One Up Skate Shop

I was aimlessly wandering the South Side last Thursday when I saw…a skate shop! The first thing that caught my eye was the scene of two guys skating out on the sidewalk and part of Carson street. Then I looked above them and saw the sign for the One Up Skate Shop. I went in to check it out. They have decks, wheels, trucks, shoes, and apparel. There were a few guys there, and when I told them I had just started skating, they were really supportive. The guys behind the counter gave me a Low Card magazine and a dvd of Real Skateboards Everything and the Kitchen Sink Vol. 2 for free. They recognized my Ipath shoes, but their shoe selection was more geared towards mainstream brands like Nike and Adidas, which I wasn’t even aware had skate shoes. They had some Vans that I was really digging, too. I got my first pair of Vans in 1996 or so at Ocean City, Maryland. So even then I was bound to be a skater. I am a little leary of buying Nike because they kind of represent a lot of the negative aspects of capitalism. They had a few other brands, including Vox, and a great selection of board stuff. They were very helpful and supportive. The other stores around were closed or closing, so I asked one of the guys when they were closing, afraid I was keeping them. He shrugged and didn’t give a specific time. “We’re all skaters,” he said, “so we’re pretty laid back.”