Rotterdam's Sneaker and Streetwear Scene, Street by Street
Rotterdam's sneaker and streetwear scene fits into a few streets of its rebuilt center, from Woei on the Hoogstraat to the designer racks at ANSH46. Here's how to walk it in an afternoon.
Rotterdam was largely rebuilt after the Second World War, and its center still feels that way: wide, modern and easy to walk. The upside for shoppers is that the city's sneaker and streetwear stores sit within a few streets of each other, close enough to cover in a single afternoon.
The Hoogstraat: Rotterdam's sneaker street
If you only visit one street, make it the Hoogstraat. Woei has been the city's best-known sneaker shop since 2007, and its 
Nike and 
ASICS releases still draw queues. It has also worked with the Dutch artist Parra, and you'll find his 
By Parra label on the shelves.
Further along the street, X21 leans more toward clothing, with 
Stüssy, 
Huf, 
Obey and Wood Wood next to Dutch labels 
Daily Paper and 
Filling Pieces. Just off the Hoogstraat, Funkie House on the Korte Hoogstraat mixes Stüssy, 
Patagonia and 
New Balance with watches and sunglasses from 
Casio and 
Komono.
Woei
X21
Funkie House
Korte Lijnbaan: basketball first
A few minutes west, Oqium Rotterdam on the Korte Lijnbaan is the city's basketball-sneaker specialist, built around Nike and 
Air Jordan. It's right next to the Lijnbaan and its big chain stores, but it's a very different kind of shop.
Van Oldenbarneveltstraat: the designer end
Van Oldenbarneveltstraat is where Rotterdam's shopping gets more fashion-led. 
ANSH46 covers the designer side of streetwear, with 
Raf Simons, Martine Rose, Helmut Lang, A-COLD-WALL* and 1017 ALYX 9SM on the racks. It's the place to go for pieces you won't find on the Hoogstraat.
Coffee first
Lokaal on Raampoortstraat, a short walk north of the center, does good espresso and flat whites along with a breakfast menu of toast, eggs and croissants. It's the right place to start before the shops open.
How to plan the day
Get coffee at Lokaal, then walk south into the center. Start on Van Oldenbarneveltstraat for ANSH46, cut across to the Korte Lijnbaan for Oqium, and finish on the Hoogstraat with Funkie House, Woei and X21. The Hoogstraat ends at the Markthal, which is a good place to grab something to eat at the end of the day.
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