Elite Sport Soccer to shutter after a decade on Haight Street

Elite Sport Soccer to shutter after a decade on Haight StreetPhoto: Camden Avery/Hoodline
Camden Avery
Published on January 29, 2020

Owned by the Lopez family since 1989, Elite Sport Soccer has been supplying soccer gear and other sporting goods at its Haight Street spinoff for the past decade. But this week will be the end of the line.

With only some mannequins and display fixtures left in the space, the store will be closing to focus on its original location in the Mission (2637 Mission St.)

A staff member, who requested anonymity, said sales have been slow in the Haight. 

"The rent in the Mission is cheaper," he said, "[and] the location is beautiful. [The Haight] just isn't the place for business."

Cleats and gear for sale at Elite Sport Soccer. | Photo: Maryam T./Yelp

The closure highlights ongoing concerns about the sustainability of brick-and-mortar retail in the Haight. Another sports-oriented neighborhood fixture, Skates on Haight, is still facing uncertainty about its long-term viability.

Closing businesses have frequently cited four overlapping factors in the corridor's decline: high commercial rents, rising labor costs, and depressed foot traffic caused by homeless campers and the years-long Haight Street infrastructure project.

For now, Elite Sport Soccer shoppers can continue to visit its Mission shop (2637 Mission St., between 22nd and 23rd streets), which is open daily from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and until 5 p.m. on Sundays.