It’s no secret that the world of sneakers often feels like a male-dominated industry, but the truth is that although there’s still a way to go, the past few years have seen huge leaps and bounds when it comes to catering for women in sneakers.

Although many high street sneaker stores still feel geared towards a male audience, the increase of sneaker stores with more of a female focus just goes to show the growth of the worldwide sneaker community. Women’s sneaker boutiques are big business in Europe, and even the UK market is starting to make space for the girls too. If you’re not sure where you should be spending your hard-earned cash, we’ve pulled together a list of what we think are the best sneaker stores for women both in the UK and from around the world - so if you fancy ditching the online shopping for a little globe-trotting, here’s where to start.

The UK’s biggest menswear retailer, END. has always been a go-to sneaker store for us, but even more so with the launch of END. Women’s, which opened in 2021. After starting with a pretty small offering that included sneakers, some Champion clothing and some Sporty & Rich, they decided to up their game and launch an entirely new women’s site, which now stocks a wide selection of women’s high-fashion and streetwear picks, from Balenciaga to Off-White and everything in between. As a premium retailer, END. always get the best launch picks too, so expect to be able to cop a lot of high-heat product there.

END. have stores in Glasgow, Newcastle, and London Soho, with a Manchester store also opening in 2022. You can also shop online at endclothing.com

London location: 59 Broadwick St, Carnaby, London W1F 9QS

If you’re ever in Shoreditch (or Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Stockholm, NYC or LA - phew!) and fancy a spot of sneaker shopping, then you should definitely check out Sneakersnstuff. The store stocks sneakers and clothing for both men and women, but the selection is pretty good. Expect to find some of the best women’s sneaker releases and colorways across Nike and Air Jordan releases, as well as the hottest collabs around.

Sneakersnstuff can be found in all the above locations, as well as online at sneakersnstuff.com

London location: 107-108 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JN

Every sneakerhead in the UK will have heard of Offspring - their social media is extremely community-driven and they take launch days very seriously. If you’ve not yet been lucky enough to pay the store a visit on pick-up day, then we seriously recommend getting to one and checking out their selection of sneakers ASAP as there is always heat laying around!

Locations: The bigger stores are based in Selfridges in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Manchester Trafford, but there are also stores in other cities such as Brighton and Kingston. You can also find them at offspring.co.uk

Easily one of the most well-known sneaker stores in the UK, Footpatrol are definitely worth a visit if you’re in London. Stocking everything from Nike to adidas Originals, Converse to Asics, as well as every high-heat release you could ever want. The store is small, but it’s absolutely stacked, so make sure to add it to your list, or visit footpatrol.com to shop online.

Location: 80 Berwick St, London W1F 8TU

Women’s streetwear and sneaker boutique PamPam sadly closed its physical store in the early part of 2022, but it lives on online. The store stocks footwear faves such as Nike, adidas and Saucony, as well as clothing essentials from Carhatt and Levis - plus, they’re a great bet for scoring key sneaker releases like Yeezys and New Balance too. We’re hoping that the team manages to open a new premises soon, but in the meantime, you can find them at pampamlondon.com

If you’re planning on taking a trip around the world anytime soon, then be sure to keep these spots on your radar. From Los Angeles to Amsterdam, Australia to Copenhagen, we’ve got you covered!

You’ll definitely have seen some of their editorials on the ‘gram, or one of their gorgeous sneaker collaborations, because NakedCph is big in the sneaker game. Run by women, for women, NakedCph has two locations within Copenhagen that channel some serious Scandi-minimal vibes. Go for the limited edition sneakers, but stay for the Instagram-worthy backdrop!

Locations: Klosterstræde 10, 1157 København K and Pilestræde 46, 1112 København K, Denmark

Website: nakedcph.com

Maha has a similar vibe to NakedCph, but their selection might just be a little bit bigger. The store itself is stunning, and you’ll find everything from super cute Air Force to retro-looking Reeboks and Puma, aswell as pretty much every essential within the sneaker scene. They also get loads of limited-edition releases, so they’re definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!

Location: Vijzelstraat 129, 1017 HJ Amsterdam, Netherlands

Website: maha-amsterdam.com

Formerly ‘Solefiness', Finesse recently changed their name to reflect greater inclusivity, but they remain Australia’s best women’s sneaker store. Stocking a great selection of general release products, as well as holding raffles for the hottest drops, you’ll find everything you need right here. Plus, the Finesse team are super into their music, and often link up with the hottest DJs for guest mixes to listen to whilst you browse. Interested? Listen over on the ‘For the Honeys’ SoundCloud if a trip to Aus isn’t on the radar right now.

Location: 47 Derby Street Collingwood Naarm Melbourne

Website: finessestore.com

Berlin's premium sneaker store, Overkill, always has a hot selection of sneakers, but they also have a dedicated women’s store, too. Born out of the realisation that more and more women were getting into sneakers, Overkill was one of the earliest retailers to create a separate women’s-only space. They stock the hottest silhouettes and some seriously hyped product, so are definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area!

Location: Köpenicker Str. 194, 10997 Berlin, Germany

Website: overkillshop.com

Now, we couldn’t make a list of the best women’s sneaker stores without mentioning Kith, could we? One of the driving retailers in hype culture, Kith has locations in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as spots in London, Paris and Tokyo to name but a few. Stocking both menswear and womenswear, Kith always have a hot selection of products, alongside some cool collaborations and store exclusives. Don’t forget to check out Kith Treats to help fuel your shopping list too!

Website: kith.com

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