Dear "I. M. Curious": Relax. Go ahead, and be a lifestyle tourist. You'll look pretty much like everyone else at Hydra. Well, of course, excepting the staff. But, trust us: From the first "hello," they'll make you feel right at home--and you may find exciting fetishes you never knew you had! Nurses? Schoolgirls? Policemen? They've got it all. You needn't even pretend you're looking at the shoes as art, although many of them are MOMA-worthy. Please your inner drama queen with a stylish, floor-length, Chinese silk number with strategic cutouts and silver-buckled leather straps. Worst case: You might depart with a darling handbag, a little plaid skirt and some fun latex body paint to try at home.
Runners up:
2. Hot Topic, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., 584-8442; 4500 N. Oracle Road, 292-9291; hottopic.com
3. Dark Star Leather, 2940 N. Swan Road, No. 129, 881-4700, darkstarleather.com