Suboptimal Skate Shop

Suboptimal Skate Shop, a skate shop in Macclesfield

Suboptimal Skate Shop is a skateboarding retailer based in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Its catalogue covers skateboards, clothing, skate shoes and what the shop describes as just about everything else related to skateboarding. The store presents itself as a stockist of hundreds of different skate brands from around the world, and frames its range as suitable both for someone buying a complete skateboard and for someone who only needs a small component such as a set of bolts.

Hardware and complete setups

The hardgoods section is organised by component type and, in several cases, by size. Decks are grouped by width, from 8" through 8.125", 8.25", 8.375", 8.5" and 8.6"–8.9" up to 9" and above. Trucks are sorted by the deck width they are intended to fit, with separate listings running from 7.4" decks through intermediate sizes to 9", 9.125", 9.25", 9.5" and 10". Wheels are arranged by diameter from 52 mm to 60 mm. The shop also lists complete skateboards, bearings and an "other hardware" group that includes bolts, bushings, griptape, rails, riser pads and skate tools.

Clothing, footwear and accessories

Beyond hardware, the store carries men's, women's and youth clothing, with T-shirts, long-sleeve T-shirts and hoodies separated by line. Footwear is listed by UK size, from 7 to 11. The accessories range includes bags and backpacks, beanies, belts, caps, socks, sunglasses and wallets, while an "everything else" section gathers air fresheners, badges and pins, gloves, home and glassware, keyrings, toys and gifts. Protective gear also has its own place in the catalogue.

Media and reading material

The shop stocks books and magazines, including back issues. Among the items listed at the time of writing were the October 2026 and September 2026 issues of Thrasher Magazine, priced at £7.99 each.

Brands on the shelves

The brand index runs alphabetically and includes, among many others, 187 Killer Pads, 411VM, Ace, Alien Workshop, Alltimers, Anti Hero, Arbor, Birdhouse, Blast Skates, Blind, Bones Bearings, Bones Wheels, Bronson Speed Co., Chocolate, Crailtap, Creature, Death, Emerica, eS Footwear, Element, Girl, Independent, Krooked, Krux, Lakai Footwear, Last Resort AB, Magenta, Mini Logo, OJ Wheels, Pig Wheels, Polar Skate Co., Powell Peralta, Real, Ricta, Santa Cruz, Slappy Trucks, Spitfire, Thunder, Toy Machine, Venture and Welcome. Creature, Opera Skateboards and Independent Trucks are highlighted as popular brands on the site.

Products and prices shown in the catalogue

The listings mix hardware, apparel and lifestyle items. Examples displayed included Independent Trucks' Built to Grind phone cone at £39.99, a Creature Skateboards web belt at £29.99, an Independent Stage 11 keyring at £19.99, a Creature web dart board at £44.99 and Arbor Easyrider ABEC 7 bearings at £10.00. Socks from Opera Skateboards and Jacuzzi Unlimited were listed at £15.00, Santa Cruz beanies ranged from £15.00 to £18.00, and an Enjoi grip cleaner and Enjoi rails were priced at £7.00 and £8.00 respectively. Slappy Trucks bushings appeared at £8.00 in both 90a and 100a versions. A sale section showed reduced lines, such as Ace AF1 80 trucks at £67.99 from £82.00, Arbor caps at £17.00 from £30.00, a Chocolate Doberman tee at £23.99 from £35.00, an Element E.S.P. Gallop 8.75" deck at £45.00 from £60.00 and Emerica skate shoes at £40.00 from £80.00 and £75.00.

Buying from the shop

The website supports a country and currency selector covering the United Kingdom, Ireland, several EU countries, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Norway, Canada, Mexico, the United States and Ukraine, among others. The shop states that orders over £50 in the UK qualify for free next working day delivery. Gift cards are also part of the offer.