Foot Locker Continues Shift to Community Stores with New Chicago Location

Foot Locker has opened its new community-focused store at the Chatham Ridge Shopping Center in Chicago. The exterior of the store is adorned with a mural titled Love Yours that was created by a local artist to represent the power of loving and taking pride in community.  

The new location spans 9,695 square feet and celebrates the South Side community through exclusive community-centric programming. Foot Locker will partner with local organizations, artists and community members to host ongoing events in-store as well as a rolling calendar of workshops, keynote speakers and more.

Earlier this year, Foot Locker’s leadership unveiled a long-term “Lace Up” strategy that included streamlining its real estate portfolio by closing underperforming stores and reimagining remaining stores’ designs. For example, the retailer is opening more community-driven stores in communities that have close ties to sneaker culture. Other core components of this strategy are Foot Locker’s Power Store concept, offering elevated experiences, and its House of Play concept, which focuses on product presentation and storytelling.

To celebrate the store opening, Foot Locker hosted a two-day grand opening party that started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and included on-site sneaker customization and live music by a DJ. Event attendees received a gift with any Nike Air Force 1 purchase, and three community groups were surprised with a free pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers that were personalized by Shaun Redwell, shoe customizer and WNBA host. The event also featured a panel discussion featuring guest speakers Eddie “Edo” White and Vondale Singleton, who discussed creativity, community and inspiration.