Welcome to Packer, the Little Store That Has Grown into an Apparel Trend-Setter

Between a deli and a wine and spirits shop in Teaneck, New Jersey, sits a blank canvas of a store. The space isn't empty—it hasn't been since 2003. Families with young children walk in with smiles, and executives with the itch for new gear get their fix, too. The open design of the space lets vibes flow between the racks and shelves.

But on this gloomy winter Friday afternoon, there's also a line about 10 people deep at Packer for the latest Yeezy 350 V2 "Static" release. This isn't the overhyped, uncontrolled frenzy you'd witness across the Hudson River in New York City. This is orderly, respectful. As much art gallery as it is one of the most influential sneaker stores in the Northeast United States.

In truth, Packer can be almost anything it wants to be, utilizing the modular design of the store to evolve its look depending on the exhibit of the moment.

Don't want new kicks but want to know more about the culture behind the shoes? Packer has you covered there, too. There's a book on the Japanese streetwear godfather Hiroshi Fujiwara. Or freshen up on Skateboard P's cultural impact with Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been. Or take it way back to the streets of 1980s Brooklyn with Lo-Life: An American Classic.

Catering to the customer's needs is every store's goal, but at Packer, it's the mission—to serve the interests of its niche, but dedicated, audience. There is something for every type of sneaker purist, all presented to the sounds of Mobb Deep or the latest Soca hits or whatever the staff chooses to pump through the sound system.

"What we try to carry forward is substance over hype," owner Mike Packer said.

Aaron KR, senior designer at Packer, emphasized: "We have the flexibility to do things our own way and not be beholden to stockholders, legal teams or anybody that these bigger places have to go through."

But if this store is so dope, why isn't it blessed with an NYC zip code? Why build a shrine to sneaker heritage in the residential neighborhood of Teaneck when the retail riches of the Big Apple are minutes away? Well, because Mike Packer really isn't any different from anyone else. He lived in Teaneck for 26 years and wanted his job to be close to home. Simple as that.

"Was it a calculated gamble?" Packer said. "To a certain extent, yeah, but you know in your heart of hearts that it can work because you live in and around the community."

Photo courtesy of Jordan Keyser

"If you build it they will come," KR said with a snicker.

And they have. Not only does the clientele come, but the stars descend upon Packer for some of the most unique collaborations in the game. Artists like The Lox, Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Just Blaze, Biz Markie and Raekwon are a small sample of the elite names patronizing Packer.

The Lox, in particular, can trace their relationship with the store back to its beginnings in Yonkers, New York, when the group shopped there as kids.

"These guys don't have to come at all, they have gotten to the point that all they need to do is make a phone call to get whatever they want, but they still come here to get it," KR said. "They come into the store as friends and come to talk shop and talk shoes to you as much as you want to talk to them."

They're not the only ones.

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Originally named Packer Brothers, the family-owned business started by Mike Packer's grandfather and great uncle opened in 1907 in Yonkers on Ashburton Avenue, selling men's shoes. A few years later, the name was changed to Packer Shoes when the grandfather took over the store by himself.

Mike grew up in the store at a time when shoe salesmen presented lines in his family home, situated above the store, hoping Packer Brothers would carry their particular brand. In the late 1960s and early '70s, the store evolved into an athletic footwear shop and, according to Mike, became one of the first establishments in New York to have retail distribution accounts with Adidas and Nike, which was then known as Blue Ribbon Sports.

After Mike's grandfather died, his father inherited the business with help from his grandmother. His aunt and uncle even helped out on weekends. After law school, a stint as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn and a few work trips to Asia, where he witnessed the emerging boutique streetwear scene, Mike was ready to take over the family business and even expand the vision.

Photo courtesy of Packer

Taking inspiration from the store's Yonkers roots, Packer opened the Teaneck location in 2003 with a footprint about a third of the size of the current store. Though the Yonkers location has closed, what was once a mom and pop operation has transformed into a high-end sneaker boutique with connections to major international retail brands.  

"The stuff that they get just meshes with what I like," said Evan Blum, a decade-long customer. "It's not like going to Foot Locker or anything like that. They're just really good people and I support local business. It's cool to see a business ... still be the same family-owned company and adapt to how the culture moves."

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The latest chapter in the store's history saw it expand to about 3,500 square feet while absorbing a sizable portion of the block on which it resides. A second location also opened in 2007 in Jersey City, New Jersey. To continue the evolution of the brand, Packer recently decided to drop the word "shoes" from the store's name, so as not to pigeonhole the type of merchandise offered—a move inspired by a once-small shoe store-turned-conglomerate: Nordstrom.

"I'm not saying that's the model where we are, but if we could grow into something bigger [by dropping the word 'shoes,' it] just made a lot of sense," Packer said.

In addition to shoes, Packer now carries apparel collaborations and accessories like bags, hats and socks.

Throughout the changes, Packer has tried to adhere to a consistent business strategy, selling shoes that hold distinct originality and design elements while also maintaining an appeal to later be "retroed."

It was that philosophy that prompted Packer's inaugural collaboration in 2009, when he and the store worked with Reebok on the original Pump, marking the first chance Packer had to put his spin on an already iconic shoe.

Photo courtesy of Packer

"They're all my babies, but the first will always stick out to me," Packer said.

With a design reminiscent of today's player exclusives, the Pump highlighted accomplishments from Dominique Wilkins' storied Hall of Fame NBA career.

That was only the beginning.

The Packer x Raekwon x Diadora N9000 "Purple Tape" of 2015 featured a primarily purple suede upper, inspired by the purple cassette tape via which Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon The Chef released his classic debut solo album titled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

"It was incredible to work with a legend like Raekwon and add a piece to the Wu-Tang legacy," KR said.

Other notable alliances have followed, including the Asics Gel Lyte 3 "Dirty Buck" and an apparel collab with Chinatown Market that paid tribute to Packer's New Jersey pedigree and the celebrated HBO drama The Sopranos.

Iconic partnerships, an informative selection of reading materials and a personal touch right down to the signature scent of the store are all what makes Packer unique.

"It's art, it's history, it means more than just a product on the wall to make money off it," KR said.

To some, NYC may reign supreme when it comes to the sneaker game, but don't sleep on the heat right across the river at Packer, where the history of the culture is being told and reimagined.

Chad Jones, aka Sneaker Galactus, is a sneaker collector from Brooklyn, New York, who has been featured in the Bata Shoe Museum and Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Follow him on Instagram at @sneaker_galactus.