Foot Locker and Nike have teamed up with local community leaders to launch a new neighbourhood-focused store concept in Los Angeles.
The Crenshaw Rec by Foot Locker will open on Saturday 22 August on Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles, marking the first iteration of the new retail format.
Developed alongside Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse, the store has been designed to operate as both a shopping destination and community hub, taking inspiration from the role recreation centres have traditionally played as meeting places for sport and culture.
The space will feature an open gym, equipment room, creative workspaces and a dedicated resource centre, alongside hyper-local product ranges and exclusive launches.
Foot Locker and Nike worked with figures from across Crenshaw to shape the store’s product assortment, partnerships and programming, including The Marathon Brand, founded by the late rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle and his brother Samiel Asghedom.
Los Angeles-based designer Gavin Mathieu of Supervsn Studios, Crenshaw High School and local artists, vendors and business owners have also contributed to the concept.
Exclusive products will include a Crenshaw High School x Nike Team Shop range and a capsule collection from Mathieu, while local businesses and entrepreneurs will be given space through a programme of pop-ups and collaborations.
It will also introduce its Crenshaw Striper Program, a neighbourhood recruitment initiative intended to create jobs for local residents and bring their knowledge of the area into the in-store experience.
Year-round activities planned for the store include music academies, run clubs, barber shop events and educational workshops.
Foot Locker chief marketing officer Brett O’Brien said the concept reflected the retailer’s commitment to investing in communities that have helped shape sneaker culture.
He said the business wanted to create a destination that both celebrated Crenshaw’s history and provided opportunities for the next generation through sport and culture.
The location also has a close connection to Nipsey Hussle, who sold mixtapes from the shopping centre’s car park before establishing himself as a musician and entrepreneur.
The Marathon Brand co-founder Samiel Asghedom said the site carried particular significance for the family as he and Hussle had grown up around the shopping centre.
He said the area’s restaurants, record shops and supermarkets had played a role in their childhood and that the family was proud to help bring youth initiatives to the new retail space.
Foot Locker will mark the opening with a community swap meet and three-on-three basketball tournament on 22 August, featuring local vendors and community partners.
Foot Locker and Nike said the Crenshaw store represents the first expression of the format and are exploring opportunities to introduce similar community-led concepts in other neighbourhoods in the future.
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