Waraku

I was hoping to get a split toe tennis shoe here but they really didn't have it as I had seen on TV once a long time ago. They had some for female's but none for a male.
The shoes were over priced but if they had that split Toe tennis shoe, I'd be owning one today.

I flew all the way from New York in search of an authentic Japanese fashion store, this was it. Manager and staff were all friendly and warm people, will visit every time im in the area. Exclusive shoes, apparel etc

Really cool tiny shoe shop that specializes in limited editions from Japan. I found cute kitten-heel Converse shoes that I couldn't find anywhere else!!

Also, the people there were really nice and helpful. Highly recommend if you're a shoe fanatic. I like that all the shoes aren't too weird, either. They're a little twist on your average sneakers.

I'm no sneakerhead, but I know out of the ordinary shoes when I see them. Combine all of their limited edition sneakers with the alley-like dimensions of this shop and you have yourself a staggering amount of "Oh, look at that" moments per square foot.

Service isn't a top priority when you're looking for sneakers, but it can quickly sour your experience; no fear of that happening at Waraku. I couldn't help but be impressed when the owner ran upstairs and changed the shoes he had on his feet to show a customer just how much smaller a particular brand ran.

I come here for only one thing: unique Cons, and I always find them. Should you go to a DSW, for instance, or say a Nordstrom, you're only going to find one or two styles, and these will be the same ones that your friend has...and if you're in LA, the same one that ALL of your friends have. Waraku brings in rare (in the US) styles from out of Japan (and I would imagine elsewhere). I've, at least, never seen the same shoes elsewhere.

A further thumbs up for being a small business run by earnest and knowledgeable employees.

Well, we walked into the store because they had so many fun "old school" tennis shoes. The young lady working did not get off her butt nor did she even greet us. Not a word said and never even looked up from her phone. Needless to say, we quickly browsed then walk out. Too many other great shops on this street to waste time in this one.

While there are numerous shops in LA where the sneaker-obsessed subculture can get their fix, no collector should consider their search complete without a visit to Waraku. This little shop along Abbot Kinney features a diverse and eclectic collection of kicks and t-shirts imported directly from Japan with a focus on brands and styles not typically available in the US. Look closely and you're bound to find many limited edition shoes, as well as some one-of-a-kind models from well known manufacturers like Nike, Asics Puma, Adidas as well as Japanese brands like Patrick and Namitatsu which are nearly impossible to find without boarding a JAL jumbo-jet and the subsequent hour-long bus ride from Narita to Tokyo.

You can go to Undefeated, Fred Segal, Melrose, but the sneakers here are different - imported directly from Japan, and most of their selection is sick. And although they're not on the cheap end, very few of their selections are over $200. They've got some amazing all-white high top Chuck Taylor's with the Japanese flag that are off the hook. They have Japanese slip-ons that dwarf most of the ones put out by Vans.

They have a website www.warakuusa.com - but be forewarned, most of their stuff sells out quickly.

I love everything about this little boutique EXCEPT... their shady return policy which ruined my experience.

I purchased a beautiful pair of sneakers for my boyfriend's birthday here. My boyfriend has feet that are hard to fit in most sneakers, so I made sure to ask the lady helping me whether I would be able to return the sneakers if they did not work. She told me that I have 14 DAYS to return the shoes for a full refund as long as I bought the original receipt and the shoes were in perfect condition. I repeated what she said, and she confirmed.

That evening when he got home from work, I gave the shoes to him and sadly, they did not fit right. It was a Wednesday.

That Saturday - only 3 days later - I brought the shoes back to the store with him to exchange sizes. As it turned out, they did not have a size that fit him, so he got another pair of shoes. The second pair was about $10 less than the original pair.

This time, I was helped by a man. As he took the shoes, he told me he would do an exchange, but because the shoes were $10 cheaper, he would have to give me a GIFT CERTIFICATE to the store for the $10. I asked why he couldn't just refund the $10 to my card... and he told me that he COULDN'T refund me the difference for an EXCHANGE. Sure, it was only $10, but it was $10 that I wanted back definitely not in the form of a $10 GIFT CERTIFICATE to a store that I otherwise do not visit on Abbott Kinney. Furthermore, it was definitely not what I had been told when I purchased the shoes on Wednesday.

Upset, I then told him to RETURN the first pair for a full refund -- and then I would PURCHASE the replacement shoe. He looked at me with this frustrated look and said, "ahhh ok." As he was taking the shoes to the counter, he turned around and said, "uhhhh, nevermind, I cannot do that, our system is down... cannot... [something I didn't understand]... point of sale... it's too late in the day."

WHAT?!?!?

There is absolutely nothing worse to me than feeling like I'm being cheated, and that is exactly what happened. Over it, I told him that I would return when his system was up to return the shoes and would purchase the replacement at another time -- but at that point, my boyfriend told me to let it go, and that he'd take the $10 gift certificate and give me $10. I was extremely upset, but I figured better to just let it go... and not return. The proverbial cherry was that my boyfriend had to experience this shadiness and my being upset over being cheated when it was a gift for his birthday.

Moral of the story: VERY SHADY return policy. Do not purchase anything unless you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN. Either that, or wait until the lady who works there is in the store; you might have better luck.

Sales guy (owner?) a serious bummer. I know quirky owners coming from NYC but man, what a d#%! Maybe fine if you're in the sneaker community?? that's fine I just bought my new kicks right after, from Onitsuka themselves online and with no attitude. Stoked.