Getting the Boot
L.A.'s endless summer is finally over. It's time to shelve the gladiators (perhaps permanently) and pick up some new boots for fall. But if you're anything like us, those dreamy Nicholas Kirkwood-for-Rodarte thigh-highs aren't even remotely in your budget. Fortunately, L.A. is home to tons of second-hand boutiques brimming over with gorgeous vintage boots that already boast that hard-earned worn-in look.
Here's where to get your boot on....
LEMON FROG
This tiny, musty-smelling store -- on the corner of Alvarado and Sunset Boulevards in Echo Park -- is filled to the rafters with all kinds of vintage gems, but boots are owner Micki Curtis’ specialty. She collected them for a decade before opening Lemon Frog, and though boots of every shape and size line nearly every wall, Curtis still has a stash in storage that she will eventually roll out. Flat circa-80s slouchy boots rub shanks with 70s high-heeled varietals and short lace-ups. Boots start at $10, and are all labeled with a size sticker right on the toe -- which means you don't have to futz around with trying on boots that will never fit you.
1202 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, 213-413-2143. Open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Lemonfrogshop.com.
SLOW
Melrose Avenue second-hand boutique Slow is home to what can only be described as a boot bonanza (and we don’t use the word bonanza lightly). We won’t say it’s a well curated collection — quantity trumps quality here — but arrive with time and patience in your pocket, and there are definite treasures to be found. The bulk of the store’s women’s shoe collection resides on a second-floor overhang where there are rows and rows of boots -- from the heavy-metal fringed to the lace-up Victorian-inspired to the multi-colored cowboy -- ranging in price from around $30 to $100. And once a month, the owners bring the goods outdoors where items (some boots included) can be snagged on the super-cheap. Call ahead to verify the sale dates, as they seem to shift monthly.
COWGIRL STOMP: Western boots at Slow.
7474 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323-655-3725. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
POP KILLER
With three different locations, Pop Killer brings cool merch — new and vintage alike — to hip L.A. kids. The boutique is known for its mash-up of t-shirts, kitschy costumes, cheapie-stylish sunglasses and Japanese gadgets and garb -- but it also carries a selection of vintage shoes and boots worth digging through. Amidst the 90s "mom" brands (including Joan & David and Cole Haan) and styles that scream early 2000s, there were a clutch of trend-right styles — from flat suede knee-highs to Western looks and Victorian-vibed booties. The collection is all over the place, but so is the store, which is part of the fun. Prices range from $50 to $150, and some might argue the goods don’t justify the prices. But it only takes one heavenly pair to make the trip worth while.
MIXED BAG: The author tries on styles at Pop Killer.
7503 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, 323-874-7731. Open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Popkiller.us.
DECADES & DECADESTWO
If high-fashion cred is what you're after, upscale designer boutiques Decades and Decadestwo are your joints. When we stopped by the upstairs Decades -- which specializes in true-blue vintage -- there were exactly seven pairs of boots on display. But each were jaw-droppingly gorgeous and in pristine condition. Priced from the low $200s, with the most expensive boot marked at $650, they were also expensive -- but justifiably so.
Downstairs, at Decadestwo, which specializes in designer resale (styles from the past 10 years), the boot selection is more plentiful, but obviously not as rarefied. Still, this is the place to land those Chloe or Gucci boots you find yourself still coveting like crazy a season or two later -- at 40 to 70 percent off the original price.
SLICK SHOES: The pristine selection at Decades.
Decades: 8214 1/2 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323-655-0223. Open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Decadesinc.com.
Decadestwo: 8241 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323-655-1960. Open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Sundays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Decadestwo.com.
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