All-Star week is upon us, and as part of the festivities, we’ll have a series of posts that are intended to give you an inside look at what’s going down on the streets of NYC. This time: A look inside Foot Locker’s huge House of Hoops pop-up shop adjacent to MSG.
NEW YORK -- Foot Locker’s House of Hoops locations are typically small, boutique-style stores that carry Nike Basketball’s most sought-after sneaker releases. But in advance of February’s All-Star week in New York City, the company is doing it up much, much bigger.
From the official release:
“The 5,100 square-foot location will serve as an elevated stand-alone hub of all things Nike Basketball. The interior will feature powerful imagery to showcase the premium product and celebrate the spirit and history of the game and its most elite athletes.
“Consumers will experience an opening weekend of product releases, such as the Nike and Jordan Black History Month collections and activities focused around New York City basketball. The store’s product assortment will include a selection of exclusive and limited footwear, apparel, and accessories from Nike Basketball, Nike Sportswear, and Jordan Brand.
“The shop will offer a unique in-store customization center, allowing consumers to personalize a variety of Nike product, including: Air Force 1 (high, mid and low), Tech Fleece, T-shirts, and hats.”
We toured the space on Thursday in advance of the public opening, and it’s impressive. In addition to the store being expected to carry full size runs of sneakers that typically sell out in minutes at the time of their online release (i.e., What The Kobe 9 Elites, which were seen on the shelf), there’s a Nike Basketball museum of sorts at the front end that’s simply a must-see.
Some of the items on display included the MVP puppets, and an original Jordan 11 concord high autographed by Michael Jordan himself.
Check out the photos below. The store opens to the public on Friday, Jan. 16.
[Photos above: Credit Nike. Photos in slideshow below: Credit PBT.]