Was able to stop in and browse the selection. Im a big stone island fan and they were able to present me a couple options and specific hoodies i was looking for . I seen they were marked down on the website so i decided to come in. They were very attentative , not only that , they applied an EXTRA mark down that i wouldve never knew about . Overall great experience. This will def be my go to spot for stone island ! I paid about $500 for both hoodies ! read more

The Darkside Initiative - Shoe Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I LOVE this store. Martin & his crew are all so nice and friendly. They have a great selection of sneakers and I love the clothes as well.

Excellent customer service! The guys there were very nice and friendly. Great value Good location read more

This store in San Francisco was a great experience to visit. The various kinds of fashion and all kinds of trendy shoes. Their choice of fashionable streetwear shoes were endless and I spent forever looking at the different kinds of brands that encompassed skating to comfortable tennis shoes. I love how they push to keep up with fashionable trends and even ones that are making a comeback like 1990's/2000's streetwear fashion, while always embracing the ever-changing trends in streetwear fashion. read more

Thank you dark. Side initiative I live in Winchester California and have bought been able to win and buy multiple shoes and clothing great shipping and customer service would definitely recommend .!!!! read more

The Darkside Initiative - Shoe Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sneakerheadz have a lot of preferences, which we could spend hours discussing. At the very top of that list is cleanliness. I would be willing to bet that 75-80% of Sneakerheadz are OCD. At minimum, self-diagnosed OCD. One thing I will add, which is definitely a bit of a pain, is that true Sneaker shops offer up great kicks, a really large selection and yes, limited sizes. Sometimes the store has your size and sometimes you visit 4-5 stores looking for a specific kick and nobody has your size. If you walk in with an open mind, you are more likely to leave the store with a box of kicks than if you go in looking for a very specific sneaker. I didn't find anything to buy on my first visit, but that won't stop me from returning. Costs are reasonable, selection is solid, cleanliness appeared to be about an 8.7 of 10 and customer service was on point. If you find yourself here via car and you pull up out front expecting to find parking, don't be surprised if you crawl up the hill just behind the Segway tour group. That is people watching 101 right there friends. read more

For all you sneakerheads...I'm sure you already know this is one of only four Tier 0 accounts on the West Coast. They have your Quickstrikes and decention selection of gear. Cool peeps....nobody is here is condescending if you're a newbie to the game. I copped a pair of Air Force 1 spiridon and Nike Blazer Tech Pack. They don't stock any Vault Vans here since HUF and eBay are my best friend for those pieces. read more

We come in here several times a month on the weekends. The clothing isn't quite my preferred style but there's a nice range of sneakers if that's your thing: Adidas, Nikes, Vans, Converse. Every time I come in though, I'm in love with the incense. This past weekend I inquired about it and picked up a pack of Neighborhood brand incense. This stuff is pretty pricy but the scent is amazing and it's definitely going to become one of my regulars. The guys are super nice and helpful and easy to talk to. I enjoy dropping in here every few weeks! read more

Big ups to the Darkside Initiative for keeping it one hundred. Expect really great customer service, they really go above and beyond, without making you feel pressured or uncomfortable. My boyfriend wanted a pair of Toki Lux and Toki TZs and was given excellent service on two separate occasions. He called them and asked if there was a possibility of putting them on hold and, wow, they actually did. That is a rarity in this cut throat wait-overnight-in-front of the store shoe game. Granted, these were not Air Yeezys (I hate you Kanye West), however, they were pretty sough after shoes. When he arrived to pick them up the next day, they were all sold out not including the one they had saved for him. They even offered to put it on hold another day. They're really nice and personable. Colin the owner knows what it is all about. All these urban/street wear stores want your cash money, but these guys also want to make it a good experience, and deliver to the best of their abilities. Shoe shopping for the serious, not the fickle-"oh I just wanna see." This place is up in the cutttttties! I had to circle-well more like square-a block to find it. You're gonna park at the street. I have have alot of sneakerhead friends, and they all seem to like this store enough to trek from Milpitas to Mount hellllla far away street. I didn't see shoes that I didn't already see in Haight... Gives you a minimalist kind of vibe, but not so bare that you feel like you're at church or something. If you're looking for that crazy 10 Deep hoodie or mad-nutz-crazy-gotta-spend-your-paycheck Kate Moss tee go find your local Urban Streetwear boutique, cause they don't mess with that business. Prices-pretty good compared to everywhere else and they're known to have some pretty dope sales. That's what it's all about here. Clothing is not my cup of tea. Too plain or not enough crazy in it. Don't even bother, ladies. Go find your shoe size, sit, or go to that cute toy store next door. When you enter, you'll see clothing from left to right, a register in front of you, and shoes around. Walk to the left of the register and you will see stairs. Go there. That's where you wanna go. Watch your step. That's the motherload. Shoes galore. Both for men and women. read more

