HOW TO OPEN A SNEAKER STORE

A LOOK AND A NAME

Premium Goods: The inspiration came from a furniture store called Moss, which is uber-expensive, modern, clean and simple. The layout does not foreshadow the product... anything would fit in here.

DQM: In some stores, people feel afraid to touch things, so we made this a very Average Joe place to come in and hangout. The park bench and the hardwood floors make it that much easier to feel more comfortable and familiar. When a customer sees the sneakers instead of meat, they smile, wonder to themselves, and then look up to see some cool merchandise.

Motive807: Having nice clean lines and an inviting feel was important to me.

Alife Rivington: Alife is the ‘good life’ so we knew the place had to look special. It took eight months and cherry wood from about five different sources throughout NY state to build a space that paid homage to the culture. For Alife, it is more about creating an experience. Who wants to hang out with ugly?

ClassicKicks: Our main focus is the sneakers. All of the clothes that we included were only there to complement the shoes. 95% of our returning customers bring more customers, know the owners and the staff, and they understand what we are trying to do.

Goliath: The store used to be a bar and Goliath is still a very social place. We encourage our customers to hang out and talk. You don’t have to rock the same clothes or have the same Jordans,we try and educate them...