New Footaction location opens in Westwood Village on Broxton Avenue

Mannequins sporting casual and athletic wear greeted customers Saturday in a new shoe and clothing store on Broxton Avenue.

Footaction, a sports apparel store owned by Foot Locker, opened Saturday afternoon. It is one of few stores to sell men’s clothing in the Village.

Johnny Mendez, the store’s manager, said he thinks the brand’s urban style is what young college students want to buy. He added he thinks the store’s selection attracts people who want to dress like rappers or other celebrities.

“Music is really influential to students,” he said. “People come in asking if we carry Eazy or Fetty Wap.”

Andrew Thomas, the executive director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association, said he thinks the store fills a much-needed niche in the shopping district.

He said other stores such as Sports Rush and Target on Weyburn Avenue also sell men’s clothing and sportswear, but he thinks Footaction will appeal more to students and customers from the affluent neighborhoods around Westwood.

Thomas said Footaction’s storefront had been vacant since before the association began in 2011 and estimated it was empty for about a decade.

Christopher Sosa, a second-year biology student, said he frequently shops at Footaction’s Santa Monica location and that he thinks the store offers a wide variety of shoes that are hard to find elsewhere.

Gean Park, a second-year economics students who bought something at the store, said he had never been to a Footaction before, but he thinks it is similar to other stores selling athletic wear.

He added the location is more convenient for him because of its proximity to campus compared to malls where he usually shops, such as Westside Pavilion or Westfield Century City.

The Westwood location is one of 272 stores, according to Foot Locker’s website.