A Must if passing thru SF and you're a Mens street shoe/clothing hound. Colin's the Gem! Futura and Stash's friend who runs the store! Everyone is so so nice there! And the lines are so, "upper playground!" :-D the shoes aren't so pricey! The clothes... A yeah, but where else you gonna get 'em? read more

Stash AF1 and AM 95 release- the biggest shoe release of the year. My friend's baby brother spent 17 hours camped out in front of Nort from Saturday around 10 PM until Sunday at noon. (The line started Friday at 8 PM.) He was in the early 100s in line and the store opened at 10AM. He didn't get his kicks until 2 or 3PM. 2 pair limit, each at around $250. Check this: A guy from Texas flew to NYC for the Stash release there, then to SF for the west coast release. That's hardcore. read more

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Great shop with wonderful raffles and service. I won a raffle but was unable to claim my prize on time due to circumstances, but the raffle was completely legit and fair! Even though I messed up, nothing but love and respect for a nice store! read more

This is a great store. Although I only buy shoes when I go here, I see a lot of nice clothes and accessories for men. The store is nice and chill,the employees are cool and laid back. Every time I go into darkside all the employees greet me. As soon as you walk into the store it smells very clean and has a good scent to it. Store service is great, fast and legit! I definitely recommend this store to anyone who's interested in exclusive clothes and footwear. read more

The Darkside Initiative - THE 10: NIKE AIR PRESTO W/ ORANGE LACES - Shoe Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very very expensive and horrible customer service. Bought a pair of shoes and lost the box trying to return them-- brutal customer service and wouldn't let you return or get a better size. Instead they laughed and shook their heads. If you want to be locked into a pair of shoes and treated like shit, this is the place for you. Otherwise, don't go here! read more

Just moved back to the bay from L.A. might be the best sneaker store I've been to so far. Great selection!

Full disclosure: I am not a sneakerhead. Now that that's out of the way, I too will jump on the bandwagon and give Colin and the darkside initiative 5 beaming stars. As of late, I've had a weird fanboy-esque obsession with sneakers; to elaborate more, reebok and Adidas. theres something about minimal clothing with some nice ass sneakers, itll never go out of style. If you know reeboks, you know that you can't just stumble into Macys (or most specialized shoe stores for that matter) to an selection to choose from. In fact, I have gone out of my way to multiple sneaker boutiques in SF and haven't seen one pair of reeboks.... Much less a collaboration line. For that reason, I've adopted multiple European boutiques and purchase everything online. As of late, I've developed the same level of appreciate for Adidas/Y3; more specifically their tubular and originals line. After some poking around on yelp, I find the darkside initiative only to find out that they are a mere two blocks away from my office. Trouble. I walk over after work and encounter a beautiful store front, windows filled with shoes and know immediately I am where I desire to be. Upon coming in, it's just me and two SA's.... an intimidating moment for most (per other reviews) but found an array of Adidas right away. Although they were more Nike heavy than most, I decided to just inquire about an upcoming tubular release. Instead of a "nah bruh, don't got it" or a *Kanye shrug*, I got was greeted by Colin who filled me in on a wealth of information, clued me into other shops who may carry what I am seeking and even chatted with me about releases set in the more distant future. Having been in the service industry, I know that being customer centric doesn't necessarily always relate to an immediate sale..... but instead planting the seed of a relationship, and that's what they were able to do. I didn't buy anything right away, but the top notch service and wonderful selection warranted a review as well as a futute customer and advocate. That said, they carry many brands that are hard to find (NEIGHBORHOOD, WTAPS, etc) and have a rotating selection of shoes, collabs and clothing. Their website and Instagram are updated regularly, so dont sleep on em. Other shops could learn a thing or two from DI. read more

