Flagship Sneaker Gallery Six Hundred Four Debuts in Gastown

Six Hundred Four aims to tell a story through their footwear, while supporting local artists and charities at the same time.

At Six Hundred Four, a new luxury sneaker store in Gastown, the shoes on display reflect the artwork on the walls.Owner James Lepp commissioned seven local artists to create a work of art which was then used for the design of 604 digitally printed pairs of shoes, featured across four styles of sneakers. Why 604? Lepp explained that in his previous careers in sales, he was always told that 600 was the magic number when it came to restocking merchandise. Six Hundred Four pays homage to this background, the local artists and the company’s philanthropic mission.With only 604 pairs of shoes manufactured per artist (151 pairs of each unique design), the unisex high- and low-top sneakers are limited edition, as evidenced by the snazzy identification numbers engraved on each sole. And it’s something you can feel good about: for each pair sold, 6.04 percent of sales will go toward a charity of the artist’s choice (approximately $10,000 per artist).We got a sneak peak of the new sneaker gallery earlier this week—and learned about the inspiration behind each of the designs.

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(Credit: Elisabeth Barrows)The vibrantly designed shoes are displayed throughout the gallery against a blank white wall, allowing customers to see which design suits them best before a personalized fitting. (Credit: Elisabeth Barrows)Joanne Hastie’s Overlooking the City is an artistic snapshot of the spectacular view from the Vancouver Lookout. The donations from these shoes go to Crisis Centre of British Columbia. (Credit: Elisabeth Barrows)Elyse Dodge’s Elevation is a deconstructed polygonal representation of a photo of Garibaldi Provincial Park’s Black Tusk Mountain. “I started obsessing over the photo to try and trick my eye into seeing it as shapes instead of an actual landscape,” says Dodge about the artistic journey she took to design the shoes. Dodge’s charity of choice is ArtStarts in Schools. (Credit: Elisabeth Barrows)Jennifer Sparacino’s The Long Winter was inspired by grizzly bears’ strength and perseverance, which she believes is a strong representation of her own artistic vision. Sparacino’s 6.04 percent will be aptly donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Credit: Elisabeth Barrows)A guest takes a look at Sean Karemaker’s Let Us Run, a personally driven comic-style rendition of the Vancouver cityscape, and Pierce Jordan’s Perceptual Plains, which was inspired by the materials the shoes are made of. Karemaker’s charity of choice is the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and Jordan’s is Sole Food Street Farms. (Credit: Carly Whetter)Patrick James Bravo’s Steven’s Facets is a design that is broken down across all four shoe designs, revealing the full art piece when they’re put together. Steven’s Facets is a mixed media piece on canvas, which features a playful combination of paint, shoe grommets and laces (The shoes also glow in the dark!). Bravo’s donation will go to the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. (Credit: Carly Whetter)Lucy Price, who also goes by her artistic alter-ego L.J Throstle, was inspired by the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Vancouver Aquarium for Big Red. Her charity of choice: Saint James Music Academy. (Credit: Carly Whetter)Architects and interior designers alike will appreciate the rotating walls at the centre of the gallery, allowing for varying movement throughout the space. (Credit: Carly Whetter)

A better look at Jordan’s piece, with Sparacino’s and Karemaker’s pieces on either side.

Six Hundred Four101-123 Cambie Streetsixhundredfour.com