Big Apple Air
By: Creative Fuel
You’re not exactly sure what you’re seeing when you walk down Spring Street in Soho and stumble upon a series of windows filled with shelves of white milk jugs, spray bottles and skateboard decks…all with small black, old-school Nike logos printed on each one. It’s enough to make you stop in your tracks, find the door and go in. Once inside you realize it’s Nike’s new 5-story flagship concept. The first-floor design is based on the concept of “air”, with a fan wall, bubble-like fixtures and bubble-wrapped architecture (columns). The centerpiece of the first floor is a 360-degree customization bar that allows you to buy a pair of white shoes and have an “artist” color dye them, 3D print on them, or even custom accessorize them. All of this is done right in front of your eyes and everyone else in the store – making for quite the show!
The top floor of the space is all about basketball, complete with a functional half court. The remaining floors are various product shops (including mens, running, womens, etc.) that aren’t quite as experiential but feel more modern than Nike’s previous flagship. The first-floor experience alone, however, is definitely worth the trip!