Police Raid Coolkicks at Gunpoint or Authorities put the boot down on sneakerheads
“Chat, I don’t know what the f*** just happened. Did somebody swat us? I’ll be back chat,” said Coolkicks owner Adeel Shams to his whatnot livestream. He cut off the stream as LAPD marched in with raised pistols and shotguns, executing a search warrant for Coolkick’s warehouse, a famous Hypebeast clothing store.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrested Shams on Thursday, Oct. 2, for allegedly receiving known stolen property valued at over $950 Shams was released on Oct. 3 and is due in court on Oct. 23, 2025 according to LASD arrest records.
Employees at the warehouse could be seen being pulled out at gunpoint by police before being detained and searched. A United States Postal Service (USPS) truck that was present at the time of the raid was inspected by officers, and was not immediately released back to USPS. Some of the detained employees could be seen being released from handcuffs after the raid. Those that were released from custody declined to comment at the scene.
Coolkicks was founded in 2014 and gained popularity in tandem with modern sneakerhead and hypebeast fashion trends, becoming a significant and culturally relevant reseller of shoes with its flagship store located on Melrose Avenue. Coolkicks also found success on social media, boasting over 4.5 million followers across its social media platforms and collaborating with celebrities and influencers such as Mike Tyson, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and Darren Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed.
Police arrested Shams at his company’s Santa Monica warehouse on Stewart Street across from Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design campus. According to an LAPD news release, the LAPD collaborated with three different agencies to recover $500,000 in stolen cargo, consisting of 2,100 pairs of stolen Nike sneakers and 150 cartons of various Nike clothing.
The LAPD said in a statement, “This case underscores the importance of interagency collaboration in combating large-scale cargo theft and preserving the integrity of commercial supply chains. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.” The LAPD Commercial Crimes Division Cargo Theft Unit, partnered with the Union Pacific Railroad Police, Los Angeles Port Police, Los Angeles World Airport Police, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to execute the raid on Coolkicks.
Following the arrest, Coolkicks issued a statement that said the company did not know they were purchasing stolen merchandise and that police have made no claim of counterfeit products. “We are confident the truth will come out, and the trust we have worked so hard to earn will remain strong,” Coolkicks said.
Following the Coolkicks raid, police continued to put the boot down on sneakerhead criminals with the LAPD executing a search warrant at 4300 block of Verona Street in Los Angeles recovering an estimated $1.46 million worth of stolen goods from a train, leading to the of arrest Alejandro Aguilar-Espinoza, on Monday, Oct. 6.
LAPD worked alongside the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the L.A. Port Police, Union Pacific Railroad Police and the L.A. World Airport Police, to execute the bust on Verona Street. According to an Instagram video uploaded by the LAPD, the investigation is ongoing and emphasizes the importance of interagency collaboration; additional arrests are expected.