Nestled between a tiny Jewish grocer and the famous Canter's Deli lies this sleek, stylish and almost intimidating skate boutique, which humbly caters to a niche clientele that seems hard-edged—but they just want to look good while skating.

The first noticeable piece in Supreme is the massive, custom-made skateboard bowl in the back. Who skates in there? "Professional skaters," employees say. When? "Anytime." What's in front, of course, is the pristine merchandise that's for sale. There are elaborately designed skateboards on the wall, but the wheels are someplace else—you get to choose all of your accessories. Hats, duffel bags, jeans and T-shirts are all affixed with the exclusive Supreme label. Everything is sporty yet fancy; each pair of shoes seems handpicked because it was the most handsome and the most unique. Included here are not-so-ordinary Vans, Nikes, DC Shoes and Emericas. Some are slip-ons, some are lace-ups that we suspect never actually get laced up. That might be terribly uncool. Our favorite pair of Nikes had a tiger on the back. Wouldn't they go perfectly with the board sporting a big tiger graphic? —Lien Ta