120 GOODS & SERVICES SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 geeks can come together to debate the respective merits of four different “Evil Dead” T-shirt designs. The only smarter place to shop would be S-Mart. e e e B E S T B A L L C A P S T O R E AZ HATS 3340 W. VAN BUREN ST. 3243 E. MCDOWELL ROAD 602-692-6682 AZHATS602.COM This outrageously well-stocked custom shop is the only place you ever need to remember for a cap. Let’s say you favor a plain ol’ cap. Great. The walls are stacked with thousands of them, in different colors, styles, points of origin, fits, materials. Take one to the front to get something sewn on it, knock yourself out. Or, let’s say, you favor something … extra. You’ll find sports logos galore and famous characters (Mario, Chicken Little, Bart Simpson, Papa Smurf) brandishing AR-15s or smoking giant spliffs or flashing wads of cash. You want a “Scarface” patch, some Grim Reaper action. You’re after finely stitched fighting roosters, hand grenades, playing cards, an outline of Mexico in red and green and white, “Sinaloa is mine” stitched black onto a black hat, “Durango: fuerte y poderoso” in gold thread on a black background. You want Marvin the Martian flipping the bird. You want a bedazzled Yankees logo. You want a plain black hat with SECURITY sewn authoritatively in steroidally thick white letters. You want people to know you served in Korea. You want a scowling eagle. You can be anyone you want, walking out of AZ Hats — and just about anyone you don’t want to be, too. e e e B E S T P L A C E T O F I N D C U T E , C O M F O R TA B L E S H O E S THE SHOE MILL 398 S. MILL AVE., #100, TEMPE 480-966-3139 SHOEMILL.NET Who says comfortable shoes have to be ugly? You can be nice to your knees without sacri- ficing style thanks to The Shoe Mill in down- town Tempe. This institution has been a go-to for generations of students, professors and professionals with a vast selection of men’s and women’s styles ranging from active to casual to dressy. Birkenstocks are their main stock-in-trade, but you can find dandy Danskos, natty Naots and perky Piko- linos on the racks, along with high-quality leather goods, apparel and accessories. Yes, the prices are steeper than typical store brands, but as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. Conforming footbeds, roomy toe boxes and high-quality workmanship make it worth it. Diligent sales staff are happy to help, too, and they have spectacular sales. If you’re not typically in Tempe, it’s convenient to pop in when you’re in the area for a festival or other event. e e e B E S T H I G H - E N D S N E A K E R S ARCHIVE AZ 5032 N. CENTRAL AVE. 480-760-1625 INSTAGRAM.COM/ARCHIVEAZPHX They say that you should always invest in the things that stand between you and the ground: beds, tires and shoes. We’re not sure that “they” meant dropping $1,200 on a pair of preowned Nike Purple Lobster SBs, but it sounds legit to us. You can find those and dozens of other savage kicks at Archive AZ, a central Phoenix hub for buying, selling and trading high-end sneakers. The stock here is overwhelmingly Nike-heavy, with the odd pair of New Balance or Vans sneaking into the mix. And while Archive is a place to find that rare pair you missed the first time around, they’re also a source for the latest releases. In the past few months, folks have been heading to Archive for another reason: It’s a reliable source for authentic Labubus, those weird little monster toys that have taken over social media. Where in Phoenix can you get a pair of Book 1s and an Exciting Macaron at the same place? Only Archive AZ. e e e B E S T V I N T A G E C L O T H I N G ANTIQUE SUGAR 801 N. SECOND ST., #104 602-277-5765 ANTIQUESUGAR.COM The move at Antique Sugar is to set yourself a budget before stepping inside, lest you either overspend or freeze up and talk your- self out of looking spectacular. You won’t find many steals here; the Valley abounds in thrift stores where $40 will buy you an armload of T-shirts rather than just one. But you go to Antique Sugar expressly to imagine yourself as someone slightly cooler than the person you are right now, and to trust that the inventory here will make that daydream
