Size?

I used to be a fan of Size? back in the day — now, not so much.
They don’t seem to offer anything DIFFERENT — and I am something of a sneaker connoisseur, I like my feet to stand out from the crowd.
Actually, maybe I am being a little harsh, it’s just the BRIGHTON branch of Size? That doesn’t seem to have a lot going for it any more. I haven’t bought a pair of trainers from there in years, the last time I did spot a pair that I wanted to buy, they didn’t have my size. The Size? On Carnaby Street in London is pretty cool. I will make sure I review it next time I’m there.

Although I think the retro hi-​top wave possibly reached its peak a couple of years ago, this shop is still bang on for cool trainers. I got a pair of grey and pink hi-​tops in here which have elicited the most comments of any pair of shoes that I have ever owned. They sell some really far out designs, but also some more basic ones for the less adventurous. The shoes aren’t particularly cheap, but they last very well; I’ve worn my hi-​tops to work every day and they are very comfortable and still in good nick. Not that durability is particularly what people come into Size? for, its the style. My one criticism in fact would be that I had the total opposite of Sam’s experience. I wanted some sartorial advice of how to wear my new shoes (how do you do the laces? Jeans in or out?) and so I asked the assistant how the cool kids wear their shoes. He looked at me like I was taking the piss (I suppose its possible it did sound that way) and was rather cold with me after that. I had to figure out how to look good on my own. But it obviously worked, people love my kicks.

Not being a self-​styled street boi, I don’t see much of the point in wearing trainers. When I was younger, sure: I needed something to run and jump in, didn’t I? Now, though, it’s all about the canvas boater: stylish, chic and still youthful. However, if you’re all about the sneaker and some street style, Size? is probably the best place in Brighton to start, offering plenty of lurid plastic shoes for unmentionable prices. Not for me, but I’m not everyone!
If this is your sort of thing, Size? is a nice big shop with plenty of choice between equally disgusting looking plastic monstrosities. You have the choice between huge and ginormous shoes, with colours ranging in all lurid spectrums of the mind’s eye, with plenty of rappers telling you what to wear through the sound system at the same time. This really isn’t my cup of tea (you think!), but there seems to be plenty on offer here for the 21-​year old skater boi. Just be sure to only wear them on weekends!

Like a splash of technicolour on a dull morning this shop screams at you with fluorescent striped trainers. Not anyones wither, just the best picked shoes on the market from Nike to Adidas and those ones Bjorn Borg used to wear? The best place in town to seek out those Starsky and Hutch trainers with more re-​isssued 70s numbers than you could shake a dozen Peles at. I buy my Adidas Marathons from here, the staff are always cool and may even admit to you that they’re trainophiles (a clumsy term for someone who sleeps with virgin, boxed trainers).

This shop is boss for sneakers. Not only do they have one of the best and most colourful selection in town, they also stock some of the newest in skating attire meaning that all boarders that look to the future can stock up happily here. I got some of the most helpful advice in the shoe department I have ever had by a chap here, he seemed to know every style and shade imaginable, and also how to tailor that to the rest of my ‘look’, if you can call it that! It was like Tarot for feet, and his reading was spot on, they looked fab.

They say size doesn’t matter, but come on people let’s be frank. Of course it does! I mean you’d be stupid to go and buy a pair of shoes that didn’t fit. Yeah I am talking about shoes, what were you thinking?
Well, I say shoes, but maybe I should say trainers, or sneakers as I like to call them. Size is a great place to find sneakers: they stock a number of well-​known brands such as Nike, adidas, Reebok, Puma, Keds, Converse, Vans and some of the lesser-​known ones to boot (get it!?!) I personally went in for some Nikes, as I knew that they had a good range in various colour ways and for competitive prices.
I used to be a real sneaker-​freak and owned too many pairs of high tops, low tops, lace-​ups and slip-​ons, so it still pleases me to see all of the different ranges the different brands have on offer. Size knows that there are people like me and those who are even more obsessive about their kicks. The attention to detail shown in the displays is great and the staff are a colourful bunch too. Super friendly and very cool, but not at all snobby or intimidating, I would recommend Size because a) they know what they’re talking about, b) they seem like they actually want to be there, offering bubbly enthusiasm and c) they have some great products at great prices.
What’s not to like?

Oh. My. Lord.
I popped into Size? this afternoon to look for a new pair of Converse and ended up falling in love with the most bling pair of silver Adidas hi-​tops. I’m not talking matt or gloss silver either, I’m talking thousands of silver sequins painstakingly stitched into two sneaker-​size glitterballs.
I would have bought them too, only my rap skills are zero. Maybe I’ll twitter Jay-​Z and Kanye and see if either of them want a pair. Seriously, these sneakers belong on stage. :-)

Size? is so trendy– and the fact that I use the word trendy probably precludes me from falling into their target market. I like it though, it has a very glitzy approach to displaying its shoes (trainers, sneakers. what are we calling them these days?). It feels like Kanye West’s closet– sleek and shiny but also quite street. They stock a great collection of the flashier styles from Nike, Addidas, New Balance, Puma… all the usual brands but in unusual colours and all showcased with the newest styles in the window and the middle of the shop. Sale items, as usual, are at the back. Compared to Offspring– who I suppose is their main rival– they have bolder colours, some of the rarer styles and thus some of the more expensive styles. The staff, despite my looking very un-​street, were helpful and patient, if a little hard to grab hold of at first– standing waving a shoe didn’t at first garner any attention. It’s apparently one of the few places that stocks Lyle&Scott shoes as well, according to my friend Matt.

If you want a pair of trendy trainers go here !
They stock a wide range of leisure trainers (ie: not ones that you would actually use for sport) from all the main names — eg: Nike, Addidas and Puma. Stock is unusual and different to that which you would find in the usual sport shops. Always seem to stock retro looking trainers (including, much to my delight, Reebock Pumps !) and skateboard bumpers !
I often go in there for a look with my boyfriend and we have the same argument about whether or not it just stocks mens shoes or not. I think that it does. He thinks that it doesn’t. You certainly do get females in their looking (or, maybe, like me they are just following their boyfriends around) and I think it is fair to say that a lot of the styles are unisex. If it’s a girly pair of trainers that you are after though this isn’t the place to go !