Creative Recreation Sneakers

The Find: Laced sneaker boutique in South End sells a lifestyle

His lifestyle.

Reporting that his average sales numbers have increased by 500 percent within the past year, it seems he has succeeded in reaching and attracting a fan base of like-minded consumers.

On a recent Wednesday, sitting on a plush couch in the Laced stockroom – which doubles as a lounge area, complete with a flat screen TV, PS3 and a refrigerator full of energy drinks – Rodriguez said, “My demographic is primarily 15 to 28-year-old males. They’re concerned with how they look – they want to look fresh, they want to impress girls – and that’s their thing. I want to say the store’s a reflection of me – what I like to wear, how I dress.”

Last July, Rodriguez said he purchased Laced – first established in 2006 – with his cousin and business partner, Edward Diaz, just two months after opening Board Room Boston, a small skate and snowboard shop in the Financial District. Laced, credited with being one of the first sneaker boutiques to open in Boston, had not been on Rodriguez’s radar, but he said when an offer came his way, he seized the opportunity, consolidated Board Room Boston and now maintains both brands within the Laced storefront at 569 Columbus Avenue.

“I didn’t have the resources to fund two stores and be in two places,” said Rodriguez. “But I didn’t want to lose the Board Room Boston name, or the branding that I had done, so we just kind of made a section within the store.”

As an avid snowboarder, skateboarder and long-time sneaker enthusiast, Rodriguez projects his style and taste into every aspect of the store and aims to stock, in addition to sneakers and apparel, a wide variety of unique items – from bow-ties to book bags to beach chairs – and hard-to-find brands at affordable prices. For Rodriguez, carving out and providing a distinct customer experience is paramount.

By 11 a.m., four young men are waiting by the entrance. They’ve come to check out the rows of pristine Nikes, Creative Recreation and Huf sneakers displayed in cube-like shelves along the wall, but mostly they’ve come to just hang out, listen to music and maybe score some leftover wings from the stockroom fridge.

Creative Recreation Sneakers

Hour with a brand new pair of sneakers, what a windfall to carry your camera in your bag around-the-clock. His Creative Recreation “Cesario” gently posed for taking few pics. The shoes render very nicely with tastefully chosen colors : tan body, white contrasting laces, stichings and sole, and some cool gold details like the eyelets or the brand logo from the back. I confess usually not being fan of those big velcro fasteners, that did not bother me at all here. On the contrary, it’s giving them some more style.

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