Jeff Staple Debuts His Brand’s First-Ever Flagship Store at the Iconic 21 Mercer Location in NYC
For someone as accomplished as Jeff Staple, firsts are hard to come by. However, the sneaker and streetwear pioneer has ventured into uncharted territory with his brand’s first-ever retail store.
Thursday night marks the grand opening of Staple 21 Mercer, located in the heart of New York City’s bustling SoHo neighborhood. The store is located at 21 Mercer St., an address that is particularly special to sneakerheads: it was the longtime home of NikeLab 21 Mercer.
“When we were looking for space, there were a lot of different options. Brokers were showing us different locations. ‘We got 108 Wooster, 352 Grand and 21 Mercer.’ I was like, ‘Holdup, what did you say?'” Staple said with a laugh. “I was like is the place going to fall apart? Because if it’s structurally sound, I’m in.”
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Having created the iconic “Pigeon” SB Dunk with Nike, Staple is acutely aware of the tremendous marketing opportunities the address presents.
“You don’t [have] to explain to anybody where it is, you don’t have to direct traffic. You don’t even have to say the whole thing. Just say ’21M’ and everybody knows,” Staple said. “We’re probably going to make 21 Mercer merch. By having this address, we’ve basically created a new brand. People.”
Though Staple ultimately landed on the storied space, there was another location that he strongly considered: 212 Bowery.
“It’s three doors down from Supreme, it’s an entire building and I loved it because the number is 212, a New York area code,” Staple explained. “It’s also on Bowery and Rivington, so when you stand on the rooftop, you see straight into LES [the Lower East Side]. It had such a view.”
Though this is the first retail destination for his brand, Staple is no stranger to retail. He is the founder of Reed Space, a sneaker and streetwear boutique located at 151 Orchard St. in NYC that remained open for 15 years until it closed in September 2016.
While Reed Space was legendary, Staple said opening a flagship solely dedicated to his brand rather than reopening the beloved boutique was the more favorable option.
“This is a little peek into how my brain works, but the name Reed is now my [creative] agency. It’s called Reed Art Department. So in my head, I’ve compartmentalized it as an agency,” Staple explained.
What’s more, the retail climate has changed dramatically since Reed Space’s glory days.
“Multibrand retail is f–king tough. It’s not a business I want to get into right now. Trying to get top-tier distribution on sneaker accounts is also not the wave anymore,” Staple explained. “I’m just going to show people what we’re doing for the culture, and if you want to f–k with us, you can, and if you don’t, that’s cool. Having a Staple flagship is a lot more interesting to me right now.”
Inside, consumers will find Staple apparel and accessories, as well as a curated assortment of products from select brands. The store will also sell Staple’s first sneaker collaboration with Brooks.
The Staple x Brooks Adrenaline 4 GTS, which was previewed during Paris Fashion Week Men’s, is one of the running brand’s most revered heritage silhouettes. Staple executed the look in its signature gray, white and “pigeon pink” palette. The collab comes with a $175 retail price.
The Staple flagship store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m.