This store has a very sleek design with tons of kicks and a good supply of really expensive clothes. Saldy is the man; real easy going and receptive to chopping up a long conversation. I get the sense that they don't get a lot of traffic on a daily basis, mostly just regulars coming through. They have a "Tier 0" Nike account -- not being a real shoe connoisseur I had no idea what this meant, however he was nice enough to explain the entire Tier system to me. Basically, they carry the rarest, kicks around. Pretty cool, right? So that means I can't really find them anywhere else? Exactly he confirmed. I enjoyed the half hour I spent here and ending up buying some sweet Nikes I've never seen before. Even though I am not big on dropping tons of dough on clothes/shoes, I felt like I had a good experience and I do not mind supporting a local shop. However, after I got home I noticed the receipt said "all sales are final." This made me kind of weary, so I went online to check out the price of my shoes and some others that I saw in the store and thought about purchasing. Lo and behold, I found them for 10-15% cheaper including shipping! This was a little disturbing. So....even though they have a special Tier 0 account and have the "rarest" shoes on "the west coast," they in fact know that you can get them online for cheaper? Too me, a little peeving. It only slightly alters the fact that I had a good experience in the shop. I will definitely go back in there, but with a plan: find some sick shoes, try them on for fit, buy them at a better price point online. There is something to be said for walking out of a store with new kicks on your feet and one could never exchange that feeling with a web purchase...it is just the fact that all sales are final which bugs me. I would not call it shady because that has too much of a negative connotation. I would call it a little cutty though. read more

Darkside is definitely clutch. I know I say that a lot but it's true about this place too. I was on the hunt for a pair of dunks I just found out were recently released. I couldn't find them anywhere, not even on ebay (yet). I called up Darkside and luckily they had one last pair in my size. Seeing as how I was coming from San Jose, I asked if they could hold them for me. To my surprise, they said they would. SWEEET. And I thought their regulars would only get special treatment like that. Thanks Darkside. The store is nicely stocked and seems to me like you're best bet to check up on upcoming hard-to-get Tier Zeroes or quickstrikes. The employees aren't intimidating or forceful. No pressure whatsoever. They're easy-going and friendly. Even if you're a moderate sneakerhead like me, it's good to know there are people out there who encourage you to learn about the culture. I drove 50 miles to pick up a pair of shoes. Don't ask me why. I just did it. Good experience though. No doubt. read more

Interesting little boutique store in North Beach near where I was staying so I thought I'd go check it out tourist style. Looks like a house from outside. It would be easy for me to dog this place because clothing wise it's not exactly my scene. For sneakers it's pretty much all Nikes, they have some rare ones but not a lot to check out other than that. I remember coming here when it used to be Recon and they had a rad SF city vibe to it. Now it seems like a Nike store with some weird Japanese clothing brands thrown in. I got really good service and the dude working seemed to know a lot about the product. I was determined to waste money here on something unique to SF to remind me of my trip. I just couldn't find anything. If you are looking for rare sneakers or $50 t-shirts then it is worth a shot I suppose. read more

Brightly-lit, open & airy, simple minimalist design interior. They do not overstock the floor. They show one size of each garment and you can have them pull your actual size from their stock room. Great selection of inventory that comes in each week fresh from Japan & they post on their website blog. *Best part: friendliest staff I've ever met at any store in it's class. read more

Great store!! they have good really good option of sneakers even though they're a little bit expensive but worth it. I came to their store to buy shoes for gifts. The staff are always very helpful and knowledgeable. They also will recommend you to the other store if they don't have the shoes that you looking for. read more

Pretty bad-ass establishment. I don't care much for shoes but Darkside has a decent selection of Bay Area street art clothing, mostly tees, so it goes on the list with Upper Playground and Lower Haters. They carry some slightly heavier gear too - jackets, pants. One jacket in particular is possibly the most bad-ass piece of gear I've ever tried on, and near the top of my things-to-do-with-$600-list. Oh and they got mad shoes. read more

Solid sneaker collection including a well-curated selection of Nike (dat exclusive tier zero account), and they carry the only two Japanese labels that really matter to me (Wtaps, Neighborhood). They have pretty decent buys, and fair prices too (example: N'hood t-shirts sell for $80 here, $100+ at Union in Los Angeles. And these are the only 2 brick and mortar stores that I know of in Cali that carry this brand.) Small shop, tucked away in a quiet part of North Beach, which is good b/c parking. Like everyone else said, staff was really friendly and helpful, despite the fact that you walk in and there's two SAs just standing there like soldiers. Could be an intimidating sight but they're friendly right off the bat. It's a specialty retail shop, meaning, if you're not specifically into this stuff, I wouldn't necessarily recommend going because it's not like Unionmade aka an emporium of random shit you can browse through for fun. But if you are, place is a gold mine. Not because they carry everything, but because you can see some exclusive goods in the flesh (and test out sizes - VERY KEY), whereas without this place, you literally cannot without traveling very very far. read more

