FILA's Rise of the Independents: Fly Kix

Atlanta's fledgling Fly Kix sets the tone in a spirited town.

"The Atlanta sneaker culture is still at a very premature age right now," says Osose Ebaden, the buyer for Fly Kix apparel and sneaker boutique in Atlanta, Ga. "It's not as pure as some of the other subcultures around the country, but it's getting there."

It's getting there, in no small part, due to the presence of Fly Kix itself, which has been nestled in the heart of the city's historic Castleberry District for about three years now. The store has excelled where its predecessors have fallen short by introducing a number of unique features, including custom fitting stations and assigning a salesperson to each customer to serve as a "personal shopper." Fly Kix has also remained dedicated to actually listening to what its patrons want, not trying to dictate it to them.

"Fly Kix's original plan was to offer smaller, cooler brands," says Ebaden. "So we did that." But when the clientele started demanding they also carry larger brands, the Fly Kix crew actually listened. For them, it wasn't about abandoning their more esoteric tastes; it was about finding a way to please both traditional and adventurous customers alike, while--as Ebaden puts it--"still having the balls to carry something your department store or your chain store would not." One thing is clear: having such grand cajones is definitely paying off so far.

For more on Osose Ebaden and Fly Kix, be sure to watch the Episode 8 of FILA's Rise of the Independents above.