A new pair of shoes. 

Buying a new pair of shoes is inevitable for a lot of people, and to a lot of people it’s just picking whatever catches your eye at the local Sketchers, but for some, the perfect pair is a statement, recapturing a moment in time, or supporting your favorite artists.

For those looking for the bespoke, the rare, the unorthodox pair to make a statement, Prime Fades in downtown Everett is the spot to go.

Oh, and they can also hook you up with a haircut.

Jacob, the owner of Prime Fades, started cutting hair in downtown around three years ago, before that, he was operating out of an MMA gym in Everett.

One of his clients from the beginning was Gavin, a sneakerhead with hair that needed to be cut. Before long, Gavin and Jacob struck up a friendship, then a business partnership. 

“It was pretty organic actually,” Gavin said. “I met Jacob when he moved into this space. I remember my first haircut, only half the floor was done.”

Gavin had the idea of merging a shoe store with a barbershop for a while, and Prime Fades seemed like the perfect spot.

“The natural pairing of the barber culture and community with sneaker culture and community shared that with Jacob … and fleshed out a plan to give it a shot.”

Shoes started to appear in the window of the shop—Jordan, Nike SB, Air Force 1 and even a pair of Yeezy 350s in the “Semi Frozen” colorway—all from Gavin’s personal collection, and most were his size—size 12.

Despite the bespoke sizing, pairs started to move. Jacob and Gavin chalk it up to word of mouth, the barber and shoe culture being so closely tied, and the long lines that wrap around Funko most mornings.

“I think it’s pretty cool having them right next door because it’s sort of the same lane. These guys are savage collectors—a lot of them—for the Funko stuff.” Gavin said. “Same vibe could be for sneakers. It’s a pretty unique opportunity to give those collectible eyes something else to collect.”

As far as sneaker culture in Everett, Gavin and Jacob think Everett is big enough to sustain sneakerheads thanks to a strong arts core downtown and Prime Fades proximity to Everett High School.

“(High school students) … their world is massive with the availability of social media. I think that the culture they enjoy, (shoes) are very much a part of that.”

On the barbering side, the shop is immaculate, with each station showing off every barber’s personality—Funko Pops! adorn the shelves, large white columns separate the open space to two halves, with a mural along the back wall. A haircut will set you back around $30. 

I went to Prime Fades to get trimmed up and was greeted by sports on TV and hip-hop. My kind of vibe. 

Jacob and his crew pride themselves on community, even working off-hours for clients. Prime Fades stayed open an extra hour to cut my hair, and that kind of service is hard to come by. 

For the future of the shop, Prime Fades is looking to expand north to Marysville soon, as for the shoes, Gavin hopes to keep amassing more rare footwear so your kicks can be as clean as your cut.

Prime Fades
1607 California St
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 299-0762

Henry J lives in the Port Gardner neighborhood.