm (Mon-Sat)
+34 932 68 84 37

adidas Boosts, ASICS GEL Lytes and New Balance reigns here, with very limited Air Jordans. 24 Kilates is a modest shop with very attentive staff and a fine selection of cleaning products and culture mags. SNEAKERFREAKER (AUS) and Snéakers Magazine (GER) to be exact.

*Bonus – to our delight, we chanced upon the SBTG x Crep Protect ‘Defence Pack’ Collaboration Special (2015) in a glass display (SINGAPORE REPRESENT). Complete with military smoke grenade box.

#2. SVD – sivasdescalzo.com
11am-230pm, 330pm-8pm (Mon-Sat)
+34 935 31 21 22

SVD has it all: ASICS, Converse, Nike, New Balance, adidas, PUMA, Reebok, Vans, etc. Doing everything right from service, selection and sensory, we naturally spent the most amount of time here, chatting the staff who ran the show. A past/present Air Jordan showcase punctuates the store’s recognition of the player and brand’s legacy.

#3. UÖLKER – Sneakers & Co – www.uolker.com
11am-9pm (Mon-Sat)
+34 933 19 56 91 / 933 195 691

With adidas, Nike and Saucony as its staples, UÖLKER has a great variety of backpacks, caps, and robots…? We regret not asking about the robots. There was an army of them behind the staff counter. They also have some interesting storefront messaging so you can’t miss it. If you tire and need a break from shopping, grab lunch right outside of the store. The cafe serves tapas to die for (try the calamari, it’s awesome).

#4. House of Hoops by Foot Locker – Official EU Site
10am-9pm (Mon-Fri)
10am-930pm (Sat), 10am-6pm (Sun)
+34 932 70 20 17

If you have a thing for Nike athletes and their player edition sneakers, this is must visit. There’s a small ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ deep inside the store (when we say small, we really mean just Kobe and Lebron, and more like hand prints immortalized in concrete when they toured Barcelona in 2011). Nonetheless, they stock all the good stuff a Foot Locker is known for.

 

 

#5. Snipes – www.snipes.com
10am-9pm (Mon-Sat)
935 17 21 75

Mighty selection of brands and accessories from floor to ceiling. It has an entire level dedicated to women’s’ sneakers and gear. We stocked up on Crep Protect here, a worthy mention as the sales team patiently explained how the product worked (we already said we were familiar). Kudos for being thorough and persistent. Snoops fans – a Snoop Dogg x Snipes streetwear collaboration exists and if this is your thing, this is the place to be.

#6. SNEAKERS – www.sneakers-barcelona.com
10am-9pm (Mon-Sat)
933 424 540

Hole in a wall store with two-levels. A healthy selection of Nike are available but New Balance and adidas nuts will be spoiled for choice here. No Jordans here.

#7. Aw Lab – aw-lab.com/
9am-7pm (Mon-Sat)
+34 934 12 41 62

Aw Lab reminds me of a World of Sports (onsite) – a jack of all trades for the basic sporting needs. One highlight was the cameo of an Air Jordan 4 ‘Royalty’ hiding amongst urban apparel. That said, they have a solid online store and blog that covers most brands.

#8. LimitEDitions – www.limiteditions.org
11am-830pm (Mon-Thu)
11am-9pm (Fri), 1030am-9pm (Sat)

Quaint store with solemn staffers. We peeked and caught a glimpse of a ‘Yeezy museum’ within an extension of the store (there was no indication of entry or operational hours of this gem). Great for fans of adidas/Kanye. Glad to share more about this place if you are interested. Reach out to us.

 

 

#9. Footlocker – Official EU Site
10am-9pm (Mon-Sat)
+34 934 12 19 55

Another Foot Locker without the House of Hoops. Simple but effective for sneakerheads who need a quick fix.

#10. La Nobi – lanobi.com
430pm-830pm (Mon)
1030am-830pm (Tue-Fri), 11am-9pm (Sat)
+34 934 436 185

Store owners we spoke to recommended coming here, being one of the must-go places for vintage re-issues and special editions. Sadly, they were closed during both our visits. We hope to come here another time.

And that’s it folks! We had a blast taking in the sights and sounds (FOOD!) of Barcelona, Spain. For more shenanigans and behind the scenes photos from the trip, follow us on Instagram here or our Facebook page here.

What do you think of this list? Let us know if we missed out any sneaker stores worth featuring. Till then it’s back to Singapore, ¡Buenas noches!

*Cover for this post (painting located at SVD basement): ‘AM97’ art by @txemy