10 Sneakers Stores to Check Out If You Don't Live in a Major City

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Location: Nashua, N.H./Lowell, Mass.

If you don’t think Nashua, N.H. has a blossoming sneaker scene, then you’re not completely wrong. There isn’t much substantial sneaker culture in the Granite State. But Persona has been able to flourish by being the best option in the state and opening a location in nearby Lowell, Mass. What keeps Persona in business is its sting selection of menswear and streetwear to complete its bevy of Sauconys, Nike SBs, New Balances, and Pumas. It’s not hard to be the best sneaker store in New Hampshire, but that doesn’t mean it’s not appreciated by the residents.

Location: Arkansas (Little Rock, Conway, Fayetteville)

Arkansas: The home of Bill Clinton, the 1994 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion, and Jerry Jones. Oh, and Rock City Kicks. Ar-Kansas, as LSU football coach Les Miles once called it, is worlds away from the popping sneaker scenes of L.A., NYC, or even Chicago. But if you were to browse through Rock City’s site, you’d never know that Little Rock, Ark. (or the the other locations Conway and Fayetteville) wasn’t a hip spot on the East Coast—or at least from the heat that the store's packing. There are collabs from Puma and sportswear selections from Nike, and that's enough to bring buzz to this shop even if it's nowhere near a coast.

Location: Teaneck, N.J.

It’s hard to have a discussion of the New York City sneaker scene without Mike Packer and his store, Packer Shoes. Except, the shop isn’t located in NYC, it’s nestled just outside of Manhattan in sleepy New Jersey.

Packer doesn’t just serve as a store that sells limited sneakers, it’s a shop that keeps sneaker culture alive through its athletic-based collaborations, exclusive product, and in-store events. Just last year, the store did up two pairs of the Reebok Question in colors for LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—a sneaker they both wore in their early days. That’s a connection most shops don’t make.

Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

A lot of people only know Premier for its online shop and the sales that it has, but its physical store has established it as a skate and sneaker destination. If it feels like Premier carries everything, that’s because it practically does. The shop has all of the skate brands, but it also stocks Air Jordans, New Balances, and ASICS. Not to mention, Premier also collaborated with Nike SB and Saucony this year, too. But if you only shop Premier for its sales, we aren’t mad at all.

Location: New Jersey (Montclair, Morristown)

The New Jersey-based shop has found a vital home in the suburban college town of Montclair. Takeover isn’t just a mediocre shop that stays afloat because it’s the best store in town, it’s been co-signed by the likes of Stalley and keeps a diverse selection at all times. Which is major, because college students always need to stay fresh.

Location: Fullerton, Calif.

With everyone complaining about sneakers selling out too quick, you’d swear there weren’t enough sneaker stores. But when you write about sneakers everyday, you get to know how many stores are really out there. It’s a lot. Beatnic isn’t one of California’s biggest shops, but it has sneakers in-stock that you thought sold out everywhere. That’s why you need this place on your radar, and did we mention its solid collabs that have dropped over the years?

Location: Lexington, Ky.

Lexington is an important city when it comes to basketball and athletics, it’s the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, but it also has a prominent sneaker store: Oneness. If you’re up on the Internet sneaker scene—duh, you’re reading Complex—you know that Oneness is a trusted source if you want sneakers first, and it not afraid to hold a decent sale. But where a lot of shops only focus on sneakers or have a limited clothing selection, Oneness carries the clothes that keep ‘heads from falling into the trap of #ntdenim. You can pick up your Footscapes and Tech Fleece sweats at the same damn time.

Location: Patchogue, N.Y.

New York City is the sneaker capital of the world, but not everyone who lives in the surrounding area always wants to deal with the hassle of traveling into the Big Apple. For those that live in Long Island, they can get a lot of what’s available in the City without ever hopping on the LIRR, thanks to Sneaker Bistro. Located little more than an hour outside of Manhattan, the shop serves up a selection that skews heavily towards Nike and Jordan Brand, which sits wonderfully against the brick decor inside.

Location: Encino, Calif.

Primitive recently released a collaboration with adidas on the Stan Smith Vulc, and it was good for the shop, but also kind of surprising—Primitive is owned by Paul Rodriguez, one of Nike SB’s premier skaters. This skate-first mentality transfers well to Primitive, which is also a full clothing line and skate brand. But if you thought you could only find sneakers that are made to sit above griptape here, think again: You can grab your Js along with your P Rod 8s.

Location: Honolulu and Guam

Honolulu might be the most-populous city in Hawaii and the state’s capital, but it’s Hawaii. You’re not going to get there unless you already live there or fly across the Pacific. But Kicks/HI has been holding things down in the middle of the Pacific and even opened a location on a more remote island, Guam. ‘Heads might remember the shop for its “3 Feet High” Vans Chukka that released in 2007, and Kicks/HI has continued that laid-back tradition. Its store is stocked with sneakers that reflects its island vibe—Vans and Converse are in abundance—but it also gives locals and tourists a chance to catch up on a quality pair of runners, too.