Best place to experience the anti-Gap

Time was, Central Square was a somewhat grubby farrago of smoke shops, fried-chicken joints, and unspeakable bars. That, of course, was before chains like the Gap, Starbucks, and Wendy's took over. There are, however, a few quirky throwbacks that have managed to avoid being swept away by the tide of gentrification. Teddy Shoes, a tiny, wonderfully cluttered shop, is one of the best and weirdest examples. The store opened in 1957, and it really hasn't changed much since. Today, Teddy is run by the founder's son, Steven Adelson, a man given to calling his customers "dear" and "sweetheart." "We try to treat people nice," he says. The people who receive this treatment range from little old ladies to large transvestites, but they all share one thing in common: they're in the market for the kind of footwear "you can't find in the usual store." Quite. The store stocks green and purple faux-snakeskin shoes for men, red and yellow latex thigh-high boots for women. There are touches here that only a stripper could love: huge, clear plastic soles with beads inside. There are other things, too: tap shoes and tutus, big old Huggy Bear leather caps and felt pork-pie hats with feathers in their bands. There is even a Wonder Woman-like stars-and-stripes swimsuit hanging among the jumble of feather boas and white panama hats. Who buys this stuff? "We cater," says Adelson, "to the ignored segments of the population."

Teddy Shoes, 548 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 547-0443.