Image via Complex Original/Jazz Alba
Canadian streetwear is booming.
Style influencers said 2021’s a year to remember and it’s looking even brighter for 2022. Even with the pandemic and continuous lockdowns, positive change is happening, drops have defied expectations, sneakerheads have survived, and Canadian brands have been making waves.
As we continue to return to normality, where we can see and grab the latest pieces IRL, we wanted to bring together the best when it comes to our retail boutiques. Sure, you may have gotten used to ordering your shoes via apps lately, but brick-and-mortar stores are still worth hitting up—they’re where you can cop exclusive collabs and colourways without having to deal with eternal shipping times. They also serve as hubs for local sneaker communities, which are only growing across the country.
So, whether you’re on the coast or somewhere in between, buckle in for your new normal. Here are the 25 best sneaker boutiques in Canada right now.
Makeway
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Canada’s only standalone women’s sneaker boutique has been making an impact ever since launching last November. Not only is it “for womxn, by womxn,” but Makeway’s space serves as a community hub for women to connect. Co-founders Abby Albino and Shelby Weaver (whose day job is the Toronto Raptors’ Director of Basketball Advancement) were driven to launch the boutique after being dissatisfied with the way women’s sneakers and accessories were treated as an afterthought. Their drops, for example, are exclusively for women and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Today, their shop—which carries staples like PUMA and Reebok, as well as accessories from women-owned Canadian brands—is finally here to give female sneakerheads what they deserve.
DIME
What began as a group of friends skateboarding and making videos in the early 2000s is now DIME, a skate-inspired store in Montreal. Alongside its DIME CLASSICS line, featuring hoodies, crewnecks and t-shirts, it’s got a skate shop, offering boards and wheels, and kicks from brands like Last Resort, adidas and Vans to complete the package.
Capsule
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Since launching in Markham in 2003, Capsule’s become one of the GTA’s go-to destinations for top-shelf streetwear and footwear. Now with locations in Toronto’s Yorkville district (as well as a new one in downtown Markham, back to where it all started), the shop stocks limited edition, vintage, and hard-to-find sneakers and apparel, as well as a calendar and raffles for the latest drops. Its most recent drops include the Air Jordan 4 Retro “Red Thunder” and the New Balance M991GL.
Livestock
Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba
An anchor of the Canadian sneaker community for over a decade, Livestock has been at the forefront of what’s new and next in the country. The boutique sells a curated selection of kicks and apparel across its Vancouver, Toronto and Winnipeg stores. As well as dropping their own collaborations, like the Livestock x Toyo Steel Trunk Toolbox, its winter delivery features brands including Dr. Martens, Carhartt WIP and BEAMS PLUS.
size?
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Massively popular UK streetwear retailer size? has been recognized as one of the world’s greatest sneaker stores since launching in the year 2000. This spring, it opened in Canada, both as an online Canadian storefront and a massive brick-and-mortar retail shop in the heart of downtown Toronto. As well as stocking sneakers from the likes of Jordan and Nike, it supports Canadian, stocking brands like Taikan. Originally built to house a bank in 1884, the size? Toronto store utilizes the original vault as an entrance to its VIP area, and features hidden safe doors and display boxes made of vault bars.
Adrift
Off The Hook
Solestop
Lost & Found
Courtside Sneakers
Roden Gray
Sam Tabak
Location: Lachine, Quebec
Sam Tabak has been a mainstay in Lachine, Quebec since 1942. No, that isn’t a typo. Back when it opened, it was known for its tailored suits. It wasn’t until the turn of the century that third-generation owner Eli Tabak decided to pivot the business, offering more sportswear and streetwear. Today, the boutique sells a range of popular sneaker brands. It’s also home to its own line, STBK—selling snapbacks and tees—and a packed release calendar of anticipated Nike and Jordan drops.
HAVEN
NOMAD
BB Branded
Location: Windsor, Ontario
BB Branded got its start when two brothers came together to sell jewellery in downtown Windsor, Ontario. Fifteen years and several iterations later, the pair have transformed the store into the sneaker space it is today. Today, they are seen as something of a community hub for streetwear heads in the border city. As well as selling brands like Nike, adidas, and Champion, they have their own line, WINCity.
Mile End Kicks
Exclucity
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Exclucity’s founder Trent Out Loud got his start selling T-shirts and durags out of the trunk of his car. From there, he launched his sneaker boutique in the basement of a tattoo studio in Pierrefonds, a suburb of Montreal, with the name Hip Hop Exclusive. Today, Exclucity stocks apparel and accessories from the sneaker world’s greats. In a 2020 interview, Trent teased the brand’s future might include experiential stores, like the sneaker equivalent of an Apple store, making it an exciting one to keep an eye on.
FOUR HORSEMEN
Less 17
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Less 17’s roster of brands includes everything from Reigning Champ to Rick Owens, with a curated focus on contemporary brands. The boutique is located in Calgary, Alberta, and has been a staple of the scene since 2014. Its latest arrivals include jackets from Engineered Garments, fleeces from Stone Island and caps from Stussy.