As far as streetwear shops go, this place is awesome. Forget the clothing or the shoes or whatever... these guys have turned this place into a 10th Dharma Initiative station! lol Any LOST fan will get a kick out of coming here and checking out all the Dharma esque stuff. Of course, it all says Darkside not Dharma, but any true lost fan will appreciate it. The selection of clothing is dope too... the only place you can pick up Futura Labs (and all that other Futura and Stash stuff) Great selection of New Era caps, lots of jackets and sweaters too... Plus you already know they've got a ridiculous selection of shoes. Tier 0 account, which means they only get the best of the best. I support this store because unlike all the other streetwear shops, these guys are actually glad you came in to shop. read more

One of the best casual shoe selections for men that I've seen in San Francisco. Mostly Chuck Taylors, vans, trendy hipster Nike running shoes, etc. Also a good selection of men's clothing, but a bit too overpriced in my opinion. Definitely worth stopping in. read more

I used to come here all the time when it was Recon, and still always stop by when I'm home cuz they usually have some pretty good stuff... but i'm sad the downstairs is gone because it was just that many more hand-picked sneakers to choose from. I really like their selection of men's clothing, but they need to get more sizes because some of this sh*t look straight up like baby clothes-- I like to shop for my brother and send him the newest or underground stuff he can't get in Hawaii--and he doesn't even wear baggy clothes and it was still too snug for his style (straight)-- stock more large shirts! nonetheless, I found my favorite pair of dunks I own here so I'm still a fan. read more

Favorite boutique in Northern California, HANDS DOWN (...ok, Self Edge is right up there, but for the sake of dramatic effect...) The Darkside Initiative is located in North Beach, away from all the other "streetwear" shops in SF (HUF on Sutter, True/Stussy/etc. on Lower Haight), and for good reason: they are NOT just another streetwear boutique that stocks the same old stuff from the same old designers. What you will find at The Darkside Initiative are the absolute freshest clothes straight from Japan, including brands like Neighborhood, WTaps, NSW, HideandSeek, and Hysteric Glamour. The only other boutique in the States that I can think of off the top of my head that stocks such hard-to-find brands is Union Los Angeles (since Union New York closed), and even then, I was told by one of the employees at The Darkside Initiative that what you see at Union isn't necessarily what you can get at The Darkside Initiative, and vice-versa; the two stores actually make an effort to stock different pieces in order to provide a more exclusive selection. Oh yeah, the employees. They are the polar opposite of your typical streetwear boutique asshole; friendly, helpful, and down-to-earth, despite being decked out in outfits that are worth close to a grand. I don't shop here too often ($80 t-shirts and $400 jackets on a college student's budget is tough!), but every time I do, I know I'll have a great experience. read more

Psst...want to score some hard to find Converse and Nike shoes that will make your feet stick out in a city crowded with plain old Chucks and Dunks? Get yee to Darkside, stat! I'm not a huge sneaker head but this shop could definitely be the motivation to convert me. The guys working here now their stuff and are not intimidating in the least, encouraging a newb like myself to try on both shoes and clothes. Make sure and keep an eye on their blog and if you spot a pair that you like, make a beeline to the store because the shoes are usually in limited supply. Friendly staff, fair prices and great selection. What's not to like? read more

I went to Huf before I came here. The shitty customer service at Huf makes this place AWESOME in my books. Good luck finding parking around here. I'd recommend taking public transportation if you're going to be in the area. read more

The staff is the friendliest & they don't hate on anyone or act like they're too cool like workers in most other streetwear shops. (I won't name any names) I'm pretty much done with the whole sneaker game now, but I definitely know where to go for presents for the bf. (and double punch is right next door... whoohoo!). read more

Recon used to be my favorite destination for unique graphic Tee during summer, but it is no more. The T- shirt price has inflated, and the cools now are usually directly imported/made in Japan which means they are now 50$+ per one instead of 25$ Oh well, at least they stil have some neat sneakers. Now I pretty swing by Recon only if I wanna visit the urban vinyl toy store next door. read more

