10 of the Best NYC Sneaker Shops for Women

It's a man's world when it comes to sneakers — or at least that's the assumption. The sneakerhead realm has traditionally been a boys' club, but with major brands like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance venturing into the boutique space, women's styles are far more prevalent now.

New York City is the undeniable sneaker capital of the world with its readily available variety of brands, colorways, and customization options. If you're looking for unique sneakers (at sometimes steep prices) that have nothing to do with running, we've compiled the stores with the best sneaker options for women, from Harlem to the Lower East Side.

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Atmos

Known for its warm and helpful staff, the store's roots began in the Ura-Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo, where founder Hidefumi Hommyo opened his first store. More two decades later, the brand has collaborations with Nike, New Balance, Levi's, and North Face under its belt. Whether you have an exact shoe in mind or are looking to be surprised, this is a great destination.

203 W 125th St, Harlem; atmosnyc.com

Extra Butter

Hosting some of the coolest parties with guests like Vashtie Kola in attendance is just a sample of what this LES store has to offer. An offshoot of the original Long Island location, Extra Butter mixes together men's and women's shoes in this store, serving as the perfect judgment-free zone to simply gravitate to what entices you. A bonus is the that helpful staff can guide you to the right purchase based on your budget.

125 Orchard St, Lower East Side; extrabutterny.com

Photo: Rafael Rios/Racked

Kith Women

Kith gets its cool-kid reputation as one of the best sneaker destinations from founder Ronnie Fieg. The Queens native opened his first store in 2011 right across the street and followed up with a Brooklyn location (complete with cereal bar) before returning to Bleecker Street to debut the womenswear line, alongside plenty of sneakers from Nike, Puma, Asics, and more. All the boutiques are designed by the innovative Snarkitecture.

64 Bleecker St, Noho; kithnyc.com

Rime

As one of the few women in New York City to own a sneaker store with options for women, Susan Boyle is a fierce anomaly. Her Brooklyn shop has been open since 2007 (there's an Upper East Side one, too) and boasts custom Dunks, metallic Chucks, and coveted high-top Adidas. She also created a silver classic ventilator sneaker in partnership with Reebok, making Boyle the first non-designer woman to collaborate with the brand.

157 Smith Street, Boerum Hill; rimenyc.com

Adidas Originals

If you're loyal to Adidas, then you'll fully appreciate this inconspicuous Soho store. The selection goes back to the basics with retro sneaker styles bearing the brand's signature triple stripe, in addition to B-Boy apparel that made them a hip-hop staple in the 1980s. Customers look forward to when the shop opens its garage door front in the warmer months.

136 Wooster St, Soho; adidas.com

Photo: Courtesy of Stadium Goods

Stadium Goods

For a newcomer to the world of sneaker obsession, this lower Manhattan store is a great first stop. It's got a retail portion nestled on Howard Street and an intake center for sellers around the corner on Canal Street, and the knowledgeable staff can help you navigate its wide variety of shoes from select brands displayed along the walls. If you're in the market for exclusive apparel to match your new sneakers, Stadium Goods also stocks some much-coveted Supreme gear.

47 Howard St, Soho; stadiumgoods.com

Niketown

Regarded as the best Nike store around, this 95,000-square foot store has five levels of apparel, accessories, and plenty of sneakers (of course), providing ample space for merchandise geared to both the fitness-obsessed athlete and the fashionable sneaker lover.

6 E 57th St, Midtown; niketown.com

Photo: Courtesy of Flight Club

Flight Club

If there's one place you're familiar with on this list, it's this one. This internationally recognized shop makes it clear that it means business with two walls stacked high and wide full of shoes visible from the street. Classic Nike Dunks, Stan Smiths, Pumas, Vans, Converse, and even the coveted Yeezys can be found here — at top price points, of course. But for quality kicks, service on a personalized level, and notoriety, you're really getting what you pay for.

812 Broadway, Greenwich Village; flightclub.com

New Balance

The options are literally endless when it comes to customizing your sneakers here. The all-American brand has made an active effort in the last few years to deviate from the traditional sneaker mold to more trendy and vibrant colorways and styles. To see and shop its new arrivals before the masses discover them, this is where you go.

150 Fifth Ave, Flatiron; newbalance.com

Vans DQM General

When DQM founder Chris Keeffe partnered with Vans in 2011 to open this specialty store, it was a natural progression for both brands. Combining the former's skateboard lifestyle aesthetic with the latter's strong cultural history, the shop offers custom and limited-edition sneakers for both women and men. Go ahead, get your crisp, "Damn, Daniel" moment on.

93 Grand St, Soho; vansdqm.com