P448 is on the move again in NYC.
The Italian sneaker brand announced this week that it has relocated its New York City shop to a new 8,000-sq.-ft. space at 663 Fifth Avenue. This marks the third location P448 has opened along one of the city’s main shopping streets since 2019. The label’s previous locations were at 587 Fifth Avenue and 605 Fifth Avenue, both of which are now closed.
According to P448, it does not have “commitment phobia,” but instead has found success in a retail strategy focused on temporary spaces – noting the tendency for “consumers to get bored easily” and the boom of landlords with empty spaces as reasons for this approach.
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In its latest store, which P448 calls an “entertainment retail zone,” the brand aims to take consumers deeper into its world – with a focus on local artists and entertainers. This can be seen through artwork throughout the store by Brooklyn-based Japanese artist Lady Aiko and New York-based Chris “Daze” Ellis.
The shop also highlights the brand’s connection to the sports worlds of skateboarding, surfing and F1 racing, with dedicated areas featuring its collaborations.
Olympic skateboarding athletes Yam Behar and Bombette Martin will have their evolving brand ambassador capsule collections showcased, plus the brand’s connection to surfing is on full display with surfboard shelves, white-cap wave themed walls and video streams of P448’s oceanic sustainable efforts on large LED screen panels. What’s more, customized AlphaTauri mini-race cars are seen speeding on a motorized track in a dedicated section highlighting products from its Formula 1 “P448 x Scuderia AlphaTauri” capsule collection.
Moving to the second floor, there is a dedicated creative VIP space where customers can come to create styles with the brand’s made-to-order custom oversized shoe program, which extends up to size 55.
There’s also a Flecha Azul Tequila bar, where customers can sip on blanco, reposado and anejo tequila tastings and cocktails.
Wayne Kulkin, executive chairman of P448 parent company StreetTrend, said in a statement that consistently offering a new environment to consumers is the key to success following five years of opening these “entertainment retail zones.”
“The store provides a unique platform for interactive connections with the brand enhanced by the true stars of our store – the people that work there,” Kulkin said. “From tequila tastings to live music to a shoe tattooing residency with local artists, delivering a super unique yet memorable experience is what our new Fifth Avenue store is all about.”
Looking ahead, another P448 “entertainment retail zone” will open this month in Boston at the Boston Seaport. The store is expected to follow a similar design and décor scheme as the NYC shop, featuring wire-tension surf shelving, ice dispenser shoe displays and a shoelace shed.
Also coming later this month is P448’s first outlet store, opening at the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets.