Been shopping here off and on since they were Recon. I liked it when they had the shoes downstairs and the clothes upstairs, but I like the show display from the storefront. The people here are top notch and they are extremely helpful / friendly. check out their blog to keep up on new releases. Gotta love the internet (saves time, gas and money), but life it will only provide you so much. If you have a couple minutes, check out this video. Its the owner (really cool guy) and he breaks it down. http://vimby.com/video/fashion/us/all/detail/6603 read more

Great shop with a superb brand portfolio. Very friendly and helpful staff. The selection of sneakers, japanese streetwear Brands and other Accessoires give the Shop a perfect mix. I absoluty recommend going there! read more

Recon/Nort is awesome, they got probably the best selection of Nike kicks in SF, well, they only sell Nikes. If you're looking for some cool Dunks, AF1, etc etc, this is the place to hit. Too bad they don't carry Nike SB shoes. The clothes are dope too, and the thing i love about this place is their bags, I bought a $30 silk-screen t-shirt and got the coolest bag for it, very impressive... I will def go back to cop more stuff... for sneakers, I'd also check TurfSM in San Mateo, and obviously, the usual suspects in SF like HufSF... read more

Pretty cool store, great t-shirts, especially from my fav Futura. Can be on the pricey side tho.. but hey, that's what you gots to pay for the fresh threads ;) Nort is a nice store (underneath Recon), some nice colorways and the dude is pretty helpful. I would possibly rate this store slightly higher than Nort in New York and Berlin. read more

For anybody reading about this place for the first time let me break it down: RECON *************************************** Super expensive clothes from super limited designers for super fashionistas. All that stuff looks overpriced and really I can't really tell the difference between that stuff and Urban Outfitters. *** ******* *********** *************** ******************** down the stairs you go. NORT: bottom floor- **************************************** Tier 0 Nike store! Selection=largest in the city. You won't find most of this stuff except on ebay being sold for above retail. 5 stars for the NORT itself. Try to look at the table under the staircase, that's the best deals. Then again people don't usually to go NORT for the deals, they go for exclusivity. read more

Great sneaker shop tucked on a quieter street in North Beach. Selection is just the right amount - wide but not overwhelming. Everyone who works there is welcoming, attentive and knowledgeable. I've purchased multiple pairs already and will be back very soon. read more

I was playing tour guide to my uncle and his girlfriend when my sneaker loving uncle pulled over seeing Darkside Initiative. We parked and all went in, all three of us became giddy with the selection. Both my Uncle and I are real picky, but they had some really good stuff!! The two guys, who's name I unfortunately didn't get, were really nice and helpful too! One of them even added change to the meter of my Unk' s rental. Thanks to my Uncle Rob's severe generosity we all three walked out with some DOPE Kicks!! I was surprised to have found this place, and asked the guy how long they had been there, when he responded "10 years" I was a tad miffed I never got the memo, but then stoked I had, well my uncle had discovered this gem!! I highly recommend going here, they have a great selection and better then that a nice staff!!! I'll def be back... I already know for which pair too!!! read more

This is one of the best boutiques in the city. They always have a great selection of shoes mostly air forces/air maxes/dunks. Nothing too rare or limited, but the prices are normal with no markups. I've always had good experiences with the people working there. They're not stuck up or pretentious at all which happens a lot at other shoe boutiques. Overall, Darkside Initiative is one of the best shoe spots in the city. read more

This place is THE PLACE to go to for all your clothing and sneaker needs. anyways, this place is right in the mist of the North Beach / Chinatown area and it's close to that huge Cathedral so you can't miss this place. Parking may be hard to find, especially when they have their really good sales. I've been coming here since I was in high school and I've even camped out here for a few releases for their rare Tier 0 account, only one in the bay area. the biggest release i was here for was the houndstooth UNDFTD AF1s and then there was the infamous Stash AM95 and AF1 release too when they use to be RECON/NORT. They def. went thru an image change over the years. So dont miss out on this place, they have the top notch brands where you can't find anywhere in the Bay Area, maybe even the state if i'm not mistaken. WTAPS, converse, Nike, Neighborhood, Futura, etc Also, their customer service is very good. I havn't been here so long that I think they have gotten new staff over the years. But of course, theres always going to be the few dedicated like Bert. I havnt been here so long I dont even remember some of their names. Lastly, DO NOT MISS THEIR SALES. read more