A harmonious melding of beats, sneakers, and Miami style, this is the narrative that Snipes, a respected sneaker and streetwear retailer, and Grammy-winning musician DJ Khaled are embarking on. Their new flagship venture “We the Best x Snipes,” opened its doors on Thursday, is an ambitious project aimed at offering an interactive shopping experience that captures the heart of Miami‘s design essence and vibrant culture.
The retail haven, nestled at 673 Collins Avenue, spans more than 6,000 square feet, with every inch touched by the creative influence of DJ Khaled, who steps into the role of the retailer’s chief creative officer. Through his enthusiasm and deep-rooted connection with Snipes, Khaled shared, “It’s a blessing to work with them throughout the years. It’s such a beautiful team and beautiful people. It’s everything that I represent. They give back to the community and I give back to the community.”
In weaving together this retail symphony, the musician collaborated closely with Sven Voth, Snipes CEO, and Jim Bojko, the U.S. president of Snipes. DJ Khaled played a pivotal role in both selecting the Miami location and in the actual store design, ensuring a seamless blend of Snipes’ signature aesthetic with Miami’s distinctive and colorful design language.
Visitors to the flagship store can expect to see a myriad of streetwear apparel, sneakers, and accessories from Snipes’ favorite labels such as Nike, adidas, New Balance, and Crocs, to name a few. Additionally, shoppers will have access to exclusive styles and pieces from local designers.
The highlight of this vibrant shopping haven is a set of unique, immersive experiences that it offers. These include photo opportunities and a DJ booth that’s bound to enthrall audiophiles. DJ Khaled is not just limiting his involvement to the design elements; he is also setting up an office with a recording booth right within the premises. Eager to spend considerable time at the flagship store, DJ Khaled expressed, “I want to be super clear — this store is something that I dreamed of as a kid.“
Reflecting on the essence of their immersive in-store experiences, Bojko remarked, “We understand our consumer has a ton of choices now… what makes us special — and we think what the consumer is looking for — is a reason to leave the house and really engage with everything in their life, whether it’s a retailer or a food shop.“
With the Miami flagship standing as a unique entity amongst Snipes’ 749 global locations, Bojko emphasized that the lessons learned from this venture would be applied to improve their fleet of stores across the U.S. and Europe.
Snipes and DJ Khaled aspire for their Miami flagship to be a hub for locals and visiting streetwear enthusiasts, all the while continuing to give back to the community. As DJ Khaled puts it, “Nothing happens overnight and when you have a vision and great partners like this to collaborate and get to where we’re at today, it’s a huge accomplishment before we even open the doors yet.“
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