YouTube skateboard content creator John Hill recently shared his thoughts on how core skateshops compare with mall retail giant Zumiez, and his take got a lot of skaters sharing their opinions online.
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He explained that smaller, core skateshops tend to feel more organized and clean, with carefully chosen displays and newer brands created by skateboarders themselves.
According to him, these shops usually carry more niche clothing labels that stay close to skateboarding culture.
The setup often feels more curated, with staff who usually skate and know the products in detail.
On the other hand, he pointed out that Zumiez gives off a different kind of look and feel.
He described it as having a more throwback mall style, with baggy clothing, gnarly graphic prints, and designs that lean into older street fashion influences.
He mentioned that it reminds him of earlier mall retail stores from the late 90s and early 2000s, where skateboarding styles started getting mixed into mainstream fashion.
Hill said it felt interesting that a corporate chain like Zumiez can sometimes remind him more of the skate shops he saw growing up compared with some modern core shops.
He also noted that Zumiez started in 1998 as a small mall store and slowly grew by leaning into skateboarding culture, which helped it become widely known across the US.
He also talked about the people working in these stores.
He said Zumiez employees are generally friendly and welcoming, especially to beginners. At the same time, he mentioned that core skateshop staff often have more skating experience and deeper product knowledge, since many of them are active skaters themselves.
Some skaters have different opinions about that part of the culture.
While many appreciate the expertise in core shops, others feel that a few staff members can come across as unfriendly or overly confident when dealing with newer skaters.
Hill’s comments opened up that discussion again, with people sharing their own experiences from both types of shops.