Profile

Although this flashy sportswear flagship offers an array of cutting-edge workout apparel, the space is really a tribute to the Nike shoe. The front area resembles a basketball court, with gleaming hardwood flooring and Air Force 1s propped on a set of bleachers. Tees, lightweight nylon jackets, and hoodies are displayed on tables alongside vintage Sports Illustrated issues from the sixties and seventies. A gallery of shoes lining the hallway presents a primer on the evolving Nike sneaker, including Steve Prefontaine’s Premontreal, the Sock Racer, the Nike Presto, the Zoom Victory, and the AirMax 90 Current. The hallway feeds into a maze of rooms decked with shoe-hyping flat-screen TVs and dramatic lighting. But the main attraction is the Nike iD service in back, which sets this swoosh-laden store apart from the sprawling Niketown. For $225, customers can customize their own Air Force 1s in person, choosing the upper (leather, patent leather, metallic, or glitter weave), sole, laces, monogram, and stitching. While there, check out the invitation-only bespoke area, where serious shoe addicts can build their own $825 pairs from a spectrum of 83 premium materials, like full-grain Italian leather, suede, and Nike elephant print. — Lauren Murrow