Get Familiar: Andrew Skateshop in Miami

Sunrises, surf, sand, and skate. Andrew is Miami’s premier skate shop, but more than that, the South Florida brand has struck a balance between dedication to the local skate scene, the city itself, and a growing in-house label. The skate brand releases clothing capsules, collaborations, and sun-soaked accessories in-store and at select exclusive retailers around the globe.

Following the immediately sold-out drop of Andrew’s first collaboration with Salomon, a pair of XT-6 designed after the city’s famed shellfish delicacy, the stone crab, we figured it was a good time to get familiar with Miami’s finest.

What is Andrew?

Named after Hurricane Andrew, which crashed down on the shores of South Florida in 1992, Andrew was founded in 2017 by friends Pres Rodriguez, Nick Katz, and Adrian Douzmanian, and quickly filled the void left by MIA Skateshop, which had recently closed its South Beach doors.

“We take the opportunity to do as much as we can for Miami anyway we can,” Rodriguez told me. “From the beginning, our goal was to be champions of the city and parts of the city that people from out-of-town weren’t aware of.”

Originally located in downtown Miami, born out of the nightclub scene and the opening of a skate park, the shop and its in-house brand quickly built a following both inside and outside the city, releasing skate videos, hosting events and parties, and collaborating with skate brands around the world, as well as local businesses with no connection to skating. Like any good local skate shop or boutique, Andrew became a hub for the community and a symbol of the city. The shop relocated to the Miami Design District in 2024, expanding to a larger space amidst the city’s luxury fashion labels.

This past weekend, Andrew teamed up with the Virgil Abloh Archives for the shop’s annual Art Basel weekend skate jam at Lot 11, a gorgeous skatepark the shop team helped bring to fruition under I-95.

What Collabs Have They Done?

The Andrew x Salomon XT-6 Stone Crab drops on the Salomon website today after a sold-out in-store release brought a line down the block to the design district to kick off Art Basel, but that’s not even the latest partnership in the Andrew rolodex. To keep the good times running for Basel, Andrew followed up the Salomon drop and the Virgil skate jam with a collaboration release and celebration at Booby Trap on the River, one of Miami’s finest gentlemen’s clubs, that included a cruiser board shaped like an eight-stack of styrofoam cups.

Linking up with legendary local establishments has been Andrew’s M.O. since the shop opened. Over the years, Andrew has released collections with South Beach dive bar Mac’s Club Deuce, Cuban restaurant Versailles, and the Miami Dolphins.

“Yes, South Beach exists. Yes, it’s Art Deco. Yes, cocaine, Vice City, ‘80s stuff, that’s all part of the city’s history, but there’s a lot more here.” Rodriguez said. “We’re a big proponent of Miami’s weird history and unique places. There’s a lot of history here that’s gotten overlooked and lost through time.”

Outside of the city, Andrew has released projects with everyone from Paris Saint-Germain football club to the now-defunct cult-favorite skate brand Alltimers. This year, they got together with Baltimore skate brand Carpet Company, and now, the brand’s first shoe collab, the Salomon XT-6 Stone Crab.

“Whenever we ate at Joe’s or Garcia’s, I just always loved the unique aesthetic of the stone crabs,” Rodriguez said. “The vibrant orange, and black, and cream. In the back of my mind, I knew that color scheme would work on apparel of some sort.”

No matter who they connect with, Andrew’s Miami mentality is evident in everything they do.

“That will forever be a part of what Andrew does,” Rodriguez said. “Even if we’re not trying to explicitly, it’ll come out in that way. It’s just part of our DNA and what we’ll do by default.”

You Said It’s a Skate Shop?

The best in South Florida, with the team and video parts to prove it. The best way to get a feeling for the Miami skate scene and Andrew’s energy is to watch the footage.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com