Chris and Alexandria Silverman opened Twenty-Two in September of 2002, and in two years they have generated enough buzz that even non-shoe-lovers (read: husbands, wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends of a significant other with a shoe fetish) have heard of them. Tired of heading into the city for cool shoes, the couple decided to open their own store in the East Bay, hoping, of course, that there were other local residents who couldn’t relate to our Earth Shoe and Birkenstock mentality over here. They were right. The Silvermans came straight out of the fashion industry, from working with the Beastie Boys at their X-Large clothing stores to designing for Levi’s, the Gap, and Old Navy. They will soon be offering their own designs of shoes at their store, but they also carry shoes by Marc Jacobs, Costume National, Marco Delli, Mosquito, and Clone. The shoes, like fashion, are seasonal, and the stock changes as styles or the weather shifts. This place is badass, and a long time coming.
Readers’ Pick:
The Walk Shop
2120 Vine St., Berkeley, 510-849-3628
WalkShop.com