Real Life Top 5: Mike Rich’s ATL sneaker spots

JUMPMAN: Mike Rich holding two recent pickups from a sneaker convention in Tampa, FloridaCourtesy of Michael Richardson

Michael Richardson, otherwise known as ‘Mike Rich’ to his more than 205,000 subscribers on YouTube, is a sneaker head from Decatur who has lived in the Atlanta metro area all his life. He grew up craving the newest Jordan and Nike shoes, but he was unable to get the kicks he wanted most because his mother prioritized other responsibilities over his lust for the freshest kicks. It wasn’t until Rich became an adult that he was able to get his hands on the sneakers that he had yearned. Today, Rich who films sneaker reviews and other content on his channel estimates that he currently owns 150 pairs of sneakers in his collection. So we thought he was a perfect person to let us know the top 5 places to get sneakers in Atlanta.

5. Stonecrest Mall: “Stonecrest makes the list, because it’s five minutes from my house, and they have six sneaker stores. The mall has a DTLR, Jimmy Jazz, Champs, Footaction, Finish Line, and a House of Hoops Footlocker, which gets a lot of exclusive releases like Yeezy and limited Jordan sneakers. So you always have a good chance of getting a pair of sneakers you want at that mall.”

4. Cumberland Mall: “The Athlete’s Foot there is specifically why the mall makes my list. I try to get shoes cheap most of the time, and that store drops their prices quicker than anybody. They put shoes on sale maybe two or three weeks after the release. So a pair of shoes that goes for $200 will be on sale two or three weeks after the release for $120, which is dope.”

3. Heet ATL: “The store is set up as a consignment shop. People can bring sneakers in to buy, sell and trade. They will buy sneakers from you, they will sell sneakers for you, or you can trade sneakers you have for stuff they have on their shelves. They also have a lot of rare sneakers, sneakers that are sold out everywhere that you can buy. This is a good place to go if you miss out on a sneaker release.”

2. Wish Atlanta: “Wish Atlanta has one of the best set ups as a sneaker store. I love the way the store looks. I love the way the store feels. It feels like a true boutique. They also get a lot exclusives, but the main thing I love is that they don’t release their shoes when everyone else does. They use Instagram to inform people of when they are dropping their kicks which is real cool.”

1. Walter’s: “Walter’s is classic man. They have every sneaker, and then they have all the apparel to go with the sneakers. It’s the place where all the rappers go, people from the hood, and just everybody man. If you’re looking for sneakers in Atlanta, go to Walter’s.”