Sneaker Store Near Me on La Brea Avenue: Undefeated La Brea

Undefeated La Brea is where the whole Undefeated story starts, and it still sells the brand's own Nike collaborations at retail price. The shop is at 111 S La Brea Ave, on the Mid-City stretch of La Brea Avenue north of Wilshire Boulevard, and it opens at 11 am six days a week. Anyone looking up a sneaker store near me around Hancock Park or the Fairfax District can reach it in a few minutes, and the wall mixes new Jordans, Nike runners and Undefeated's own camo-heavy apparel.

Undefeated was founded in 2002 by James Bond and Eddie Cruz. In an interview on the brand's own site, Bond explains that he previously ran a men's haberdashery called K-Bond that sold accessories, footwear, clothes, books, art and music. He and Cruz partnered and turned that idea into a dedicated sneaker store, and La Brea became the first address.

The early break came through Nike. Bond recalls that Jason Folton from Nike visited the store, liked it, and brought him to London, which led to Undefeated carrying Hiroshi Fujiwara's Nike HTM Air Woven in several colorways. That connection opened the door to a long run of Undefeated and Nike collaborations, and today the brand has stores across Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, New York, Tokyo, Osaka and three cities in China.

The house pairs are the reason to come. Undefeated currently lists the Undefeated x Nike Air Max 95 SP at $150 in a black and metallic silver colorway and a sail version, both on the classic gradient upper. The Undefeated x Nike Air Zoom Spiridon in cargo khaki and black is $110, which is one of the cheaper ways to own a collaboration pair from the brand.

For something with a Los Angeles accent, the Undefeated x Converse Chuck 70 Hi made with the Brooklyn Dodgers theme is $125, and the Undefeated x New Era Dodgers 59FIFTY fitted caps are $56 each, including a royal satin version. Regular releases sit alongside them: the Jordan 5 Retro in black and picante red with a glow-in-the-dark sole is $215, and the New Balance 9060 in black and castle rock is $160.

Undefeated sells as much clothing as footwear, and the five-strike logo is everywhere. The Icon Pullover Hood is $130, the Icon Crewneck is $120, and a three-pack of short-sleeve tees is $60. The brand's tiger camo pattern shows up on everything from a tote bag at $75 to a neoprene pouch, and the Rally Car Freshener at $3 is the cheapest Undefeated item you can carry out the door.

Our honest take: the college football hoodies and tees in this season's collection are fun but very specific, so skip them unless you went to one of the schools. Spend your budget on the Nike collaborations or the Dodgers caps, which you will not find at a mall shop, and treat the general Jordan releases as a bonus if your size happens to be in stock.

Hours are 11 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and 12 pm to 6 pm on Sunday. Sunday has the shortest window, so plan to arrive by early afternoon if you want time to try things on. Release weeks for an Undefeated and Nike collaboration are a different experience, because the pairs are made in limited numbers, so follow the brand's announcements before you make a special trip and expect company on the sidewalk.

If La Brea is sold out, Undefeated also runs Los Angeles stores in Silver Lake on Sunset Boulevard, in Santa Monica on Main Street and in Glendale on Brand Boulevard, all with the same hours. Calling ahead is faster than driving across the city on a guess.

La Brea pulls a crowd that is more streetwear than pure collector. Expect longtime fans who remember the store's first collaborations, Dodgers fans hunting the newest fitted cap, and visitors who know the five-strike logo from Tokyo or New York and want to see the original location. Complex described the store in 2017 as having the same energy it had when it opened, with a portrait of Eazy-E on the wall.

The staff are used to people coming just to look, and nobody rushes you out. If you are hunting a particular collaboration from past years, this is not a resale shop, so you will only find what is currently in production. For older Undefeated pairs, head to Fairfax, where consignment stores carry them at market prices. Bring the exact style name and colorway, because the same silhouette often comes in several Undefeated versions released years apart.

La Brea between Beverly Boulevard and First Street is one of the best short walks for shopping in the city. Union Los Angeles, the boutique that first opened in New York's Soho in 1989, is on the opposite side of the same block and stocks Nike, Jordan, Vans and the Japanese brand Village PM. Walk north on La Brea and you reach Pink's Hot Dogs at Melrose, a stand that has been serving chili dogs since 1939.

Head south instead and La Brea runs down to Wilshire Boulevard, where the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art sit side by side in Hancock Park. A good half-day plan is Undefeated in late morning, lunch along La Brea, then an afternoon at the tar pits watching the bubbling asphalt in the Lake Pit.

Undefeated La Brea is at 111 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Hours are Monday to Saturday 11 am to 7 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 6 pm. Prices quoted here come from the Undefeated online store this month. For a route that links La Brea, Fairfax and Melrose in one afternoon, ask Karpo in the Karpo APP.