Soccerwest

Big-box sporting goods stores carry a soccer aisle. Soccerwest is the whole store. It’s an independent BC specialist for soccer and rugby with four shops, Langley, Abbotsford, White Rock and Vancouver, and its Langley store sits on 200 Street in the Willowbrook area.

What’s on the shelves

Footwear is the centre of it, with new stock arriving weekly according to the shop. The racks cover firm-ground boots and turf shoes from Nike, Adidas and Puma, including long-running classics like the Copa Mundial alongside current lines, in adult and youth sizes. Uhlsport and Kwikgoal are on its brand list too.

Then come the jerseys. Club and national-team kits for adults and kids are stocked, and the shop does name and number printing, which is the thing parents and rec-league players most often need done before a season starts.

Rugby gets real shelf space as well, which is rarer: Gilbert balls and training gear, and jerseys such as the All Blacks. Rounding it out are balls, training equipment like SKLZ goals and agility kit, cold- and rain-weather layers (useful in a Fraser Valley spring), and a fan wall of hats, mugs, water bottles and souvenirs for the Premier League and other big clubs.

Who runs it

Soccerwest doesn’t publish its owners’ names, so we haven’t named anyone. It isn’t part of a national chain, and the staff sign the website as a team.

Before you go

• Printing: if you need a name and number on a jersey for a set date, call ahead to ask about turnaround.
• Hours shift mid-week: it opens at 10 Monday to Wednesday but not until 11 on Thursday and Friday, then stays open until 7.
• Other stores: Abbotsford (George Ferguson Way), White Rock (152 Street) and Vancouver (West Broadway) if you’re closer to one of those.

Langley has plenty of soccer to gear up for; see our sports directory and other locally owned shops.