“This is a pretty surreal moment,” admitted Adam Goldston as he stood with his brother, Ryan, in front of their first APL flagship store in Los Angeles. The co-founders of the luxury sneaker brand opened the doors to the shop at The Grove last week with friends, family, and fans of the brand on hand. For the Goldstons, this is a long-awaited homecoming.

“Ryan and I are from Los Angeles, so LA means more to us than anything,” Adam Goldston said. “We always believed retail would part of the future of APL as we were starting the company, but it’s surreal to be here today and be presenting this space. We’ve had so many opportunities over the past 10 years to open up a flagship store, but we made a commitment to ourselves that it would be in Los Angeles and at The Grove. Now we’re here.”

Their dreams became a reality when he met Rick Caruso, owner of the shopping center, at the opening of the Palisades Village location. Caruso, as luck would have it, was already a fan of the brand – and a friendship was born.

“In my 30 years of being in this business, I have never been to an opening – or spoke at one. I did it today because I really wanted to be here for these two guys,” offered Caruso. “For years and years, I’ve admired both of you. When you’re smart, innovative, you know how to combine tech and fashion, you’re good at what you do, you work hard, and you’re handsome – I admire you.”

The designers did not disappoint with the store. Designed with Bernard Dubois and Peter Hamilton of Studio HT, it blends luxury fashion with sportswear. The 3,000-square-foot location has sky-high ceilings complete with travertine stone benches and elegant illuminated shelving units to display their footwear styles.

“We played on the concept of Los Angeles being the ‘City of Angels,’ so we wanted to create a heavenly experience,” Ryan Goldston noted. “We’ve always referred to The Grove as an oasis in the heart of the city. We wanted to create an oasis within that oasis, and display footwear in a different way. Something that feels precious and approachable.”

The designers devoted their entire budget for the project into the store design – and it shows. The space itself feel like a work of art, and the Goldston brothers are putting their faith in the community to spread the word. The grand unveiling alone welcomed roughly 5,000 people alone – it seems like they’ll do so better than just fine!

APL , 189 the Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036, (between Banana Republic and Sephora) Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.