Two brutes slashed a Manhattan subway rider and ripped off his Jordan sneakers late Monday – with the victim apparently targeted after he refused to join a street gang, sources said.

The 21-year-old victim was walking out of the No. 6 train station at East 77th Street and Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side around 10:15 p.m. when the aggressors stormed up to him, according to authorities and sources.

One of the men held the victim down while the other pummeled him, sources said.

One of the attackers also struck the young man on the head with a kitchen knife, leaving him with a cut, cops and sources said.

They then yanked off his Jordans, worth about $260, police said.

The victim told investigators he recognized one of the suspects – who previously approached him and asked if he’d join his gang, a Bloods affiliate called the East Ape Brick Squad, sources said.

The victim said he declined the offer, and said the pair have since turned against him, according to the sources.

Both suspects bolted and were stll on the loose Tuesday afternoon.

The victim, meanwhile, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.