The walls may be bare at this Westwood sneaker shop, but its shelves are stocked with shoes in every color of the rainbow.

Hot Rod has been open for 11 years, but the former skateboard shop came into its own when it began selling premium Nikes and other signature sneaker lines three years ago. Nike's SB (short for skateboard) line is the shop's specialty, but a variety of styles from Vans, Puma and Adidas are also stocked. T-shirts by indie faves The Hundreds, Green Apple Tree and store exclusive Foreign Family lay in tandem on a low table in the center of the store. The perimeter is lined with a mix of hooded jackets by Stussy, pricey sweatshirts by A Bathing Ape and preppy button-down shirts from Lacoste. Though the clientele is a mix of trendy students from nearby UCLA, Westside teens and sneakerheads from as far as Orange County, Hot Rod hasn't abandoned its skater roots; it still sells skateboard decks by pros Mike Carroll and Jereme Rogers and plans to install a mural of Venice Beach's famous skate bowl on its back wall. —Enid Portuguez