A couple weeks ago, Ben Baller tweeted “Jesus Christ. This new sneaker store Magnolia Park is about to shut down mad stores in so cal. They have so much heat. Dear lord [insert flame emoji here].” He was talking about the newly opened 5000 square foot space on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank that carries the must-have/rare/you stood in line but still didn’t get it product, operated by two guys I’m pretty familiar with. Magnolia Park is a peek into the minds of retail wiz kid Eric Flores and sneaker know-it-all Mickey Guerra. Together they have curated an experience that aims to be the best in the West Coast. But footwear is only part of it. Carefully selected apparel (think contemporary wear), premium goods (like Supreme and Bearbrick), and hardwood floors (coupled with a regulation hoop) make up the rest.

The concept of Mag Park rose on the strength of Eric and Mickey’s resumes. Eric can be linked to anyone major in the industry and has witnessed the waves of streetwear in capacities such as store owner, brand owner, buyer, and sales rep. Mickey has developed sneaker consignment programs for retail stores (including his own) and can increase inventory tenfold in just short amounts of time. They were both aware of each other’s accomplishments and in January of this year, collaborated on Mag Park. Their model was simple: one handles apparel, the other handles footwear.

The store takes its name from the actual Burbank neighborhood; a resurging business strip with adjacent residential and school communities. Eric and Mickey wanted the space be indicative of just that, neighborhood and community; so they designed it look like a park. The aggressive build out began in June and now there are grass table tops, park benches, billboards, and a basketball hoop. The sneakers are displayed along steel fences, the kind you look through when you’re trying to get in on a pick up game. Mag Park branded basketballs sit atop the fixtures, as Mars Blackmon looks on and music plays from above. They want it to be a hangout, a place to shoot the shit, where people come before the product. What’s for sale is just the signifier.

Eric went in the contemporary direction for the sales floor. Mag Park is carrying very simple and – for a lack of a better word – basic pieces from brands such as Publish, UNDFTD, 10 Deep, Akomplice and clsc. Eric argues that this is streetwear now. It can be classified as high end street; a market no longer ruled by the limited edition graphic tee. As for footwear, Mickey went the sourcing route. They will get new releases and own every shoe in store (currently separated in two sections, where the upstairs loft houses pairs priced over $500). Consignment will be implemented in the future, but on a very selective basis, likely making up only 10% of the program. All in all, they want Mag Park to be the one stop shop, a place where you can get everything you want/need, and feel comfortable asking any of them for it.

I take pride in the stories I tell, especially when I get to share how things started. I witness that something new kind of drive that’s loaded with vision and ideas and a sky’s-the-limit consciousness. And then to transpire it here so that we can all look back on it later is a gift. I ended the interview as Eric and Mickey got in that state of mind. There is so much to look forward to and so much to do with this new space. But first, they want you to come through. See what Ben Baller’s talking about. Chill. Make friends. And take part in the experience that is Magnolia Park.

Magnolia Park
3500 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91505
http://themagpark.com
Sun-Thurs 12PM-8PM
Fri-Sat 11AM-9PM