Yay! Men’s footwear. I went into Comfort One for the first time this week. The selection is actually pretty good — why do the stores have to look so cheap? 1980s retail much?

their website is actually http://www.palace5ive.com. Also for more info about skateboarding in Washington DC check out http://www.theforgottencity.com

I’ve been skateboarding for 20 years. When I heard that there was a new skateshop opening in the District, I was excited. Unfortunately, I was very let down once I visited. Too few board, too few skate supplies, too many fashion items (including shoes that can’t even be skated it). In essence, this store is more of a boutique than a true skateshop. This place is fine if you are into collecting Nike SB’s or decking yourself out in some person’s perception of skate fashion. But if you want a good selection of boards, skate shoes, trucks, wheels, etc, you will have to look elsewhere. The skate gear that they do sell is hideously overpriced.

Luckily legit mail order shops like Skatepark of Tampa are readily available thanks to the Internet, so the real skaters seeking quality gear at a reasonable price have options. I would love to be able to support a local shop, but Palace 5 doesn’t deserve any loyalty. I see them going the way of another “skate” fashion boutique, kickballerz in Georgetown, who closed their doors recently.

What skater really wears cardigans? Seriously now…