Staff Pick: Best shoe store

Before Adidas opened its flagship Wicker Park store in 2017, Saint Alfred was the only shop along Milwaukee Avenue you’d be guaranteed to find sneakerheads lined up at the crack of dawn waiting to cop the hottest new shoe. The streetwear shop doesn’t just cater to people who pack their closets with more footwear than clothes, and I’ve enjoyed the process of finding the right fit for my flat feet more there than anywhere else I’ve gone. With its intimate, minimal interior, Saint Alfred feels like an art gallery—the way the shoes are displayed might just be enough to convince you that the MCA’s permanent collection should include more pairs of Jordans. Since it’s smaller than most footgear depots, and its selection focuses on sneakers, picking up new kicks at Saint Alfred feels manageable for anyone who’s struggled with indecision; and since the people who run the place know shoes so well, it’s hard to go wrong once you walk in the door. Unless they don’t have that perfect pair in your size.