Evangelista Sports

It takes a trip down to the old basement office to appreciate Evangelista Sports' near fanatical commitment to soccer selection.

"We're always worried about never having enough," chuckles part-owner Carmelo Sansalone, waist deep in three days' worth of fresh shoeboxes. "It's getting to the point where there's just no room for anything else. Still, I really hate having to tell someone: 'Sorry, we don't have that.' It really burns me."

With its flagship two-storey Little Italy headquarters and seven satellites spread across greater Montreal, Evangelista Sports continues to build on its 30-year reputation as the premiere soccer specialty store for shoes, licensed jerseys and everything in between.

And whether he's serving the recreational team trainer, seen-it-all tourists or even the occasional Impact player, for Carmelo, their first reaction never gets old. "Imagine walking in from Europe or South America - where soccer is king - and you still can't help but say, 'Wow!' That's why people like to come here."