Cool Shop Club

Big up all the real skate shops doing real skate shop things and keeping the culture alive!

These are the shops you can drop into when you're in town, find a place to skate, maybe even hook up a place to crash, a party to attend or a skatepark lock-in.

We're not knocking the big brands, we're not knocking the distributors, and if we're really honest we're not even really knocking chain-store skate-shops (they're just an easy target). What we really want to do is to convince you that every local independent skate shop is worth supporting because they give back a lot more than they take out!

The original idea was formed in the pub after a mid-week session at Spit and Sawdust. It basically panned out like this:

1. Skate shops are rad. Imagine how rad it would be to have a wall of shirts from UK skate shops!

2. We should try and do a tee swap!

3. Is that my lager? Why didn't you get peanuts?

The first act of Cool Shop Club was easy. Back in 2016 we decided to make some tees and send them out for free to some of the real skate shops who have supported us in the past. No strings attached, just wanted to see what would happen. We got some tees made, wrote a little note, and sent them out.

As soon as the packages dropped onto doormats up and down the country we started getting stoked and surprised messages from shops. A few days later packages of tees, stickers and rad little notes of support arrived in Cardiff.

In 2023, we didn't really have any new ideas, although a lot has changed in the few years that have passed! We decided to do exactly the same thing again. We made some tees, we wrote another little note, and we will wait and see what happens!

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't make a massive difference, but if it's that easy to stoke people out why don't we do more of it? Well, because it costs money. So that's why we brought you here.

MONEY IS POWER!

Below are all the shops we know of that are run by skaters and that do it to grow and support their local scenes, and by doing that they help to grow the culture of skateboarding nationally!

If you are looking to buy skate stuff online...we HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check the places below first because you will be supporting local skate scenes, keeping the money in the right hands and helping to make a difference through choosing where your money goes. At the end of the day money is power and you need to use it wisely!

So that's the point of our ad in Vague, I hope you don't feel we wasted your time. We don't want to sell you anything other than on the idea of buying your next skate related purchase from one of the shops below. Click the links, bookmark the sites, and spend a little extra time making your next purchase instead of going for ultra convenience. If you do, it will really mean a lot.

Thanks, CSC x.

Our friends in Wales...Independent Welsh Skate Shops

Listed below are places you can buy skateboards and other stuff where your money goes right back into supporting the skate scene. These people live and skate in the same place as their shops or skateparks and they do a lot to keep skateboarding special.

Ashmore Skatepark (RIP)
Exist
Freestyle
Pretty Sweet Skate Shop
Spit and Sawdust
Vale Skateboard Co

UK-wide Independent Skate Shops

The rest of the UK is also blessed with some real good skate shops that put back way more than they have to! Sponsoring skaters, making edits and hosting events but also contributing to a community that supports all kinds of cool stuff that emerges from the skate scene. Support these guys and you help make your scene stronger!