Motley Shoe Shop

By now you’ve all heard of Bodega, the so-hip-it-hurts sneaker haven masquerading as a run down convenience shop, tucked away behind the Christian Science Center, off Mass Ave. It’s a place where sneak freaks collude behind tins of sardines and boxes of Tide. Cool, but not exactly fashionista friendly. Doug Palardy, of Motley fame, (he’s got the t-shirt cum gift shop as well as the home store on Tremont), has conceived of a more straightforward solution to supplying fans of athletic footwear the most coveted styles. In mid-October he plans to open the doors of Motley Shoe Shop on Dartmouth Street in the South End. The space will be an ode to the green movement, with a totally recycled build-out that includes railroad tie shelving, reclaimed wood from the rickety, old dive bar, Waltham Tavern (he and his pals rescued the floor boards from a Dumpster one night last week), and a (faux?) deer antler chandelier. The goods, however, are modern to the max. (Hey, ‘80s styles calls for ‘80s lingo.) Palardy will offer premium picks of select, limited edition style sneakers from such labels as Nike, Puma, Adidas, Converse, Clarks, and Purcell. The shop will cater mostly to men, but there will be a good deal of offerings for urban ladies too. Wonder if they’ll carry those Rainbow Reeboks I had to have back in junior high . . .

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