Paliskates store owner Erica Simpson and associate Greg Green had a busy first day when the popular Swarthmore store reopened on Sunday.
Paliskates Opened Sunday: Welcomed by Caruso
Loyal customers have been waiting patiently to see if Paliskates would reopen.
The store had closed in February 2017, when Paliskates owner Erica Simpson rented the 1019 Swarthmore space to Caruso’s Palisades Village construction staff.
But, by mid-October 2018, the building was empty.
Finally last month, Simpson announced she was coming back.
“I love this community too much to stay away,” she wrote Circling the News on November 24, and also posted on Nextdoor.
The store originally opened on Swarthmore in 1999 and rapidly became a place for all ages to gather, to purchase clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry and of course skateboards and accessories.
In August 2005, the store was acknowledged in Los Angeles Magazine as having the City’s “best flip-flops.” The article said:
“We wear them with a bathing suit to the beach, and we wear them with a beaded tunic to A.O.C. We need lots of flip-flops, and sometimes that pair we picked up on the Venice Boardwalk simply won’t cut it. Paliskates can stock the closet without emptying the wallet. Along with the old standards Reef and Rainbow, the skate shop carries one of the biggest selections of Haviannas in town. But what differentiates the place from your run-of-the-mill flip-flop purveyor is the higher-end yet affordable styles: The Italian-made Fornarinas have a supercomfortable molded foot bed, Arleen C combines terry cloth with rhinestones, and Dolce Vita’s metallics match almost anything.
“‘We try to find the cool stuff that doesn’t look cheap but is inexpensive and fun,’ says owner Erica Simpson. After all, they’re just flip-flops.”
Over the years, Simpson hired local youth to work in the store, giving them their first job. Even Jesse Creed, who ran for City Council District 5 worked at the store.
In her November message, Simpson wrote, “We will carry some of the same types of product at reasonable prices. Since I’ve always thought of the store as a community place, the new Paliskates will also have a space for pop-ups and activations based on what the community wants.”
On Sunday, the store was busy with customers. Rick Caruso, his wife and daughter stopped by to wish Simpson well. He welcomed her back and told her the store was needed.
As Simpson chatted with Caruso, Circling the News spoke to Paliskates associate Greg Green.
“It’s been super busy today,” he said and noted that with the opening “We got a lot of warm welcomes from people in the community. It assured us that this is where we should be.”
The store not only carries skateboards and wheels, but also clothes, such as the Paperback brand, which targets surfers and skate boarders. This may be the only store in the Palisades that carries clothes for preteen males, teenagers as well as young adults.
After teens choose a backpack, they decide which patches they want to use to personalize it.
The store also carries back packs. “You can design your own,” Green said, and pointed to all the patches, which are part of the Mokuyobi brand. A preteen or teen can decide how they want to personalize it, and those patches are ironed on.
He pointed to the corner of the store, which had chairs and a flat screen television. “We have a lounge for kids where they can watch skate videos,” Green said, noting the store also carry women’s clothing, including sweats and “dad’s hats.”
Simpson invites everyone to stop by and say “Hi.” She said that after the super busy opening, she’s restocking, and also continues to add new stock daily.
Call: (424) 252-9993 or look for Paliskates on Instagram and Facebook.
Welcome back ! S