What happened to Lotties Skateshop?

Most involved in the skating scene will have at least heard of Lotties Skateshop. The independent business located in Los Angeles was a beacon of light keeping the community alive in the local area.

The shop was owned and run by Mike Gigliotti, an artist and skateboarder who was somewhat of a local legend thanks to his cool designs as well as his friendly and approachable nature. A recent documentary shared on the Vice YouTube channel delves into the history of the skate shop, as well as the passion and determination of the owner. It shows just how unique the shop was, with awesome hand-painted skateboards and just a generally great vibe that led to it becoming a hangout spot for local skateboarders.

Unfortunately, a quick check on Yelp will show that the store is closed, and the Lotties Skateshop Instagram page also hasn’t seen a new post since 2021, so clearly the little shop that brought so much to the skate community is long gone. But what exactly happened in 2021 that led to one of the coolest, most unique skateboard shops being shut down so suddenly?

What happened to Lotties Skateshop?

While it’s not entirely clear what led Lotties to close its doors, it’s obvious from the video from Vice that Mike would have kept the shop open forever if he could have. Some have theorized that financial troubles may have caused the business to go under, and the cost of moving stock and trying to make a profit is something Mike mentions a few times. 

It certainly seems like keeping a skateboard business afloat would be a challenge in the current age, with more and more teens staying indoors and on their phones, perhaps there just wasn’t enough demand for a shop like Mike’s, even if it was one of the best of its kind.

Others online have speculated that Lottie’s downfall was due to high-profile skateboarder Na-Kel Smith spreading rumors about the shop. Smith supposedly claimed that Lotties wasn’t catering to Black skaters, and according to one Redditor, this is what led to it being shut down. Whether that is actually the case is not really clear, it’s hard to believe some rumors could destroy a whole business, but it’s possible.

Regardless, Mike Gigliotti seems to be doing fine for himself, judging by the documentary — he’s even kept in contact with many of the friends and customers he met while running Lotties. Although the loss of the shop was clearly a huge blow to the community, Mike takes the time to draw attention to other local skateboard shops that are doing similar things to what his shop did proving that, although it’s gone, the spirit of Lotties is alive and well.