Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
249
staff—some items can be custom-made. A second location is found in Andersonville, at
5407 N. Clark (at Balmoral;
&
773/989-8500
).
2060 N. Damen Ave. (at W. Armitage Ave.).
&
773/489-9800.
www.theredballoon.com. Subway/El: Blue Line to Damen.
SPORTS STUFF
Fleet Feet Sports
Finds
This store, owned by a former banker who decided to fol-
low his lo ve of r unning to cr eate a ne w business, is a wonder ful place to buy shoes for
little athletes. Although running is the forte here, you can buy all types of athletic shoes.
The staff is made up of athletes who can r elate when y ou complain about y our sor e
Achilles—and better y et, they can find a pair of shoes that will help . You'll even get a
chance to hop on a tr eadmill to get y our running gait videotaped. The staff will assess
your style and bring y ou a v ariety of shoes to tr y. (
Note:
Don't ask to tr y on a pair of
shoes simply because y ou like the color . That request is sur e to get y ou a disappr oving
look!) There's a second location in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, at 4555 N. Lincoln
(
&
773/271-3338
).
1620 N. Wells St. (at North Ave., in the Pipers Alley complex).
&
312/587-
3338.
www.fleetfeetchicago.com. Subway/El: Brown Line to Sedgwick.
Kozy's Cyclery
A Chicago favorite, this third-generation family-owned business has
been selling and servicing bikes for 56 years. You'll find name brands, a vast collection of
accessories, and store personnel with opinions you can trust. If you're a Chicago resident,
you can count on complete ser vicing for your bikes, and the staff will connect y ou with
all kinds of cy cling resources. Check out K ozy's online catalog (www .kozy.com), com-
plete with photos, to get an idea of what the shop carries. (F or out-of-towners, shipping
is available.) The store has four locations.
(1) 601 S. LaSalle (at W. Harrison St.).
&
312/360-
0020.
Subway/El: Blue Line to LaSalle. (2) 1451 W. Webster (at N. Clybourn Ave.).
&
773/528-2700.
Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage. (3) 3712 N. Halsted (at W. Waveland Ave.).
&
773/281-2263.
(4) 219 W. Erie.
&
312/266-1700.
Subway/El: Red Line to Addison.
Momentum
This store takes running seriously, but you don't have to be a marathoner
to shop here. The knowledgeable sales staff takes the time to find the shoe that's right for
you, no matter what y our fitness level. The store also stocks r unning apparel and acces-
sories as well as swimwear.
2001 N. Clybourn
Ave. (btw. North and Fullerton aves.).
&
773/
525-7866.
Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage.
Niketown
When N iketown opened
some 10 y ears ago, it was tr uly something
new: a stor e that felt mor e like a funky
sports museum than a place hawking r un-
ning shoes. In the days when M ichael Jor-
dan was the city's reigning deity, Niketown
was the place to bask in his glor y. These
days Niketown is no longer unique to Chi-
cago (it has spr ung up in cities fr om
Atlanta to Honolulu), and the stor e's cele-
bration of athletes can 't cover up the fact
that the ultimate goal is to sell expensiv e shoes. But the crowds keep streaming in—and
snatching up pr oducts pitched b y Niketown's patron saints, M ichael Jordan and Tiger
Woods.
669 N. Michigan Ave.
&
312/642-6363.
Subway/El: Red Line to Grand.
9
Tips
Pop On In
Across the street from Niketown,
you'll probably see a line of people
trailing out from the
Garrett Pop-
corn Shop,
670 N. Michigan Ave.
(
&
312/944-2630
), a 50-year-old
landmark. Join the locals in line and
pick up some caramel corn for a
quick sugar rush.
