Shoe-in: Dutch flagship makes art of footwear

Amsterdam – United Nude, the shoe brand founded by architect Rem Koolhaas and shoemaker Galahad Clark, has opened a new flagship store in the Dutch capital.

The store, designed by Koolhaas, is dark in all areas except where the products are showcased and highlighted – in backlit recesses, in glass cases, on wooden plinths, along wooden steps.

Besides the focus on the shoes, the most prominent element of the store design is a computer-controlled LED wall of lights, which displays United Nude’s shoes as works of art.

While the store is slick and designed by a renowned architect, clever thinking ensures that the focus is always on the product – and therefore the bottom line. The brand expects to open flagship stores in Shanghai and New York next year.