Sneakersnstuff, with locations in Stockholm, London, Paris and Berlin, has landed Stateside with the opening of its first store in New York. The 3,500-square-foot boutique, designed by Swedish Architect Jenny Askenfors of Bofink Design Studio, is located in the Meatpacking District.
The space accommodates multiple areas for artist and brand activations with the likes of Adidas Originals, Nike, New Balance, Reebok, Stussy, MadeMe, Reigning Champ, The North Face, Aries, and Sneakersnstuff’s SNS brand rounding out the selection. In addition, the store features a bar (opening in early 2018) that will be managed by notable Swedish restaurateurs and host brand-activated events and nightly parties. The idea for the onsite bar comes on the heels of the popular SNS club it opened alongside its Berlin shop last year.
Sneakersnstuff design highlights include four mirrors inspired by four iconic buildings in New York—Flatiron, Chrysler and New York Life buildings as well as the Freedom Tower. In an homage to the space formerly being a garage, a crushed Swedish car (Volvo) filled with sneakers from Sneakersnstuff founders Erik Fagerlind and Pete Jansson collections, serves as a display. In addition, the cash register desk is inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge and a display table is modeled after a giant hamburger—a cheeky nod to when the founders could only afford burgers on their early New York visits. Every detail, from the furniture to fixtures, pulls from both Scandinavian design heritage and New York inspirations.
Back in 1999, Fagerlind and Jansson, who both had been working in the sports and lifestyle categories and collecting sneakers on the side, saw a hole in the Swedish retail market—specifically catering to sneaker fans with niche tastes. There was no alternative to the big retail chains dominating the market in Stockholm back then. After a successful trip to New York that yielded both inspiration and acquiring some exclusive product in Sweden, Sneakernstuff opened its first shop in Stockholm and, soon after, an online component. Nearly 20 years later, the duo has come full circle opening a shop in the Big Apple.
