On October 2, the internet erupted over sneakers after news of a Cool Kicks store in Los Angeles being raided by the Los Angeles Police Department.
alleged Pictures of seized sports shoes The arrests of employees became widespread as news of the raid emerged during a live broadcast of the Cool Kicks auction.
In the days that followed, new details emerged in the form of the LAPD recovering $500,000 worth of inventory and an official statement from Cool Kicks.
Why was there a raid, uproar and harmful rhetoric in the first place? Here’s everything you need to know about Cool Kicks’ arrest.
Cool Kicks is a Los Angeles consignment brand focused on trendy sneakers, streetwear and experience.
Cool Kicks was founded in Virginia by Adeel Shams in 2014, and moved to California in 2016, opening the now-iconic location on Melrose Avenue known as Cool Kicks LA, as well as the Cool Kicks Farmers Market on W. 3rd Street.
At one point, Cool Kicks also had a space in The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas.
In recent years, Cool Kicks has become a lifestyle brand with a large following, due in part to its strong use of social media – 1.3 million followers on Instagram – as well as its celebrity-driven YouTube content.
Cool Kicks combined elements made famous by Flight Club, Round Two and even Complex’s Sneaker Shopping to create modern footwear meets streetwear meets online fame that strategically targets Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Staples like the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Lows remain stocked at Cool Kicks, while rare Nike Kobe samples and signed Adidas Yeezys have been known to make an appearance at the store. Chrome Hearts’ apparel offerings take up the showroom space, as does merchandise from Cool Kicks itself. Wall-to-wall racks of unworn Air Jordan 1s at a mall resale store, high against the backdrop of one of Los Angeles’ most frequented shopping districts and art-laden décor.
The viral appeal extends to other forms of celebrity shoppers ranging from online influencers to OnlyFans content creators. Whether it’s Central Cee or Sophie Rain, shopping exploits have been captured and refined as a marketing tool.
On YouTube alone, Cool Kicks claims to have 1.95 million subscribers with Lil Uzi Vert’s video garnering 5.6 million views. Simply put, Cool Kicks is one of the most visible resale stores in the world.
On October 2, 2025, Cool Kicks LA was raided by the LAPD. At the time of the incident, it was reported that the raid was led by the LAPD’s Bunco/Forgery agency.
The raid took place while Cool Kicks founder and store owner Adeel Shams was live streaming the WhatNot auction. At first, Shams thought he was the target of a “beating” prank.
The raid resulted in Shams being arrested by the Los Angeles Police along with additional members of the store’s employees. The alleged photos From the scene of the raid, panels of red Nike boxes and what look like “Cave Stone” Air Jordan 4 boxes are visible outside in the parking lot. Dozens of boxes are visible in the photos.
Regardless of the uproar and arrests on the live broadcast, The primary issue in the incident is the booking record Linking the raid to the Bunco/Forgery agency. This department of the Los Angeles Police Department specializes in cases related to fraud, counterfeit goods and similar crimes.
The incident of the raid and related arrests have called into question the authenticity of the products sold at Cool Kicks.
After hours Arrested October 2The complex reported that the Los Angeles Police Department released Adeel Shams.
A court date for Cool Kicks’ case was set for Oct. 23 in Los Angeles Superior Court, booking records said at the time.
On October 4, Cool Kicks employee and content creator Rami Al-Mourada released a video on YouTube explaining that the raid was not on Melrose Ave. Rather, in the Cool Kicks warehouse.
Al-Mardaa, an employee of Cool Kicks for more than nine years, said that although he could not speak in depth about the situation, the raid itself had nothing to do with counterfeit items.
On October 6, the LAPD released a statement supporting the alleged photos while revealing key details.
In total, $500,000 worth of inventory was recovered in the raid — particularly pairs of “Cave Stone” Air Jordan 4s and Nike Air Max 95s — amounting to 2,100 pairs of sneakers and 150 boxes of Nike apparel.
The main findings in the October 6 statement from the LAPD are that the items were reported stolen, not counterfeit.
The press release gives credit to the LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division and Merchandise Theft Unit, particularly not mentioning the Bunco/Forgery agency associated with the counterfeits.
Instead, the statement cites the reason for the warrant and the main issue raised as “large-scale cargo threat,” citing cooperative assistance from local railways, airport and port police.
In contrast, Shams was booked on a felony charge of receiving stolen property.
Cool Kicks friend and YouTube personality, Qiyas Omar, stood alongside Shams and the team on October 7 to liftconfirming the feeling that the raid was sparked by widespread problems with the theft of goods derived from train robberies and that the problem with Cool Kicks was never about counterfeiting.
“Purchasing counterfeit items intentionally to sell them? Cool Kicks doesn’t do that,” Omar said. “I can guarantee it. This rumor has basically been shut down.”
Since the incident, Cool Kicks has remained active on social media. Many posts have been created on Instagram, starting with Official statement regarding the raid To the Supreme Playboi Carti tees listed for $30 apiece.
New arrivals, photos of in-store shopping, and videos of the viral in-store challenge have been popping up on the Cool Kicks Instagram feed in recent days.
On October 4, Cool Kicks issued a statement regarding the raid on its Instagram account, embedded below.
The statement claims that the Nike sneakers seized by the LAPD were “small allotments” purchased and received by the store within 48 hours of the raid. The aforementioned sneakers were allegedly stolen which came as a “complete shock” to the entire Cool Kicks team.
It is worth noting that consignment shops of all professions can find themselves in trouble with law enforcement authorities when accused of receiving stolen items. It is also worth noting that the LAPD’s October 6 statement linked the raid directly to merchandise theft investigations rather than fraudulent product investigations.
In some ways, this news is somewhat of a solution to the problem of Cool Kicks’ public perception and authenticity. The LAPD statement describes the reason for the raid as receiving stolen merchandise rather than the rumor that the raid was related to the seizure of counterfeit merchandise.
In their statement, Cool Kicks spoke directly to this perception.
“It is important to clarify: There have been absolutely no allegations from law enforcement that any of the products were counterfeit,” Cool Kicks wrote.
When you visit the Cool Kicks website, the top banner says “Everything is 100% Authentic” at the top of the listings for rare sneakers associated with Virgil Abloh, Kanye West, and Travis Scott.
The issue of authenticity can hurt not only future business, but may also create an uproar among previous customers who question the authenticity of their previous purchases.
However, the store remains intent on selling only original items.
“We are confident the truth will come out, and the trust we have worked so hard to earn will remain strong,” Cool Kicks said in its statement.
Fortunately for Cool Kicks, the LAPD doesn’t seem to be questioning the authenticity of their merchandise.
However, the LAPD is using the Cool Kicks case to “underscore” a much larger problem with commercial supply chain theft, stating that “more arrests are expected.”
The tonnage of stolen sneakers has been a recurring issue in recent years with content creators Jack Slade In reference to the 2025 train robbers in California and Arizona that led to the theft of stolen Nike product worth $2 million.
The LAPD and its partners appear intent on blowing up the pipeline of stolen goods and the outlets where they are sold.
Stay tuned for details as this story develops.
